1
|
Harris ZN, Pratt JE, Kovacs LG, Klein LL, Kwasniewski MT, Londo JP, Wu AS, Miller AJ. Grapevine scion gene expression is driven by rootstock and environment interaction. BMC Plant Biol 2023; 23:211. [PMID: 37085756 PMCID: PMC10122299 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04223-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Grafting is a horticultural practice used widely across woody perennial crop species to fuse together the root and shoot system of two distinct genotypes, the rootstock and the scion, combining beneficial traits from both. In grapevine, grafting is used in nearly 80% of all commercial vines to optimize fruit quality, regulate vine vigor, and enhance biotic and abiotic stress-tolerance. Rootstocks have been shown to modulate elemental composition, metabolomic profiles, and the shape of leaves in the scion, among other traits. However, it is currently unclear how rootstock genotypes influence shoot system gene expression as previous work has reported complex and often contradictory findings. RESULTS In the present study, we examine the influence of grafting on scion gene expression in leaves and reproductive tissues of grapevines growing under field conditions for three years. We show that the influence from the rootstock genotype is highly tissue and time dependent, manifesting only in leaves, primarily during a single year of our three-year study. Further, the degree of rootstock influence on scion gene expression is driven by interactions with the local environment. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that the role of rootstock genotype in modulating scion gene expression is not a consistent, unchanging effect, but rather an effect that varies over time in relation to local environmental conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary N Harris
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, USA.
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132-2918, USA.
| | - Julia E Pratt
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, USA
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132-2918, USA
| | - Laszlo G Kovacs
- Department of Biology, Missouri State University, 901 S. National Avenue, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA
| | - Laura L Klein
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, USA
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132-2918, USA
| | - Misha T Kwasniewski
- Department of Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, 326 Rodney A. Erickson Food Science Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Jason P Londo
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Horticulture Section, Cornell AgriTech, 635 W. North Street, Geneva, NY, 14456, USA
| | - Angela S Wu
- Department of Computer Science, Saint Louis University, 220 N. Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, USA
| | - Allison J Miller
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 3507 Laclede Avenue, St. Louis, MO, 63103-2010, USA.
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, MO, 63132-2918, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ran F, Nie X, Wang S, Liao W, Xiao T, Yang C, Liu Y, Liu Y, Liu S, Li Z. Anthropogenic-driven chronological increase of sediment organic carbon burial in a river-lake system. Environ Res 2022; 215:114392. [PMID: 36152885 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Total organic carbon (TOC) in lake sediments from upstream catchments is deposited and buried in substrate, recording historical environmental changes. However, the linkage among natural variability, anthropogenic activity, and TOC burial for has not yet been clarified. This study examined the lake sediments of five 200-cm-deep dated depositional cores in west Dongting lake, China to quantify the magnitude, allocation, and amplitude of TOC burial. 44.47-59.36% of TOC burial flux was buried at 100-200 cm, suggesting lake sediments at deep layers stored considerable carbon. TOC burial rate (BRTOC) decreased along the lake entrance to its body, which was explained by the geochemical differences. Since 1900, BRTOC presented an increasing with a 4-7 times uptrend, showing three sedimentary stages with the increased human disturbance, such as deforestation, hydroelectric facilities. Moreover, the coefficient of variation of BRTOC in the third stage was lower than that in the second stage for the implementation of watershed reforestation and reservoir construction. Our findings stressed that natural variations of lake sedimentation background induced the change of TOC burial among the depositional sites, and enhanced that anthropogenic perturbation drove its chronological increases. This research unveiled the linkage between TOC burial, natural variability, and human disturbance from the perspective of burial evolutions in a lacustrine sedimentary environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fengwei Ran
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Xiaodong Nie
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China.
| | - Shilan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Wenfei Liao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China
| | - Tao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Changrong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Yi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Yaojun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China
| | - Songbo Liu
- Beijing Water Science and Technology Institute, Beijing, 100048, PR China
| | - Zhongwu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecological and Environmental Change in Subtropical Zone, School of Geographic Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, PR China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Medeiros MCI, Seabourn PS, Rollins RL, Yoneishi NM. Mosquito Microbiome Diversity Varies Along a Landscape-Scale Moisture Gradient. Microb Ecol 2022; 84:893-900. [PMID: 34617123 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01865-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Microorganisms live in close association with metazoan hosts and form symbiotic microbiotas that modulate host biology. Although the function of host-associated microbiomes may change with composition, hosts within a population can exhibit high turnover in microbiome composition among individuals. However, environmental drivers of this variation are inadequately described. Here, we test the hypothesis that this diversity among the microbiomes of Aedes albopictus (a mosquito disease vector) is associated with the local climate and land-use patterns on the high Pacific island of O 'ahu, Hawai 'i. Our principal finding demonstrates that the relative abundance of several bacterial symbionts in the Ae. albopictus microbiome varies in response to a landscape-scale moisture gradient, resulting in the turnover of the mosquito microbiome composition across the landscape. However, we find no evidence that mosquito microbiome diversity is tied to an index of urbanization. This result has implications toward understanding the assembly of host-associated microbiomes, especially during an era of rampant global climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C I Medeiros
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Life Science Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1800 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA.
- Center of Microbiome Analysis Through Island Knowledge and Investigation, Life Science Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1800 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA.
| | - Priscilla S Seabourn
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Life Science Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1800 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
| | - Randi L Rollins
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Gilmore Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
| | - Nicole M Yoneishi
- Pacific Biosciences Research Center, Life Science Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1800 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
- Center of Microbiome Analysis Through Island Knowledge and Investigation, Life Science Building, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, 1800 East-West Road, Honolulu, Hawaii, 96822, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Studd EK, Peers MJL, Menzies AK, Derbyshire R, Majchrzak YN, Seguin JL, Murray DL, Dantzer B, Lane JE, McAdam AG, Humphries MM, Boutin S. Behavioural adjustments of predators and prey to wind speed in the boreal forest. Oecologia 2022. [PMID: 36175692 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05266-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Wind speed can have multifaceted effects on organisms including altering thermoregulation, locomotion, and sensory reception. While forest cover can substantially reduce wind speed at ground level, it is not known if animals living in forests show any behavioural responses to changes in wind speed. Here, we explored how three boreal forest mammals, a predator and two prey, altered their behaviour in response to average daily wind speeds during winter. We collected accelerometer data to determine wind speed effects on activity patterns and kill rates of free-ranging red squirrels (n = 144), snowshoe hares (n = 101), and Canada lynx (n = 27) in Kluane, Yukon from 2015 to 2018. All 3 species responded to increasing wind speeds by changing the time they were active, but effects were strongest in hares, which reduced daily activity by 25%, and lynx, which increased daily activity by 25%. Lynx also increased the number of feeding events by 40% on windy days. These results highlight that wind speed is an important abiotic variable that can affect behaviour, even in forested environments.
Collapse
|
5
|
She W, Yang J, Wu G, Jiang H. The synergy of environmental and microbial variations caused by hydrologic management affects the carbon emission in the Three Gorges Reservoir. Sci Total Environ 2022; 821:153446. [PMID: 35092771 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The synergy of environmental and microbiological changes caused by hydrologic management on carbon emissions of river reservoirs remains unknown. Here, we investigated physiochemistry parameters, compositions of dissolved organic matter (DOM), carbon fluxes (CH4 and CO2), and microbial communities in the surface waters of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) within one whole hydrological year. The results showed that hydrologic management significantly changed physiochemistry and DOM composition of the TGR water, and further influenced microbial community composition and functions. DOM content during the drainage period was much lower than during the impoundment period. During the impoundment period, humification extent of DOM became decreasing, while biotransformation extent became increasing compared with the drainage period. DOM composition and water pH exhibited significant correlation with the fluxes of CH4 and CO2, respectively. Microbial community composition and function significantly differed between the drainage and impoundment periods. Most of the differential microbial taxa were affiliated with functional groups involved in carbon cycle such as methanotrophy and phototrophy, which showed significant correlation with carbon fluxes. CH4 and CO2 fluxes can be mostly explained by synergy of microbial function with DOM composition and water pH, respectively. Such synergistic effect may account for the observed temporal variations of CH4 fluxes and spatial variations of CO2, and for the relatively low annual carbon emissions in the TGR. In summary, the synergy of environmental and microbial variations caused by hydrologic management affects carbon emissions from river reservoirs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu She
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Jian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Geng Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Hongchen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Source Apportionment and Control of Aquatic Pollution, Hubei Key Laboratory of Yangtze Catchment Environmental Aquatic Science, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Awadi A, Ben Slimen H, Schaschl H, Knauer F, Suchentrunk F. Positive selection on two mitochondrial coding genes and adaptation signals in hares (genus Lepus) from China. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:100. [PMID: 34039261 PMCID: PMC8157742 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01832-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal mitochondria play a central role in energy production in the cells through the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway. Recent studies of selection on different mitochondrial OXPHOS genes have revealed the adaptive implications of amino acid changes in these subunits. In hares, climatic variation and/or introgression were suggested to be at the origin of such adaptation. Here we looked for evidence of positive selection in three mitochondrial OXPHOS genes, using tests of selection, protein structure modelling and effects of amino acid substitutions on the protein function and stability. We also used statistical models to test for climate and introgression effects on sites under positive selection. RESULTS Our results revealed seven sites under positive selection in ND4 and three sites in Cytb. However, no sites under positive selection were observed in the COX1 gene. All three subunits presented a high number of codons under negative selection. Sites under positive selection were mapped on the tridimensional structure of the predicted models for the respective mitochondrial subunit. Of the ten amino acid replacements inferred to have evolved under positive selection for both subunits, six were located in the transmembrane domain. On the other hand, three codons were identified as sites lining proton translocation channels. Furthermore, four codons were identified as destabilizing with a significant variation of Δ vibrational entropy energy between wild and mutant type. Moreover, our PROVEAN analysis suggested that among all positively selected sites two fixed amino acid replacements altered the protein functioning. Our statistical models indicated significant effects of climate on the presence of ND4 and Cytb protein variants, but no effect by trans-specific mitochondrial DNA introgression, which is not uncommon in a number of hare species. CONCLUSIONS Positive selection was observed in several codons in two OXPHOS genes. We found that substitutions in the positively selected codons have structural and functional impacts on the encoded proteins. Our results are concordantly suggesting that adaptations have strongly affected the evolution of mtDNA of hare species with potential effects on the protein function. Environmental/climatic changes appear to be a major trigger of this adaptation, whereas trans-specific introgressive hybridization seems to play no major role for the occurrence of protein variants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asma Awadi
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Beja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Hichem Ben Slimen
- Laboratory of Functional Physiology and Valorization of Bioresources, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Beja, University of Jendouba, Jendouba, Tunisia
| | - Helmut Schaschl
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kraan C, Thrush SF, Dormann CF. Co-occurrence patterns and the large-scale spatial structure of benthic communities in seagrass meadows and bare sand. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:37. [PMID: 32641016 PMCID: PMC7346362 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00308-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Species distribution models are commonly used tools to describe diversity patterns and support conservation measures. There is a wide range of approaches to developing SDMs, each highlighting different characteristics of both the data and the ecology of the species or assemblages represented by the data. Yet, signals of species co-occurrences in community data are usually ignored, due to the assumption that such structuring roles of species co-occurrences are limited to small spatial scales and require experimental studies to be detected. Here, our aim is to explore associations among marine sandy-bottom sediment inhabitants and test for the structuring effect of seagrass on co-occurrences among these species across a New Zealand intertidal sandflat, using a joint species distribution model (JSDM). Results We ran a JSDM on a total of 27 macrobenthic species co-occurring in 300,000 m2 of sandflat. These species represented all major taxonomic groups, i.e. polychaetes, bivalves and crustaceans, collected in 400 sampling locations. A number of significant co-occurrences due to shared habitat preferences were present in vegetated areas, where negative and positive correlations were approximately equally common. A few species, among them the gastropods Cominella glandiformis and Notoacmea scapha, co-occurred randomly with other seagrass benthic inhabitants. Residual correlations were less apparent and mostly positive. In bare sand flats shared habitat preferences resulted in many significant co-occurrences of benthic species. Moreover, many negative and positive residual patterns between benthic species remained after accounting for habitat preferences. Some species occurring in both habitats showed similarities in their correlations, such as the polychaete Aglaophamus macroura, which shared habitat preferences with many other benthic species in both habitats, yet no residual correlations remained in either habitat. Conclusions Firstly, analyses based on a latent variable approach to joint distributions stressed the structuring role of species co-occurrences beyond experimental scales. Secondly, results showed context dependent interactions, highlighted by species having more interconnected networks in New Zealand bare sediment sandflats than in seagrass meadows. These findings stress the critical importance of natural history to modelling, as well as incorporating ecological reality in SDMs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Casper Kraan
- Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity At the University of Oldenburg, Ammerländer Heerstraße 231, 23129, Oldenburg, Germany.,Department of Functional Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany.,Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Simon F Thrush
- Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Carsten F Dormann
- Biometry and Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Barbosa JZ, Dos Santos Domingues CR, Poggere GC, Motta ACV, Dos Reis AR, de Moraes MF, Prior SA. Elemental composition and nutritional value of Araucaria angustifolia seeds from subtropical Brazil. J Food Sci Technol 2019; 56:1073-7. [PMID: 30906065 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-018-03555-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Consumed by populations in South America, Araucaria angustifolia seeds have received little study regarding elemental composition and nutritional value. Thirty-five seed sites from subtropical Brazil were sampled and seed concentrations of C, N, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mo, Ni, Co, Cr, Ba, and Cd were determined. The highest concentration of N was observed in samples from regions with Cfa climate (humid subtropical, oceanic climate, without dry season with hot summer) and igneous rock, which was superior to regions with Cfb climate (humid subtropical, oceanic climate, without dry season with temperate summer) and metamorphic rock. Seeds can be a source of nutrients: K (11.8 g kg-1), P (4.1 g kg-1), Mn (9.1 mg kg-1), Cu (7.2 mg kg-1), Mo (0.93 mg kg-1), and Cr (0.65 mg kg-1). Values for Ba (0.93 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.19 mg kg-1) indicated no risk to human health. This study expands knowledge regarding the elemental composition of A. angustifolia. Results indicate that these seeds have nutritional value, and their consumption can be a good strategy to improve overall human nutrition in this region of South America.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ayotte P, Simard MA, Côté SD. Reproductive plasticity of female white-tailed deer at high density and under harsh climatic conditions. Oecologia 2019; 189:661-73. [PMID: 30756224 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04337-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Life-history strategies of female ungulates usually depend on density-dependent and independent processes affecting body condition. Using a long-term data set on life-history traits of female white-tailed deer (2002-2014), we investigated the influence of population density and environmental factors on the reproductive effort of females. We also evaluated post-reproductive consequences on body condition using body mass, body fat, and body protein contents in the autumn following conception. We found that under high densities, females had a lower reproductive rate, which corresponds to a conservative reproduction strategy. However, females born at high density were more likely to reproduce and conceive larger litter size than females born at low density, a possible consequence of strong selective pressure in early life. Body condition was affected by reproduction; lactation had a large negative impact on body mass and body reserves, and conception, irrespectively of litter size, had a negative impact on body fat. Our long-term study demonstrates that plasticity in life-history strategies is a major determinant of reproductive potential for females living at high density and under harsh climates.
Collapse
|
10
|
Rajbongshi P, Das T, Adhikari D. Microenvironmental heterogeneity caused by anthropogenic LULC foster lower plant assemblages in the riparian habitats of lentic systems in tropical floodplains. Sci Total Environ 2018; 639:1254-1260. [PMID: 29929292 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic land use and land cover (LULC) create a heterogeneous environment in the floodplains. This heterogeneity may be governing plant species assemblages, diversity, and dominance patterns in the riparian habitats of the lentic systems in tropical floodplains. We tested this hypothesis in the floodplains of Barak river basin in northeast India following standard methods of plant and soil sampling/analysis and multivariate statistical tools. Plant community studies in the riparian habitats of the selected lentic systems were done at monthly intervals for a period of one year, while soil sampling and analysis were done at bimonthly intervals. Standard data visualization plots and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to assess spatiotemporal variations in species richness and diversity, environmental heterogeneity, and species-environment association. The study revealed that anthropogenic land use and land cover significantly affects species assemblage, diversity, and dominance in the riparian habitats. The variations in vegetation structure and composition with respect to the adjoining land use type plausibly have implications on the structure and functioning of the lentic systems. Thus, the study recommends that a holistic approach involving the riparian areas is required for effective management of tropical floodplains.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Rajbongshi
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India
| | - Tapati Das
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar 788011, India.
| | - Dibyendu Adhikari
- Department of Botany, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Maldonado-Chaparro AA, Blumstein DT, Armitage KB, Childs DZ. Transient LTRE analysis reveals the demographic and trait-mediated processes that buffer population growth. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1693-1703. [PMID: 30252195 PMCID: PMC6849557 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/29/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Temporal variation in environmental conditions affects population growth directly via its impact on vital rates, and indirectly through induced variation in demographic structure and phenotypic trait distributions. We currently know very little about how these processes jointly mediate population responses to their environment. To address this gap, we develop a general transient life table response experiment (LTRE) which partitions the contributions to population growth arising from variation in (1) survival and reproduction, (2) demographic structure, (3) trait values and (4) climatic drivers. We apply the LTRE to a population of yellow‐bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventer) to demonstrate the impact of demographic and trait‐mediated processes. Our analysis provides a new perspective on demographic buffering, which may be a more subtle phenomena than is currently assumed. The new LTRE framework presents opportunities to improve our understanding of how trait variation influences population dynamics and adaptation in stochastic environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A Maldonado-Chaparro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1606, USA.,Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, Konstanz, 78315, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Daniel T Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 621 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1606, USA.,Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Box 519, Crested Butte, CO, 81224, USA
| | - Kenneth B Armitage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
| | - Dylan Z Childs
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Honkola T, Ruokolainen K, Syrjänen KJJ, Leino UP, Tammi I, Wahlberg N, Vesakoski O. Evolution within a language: environmental differences contribute to divergence of dialect groups. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:132. [PMID: 30176802 PMCID: PMC6122686 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1238-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The processes leading to the diversity of over 7000 present-day languages have been the subject of scholarly interest for centuries. Several factors have been suggested to contribute to the spatial segregation of speaker populations and the subsequent linguistic divergence. However, their formal testing and the quantification of their relative roles is still missing. We focussed here on the early stages of the linguistic divergence process, that is, the divergence of dialects, with a special focus on the ecological settings of the speaker populations. We adopted conceptual and statistical approaches from biological microevolution and parallelled intra-lingual variation with genetic variation within a species. We modelled the roles of geographical distance, differences in environmental and cultural conditions and in administrative history on linguistic divergence at two different levels: between municipal dialects (cf. in biology, between individuals) and between dialect groups (cf. in biology, between populations). Results We found that geographical distance and administrative history were important in separating municipal dialects. However, environmental and cultural differences contributed markedly to the divergence of dialect groups. In biology, increase in genetic differences between populations together with environmental differences may suggest genetic differentiation of populations through adaptation to the local environment. However, our interpretation of this result is not that language itself adapts to the environment. Instead, it is based on Homo sapiens being affected by its environment, and its capability to adapt culturally to various environmental conditions. The differences in cultural adaptations arising from environmental heterogeneity could have acted as nonphysical barriers and limited the contacts and communication between groups. As a result, linguistic differentiation may emerge over time in those speaker populations which are, at least partially, separated. Conclusions Given that the dialects of isolated speaker populations may eventually evolve into different languages, our result suggests that cultural adaptation to local environment and the associated isolation of speaker populations have contributed to the emergence of the global patterns of linguistic diversity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1238-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Terhi Honkola
- Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland. .,Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, Jakobi 2, University of Tartu, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Kalle Ruokolainen
- Department of Geography and Geology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kaj J J Syrjänen
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Unni-Päivä Leino
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Ilpo Tammi
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Council of Tampere Region, FI-33201 Tampere, Tampere, Finland
| | - Niklas Wahlberg
- Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,Department of Biology, Sölvegatan 37, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Outi Vesakoski
- Department of Biology, FI-20014 University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Glunt KD, Oliver SV, Hunt RH, Paaijmans KP. The impact of temperature on insecticide toxicity against the malaria vectors Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus. Malar J 2018; 17:131. [PMID: 29606123 PMCID: PMC5879579 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2250-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is anticipated that malaria elimination efforts in Africa will be hampered by increasing resistance to the limited arsenal of insecticides approved for use in public health. However, insecticide susceptibility status of vector populations evaluated under standard insectary test conditions can give a false picture of the threat, as the thermal environment in which the insect and insecticide interact plays a significant role in insecticide toxicity. Methods The effect of temperature on the expression of the standard WHO insecticide resistance phenotype was examined using Anopheles arabiensis and Anopheles funestus strains: a susceptible strain and the derived resistant strain, selected in the laboratory for resistance to DDT or pyrethroids. The susceptibility of mosquitoes to the pyrethroid deltamethrin or the carbamate bendiocarb was assessed at 18, 25 or 30 °C. The ability of the pyrethroid synergist piperonyl-butoxide (PBO) to restore pyrethroid susceptibility was also assessed at these temperatures. Results Temperature impacted the toxicity of deltamethrin and bendiocarb. Although the resistant An. funestus strain was uniformly resistant to deltamethrin across temperatures, increasing temperature increased the resistance of the susceptible An. arabiensis strain. Against susceptible An. funestus and resistant An. arabiensis females, deltamethrin exposure at temperatures both lower and higher than standard insectary conditions increased mortality. PBO exposure completely restored deltamethrin susceptibility at all temperatures. Bendiocarb displayed a consistently positive temperature coefficient against both susceptible and resistant An. funestus strains, with survival increasing as temperature increased. Conclusions Environmental temperature has a marked effect on the efficacy of insecticides used in public health against important African malaria vectors. Caution must be exercised when drawing conclusions about a chemical’s efficacy from laboratory assays performed at only one temperature, as phenotypic resistance can vary significantly even over a temperature range that could be experienced by mosquitoes in the field during a single day. Similarly, it might be inappropriate to assume equal efficacy of a control tool over a geographic area where local conditions vary drastically. Additional studies into the effects of temperature on the efficacy of insecticide-based interventions under field conditions are warranted. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-018-2250-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katey D Glunt
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Shüné V Oliver
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Richard H Hunt
- Centre for Emerging Zoonotic and Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Krijn P Paaijmans
- ISGlobal, Barcelona Ctr. Int. Health Res. (CRESIB), Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça (CISM), Maputo, Mozambique.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Liu Y, Ta W, Cherubini P, Liu R, Wang Y, Sun C. Elements content in tree rings from Xi'an, China and environmental variations in the past 30years. Sci Total Environ 2018; 619-620:120-126. [PMID: 29145049 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), the characteristics of chemical elements were analyzed in white poplar (Populus bonatii Levl.) and ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle) from three sites in the town of Xi'an, China. The results indicated that the concentration variations of Pb and Cd in tree rings were consistent with that of the environment where the trees were growing. P and Zn were translocated within tree rings to a certain degree, which led to an inaccurate pollution reconstruction. We also found that white poplar had a stronger absorptive capacity of Cd and Zn than ailanthus, which could make white poplar better as a species in environmental remediation. From this research we can see the great potential of tree rings for studying the history of different element pollution in the environment, showing that dendrochemical methods could be used as a powerful component in environmental monitoring programmes, to reconstruct past pollution history at the time when monitoring systems were not yet installed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Liu
- Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China.
| | - Weiyuan Ta
- Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China; Shaanxi Appraisal Center for Environmental Engineering, Xi'an 710065, China
| | - Paolo Cherubini
- WSL, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Ruoshi Liu
- Department of Environmental Science and Technology, School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China
| | - Yanchao Wang
- Department of Geography, Xingtai University, Xingtai 054001, China
| | - Changfeng Sun
- Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an 710061, China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Galloway LF. RESPONSE TO NATURAL ENVIRONMENTAL HETEROGENEITY: MATERNAL EFFECTS AND SELECTION ON LIFE-HISTORY CHARACTERS AND PLASTICITIES IN MIMULUS GUTTATUS. Evolution 2017; 49:1095-1107. [PMID: 28568540 DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1995.tb04436.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/1994] [Accepted: 08/16/1994] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies in plant populations have found that environmental heterogeneity and phenotypic selection vary at local spatial scales. In this study, I ask if there is evolutionary change in response to environmental heterogeneity and, if so, whether the response occurs for characters or character plasticities. I used vegetative clones of Mimulus guttatus to create replicate populations of 75 genotypes. These populations were planted into the natural habitat where they differed in mean growth, flowering phenology, and life span. This phenotypic variation was used to define selective environments. There was variation in fitness (flower production) among genotypes across all planting sites and in genotype response to the selective environment. Offspring from each site were grown in the greenhouse in two water treatments. Because each population initially had the same genetic composition, variation in the progeny between selective environments reveals either evolutionary change in response to environmental heterogeneity or environmental maternal effects. Plants from experimental sites that flowered earlier, had shorter life spans and were less productive, produced offspring that had more flowers, on average, and were less plastic in vegetative allocation than offspring of longer-lived plants from high-productivity areas. However, environmental maternal effects masked phenotypic differences in flower production. Therefore, although there was evidence of genetic differentiation in both life-history characters and their plasticities in response to small-scale environmental heterogeneity, environmental maternal effects may slow evolutionary change. Response to local-scale selective regimes suggests that environmental heterogeneity and local variation in phenotypic selection may act to maintain genetic variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura F Galloway
- Section of Evolution and Ecology and Center for Population Biology, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ben Slimen H, Schaschl H, Knauer F, Suchentrunk F. Selection on the mitochondrial ATP synthase 6 and the NADH dehydrogenase 2 genes in hares (Lepus capensis L., 1758) from a steep ecological gradient in North Africa. BMC Evol Biol 2017; 17:46. [PMID: 28173765 PMCID: PMC5297179 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-0896-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent studies of selection on mitochondrial (mt) OXPHOS genes suggest adaptation due mainly to environmental variation. In this context, Tunisian hares that display several external phenotypes with phylogenetically rather homogenous gene pool and shallow population structure provide a good precondition to detect positive selection on mt genes related to environmental/climatic variation, specifically ambient temperature and precipitation. Results We used codon-based methods along with population genetic data to test for positive selection on ATPase synthase 6 (ATP6) and NADH dehydrogenase 2 (ND2) of cape hares (Lepus capensis) collected along a steep ecological gradient in Tunisia. We found significantly higher differentiation at the ATP6 locus across Tunisia, with sub-humid Mediterranean, semi-arid, and arid Sahara climate than for fourteen unlinked supposedly neutrally evolving nuclear microsatellites and mt control region sequences. This suggested positive selection on ATP6 sequences, which was confirmed by several codon-based tests for one sequence site that together with a second site translated into four different amino acids. Positive selection on ND2 sequences was also confirmed by several codon-based tests. The corresponding frequencies of the two most prevalent variants at each locus varied significantly across climate regions, and our logistic general linear models of occurrence of those proteins indicated significant effects of mean annual temperature for ATP6 and mean minimum temperature of the coldest month of the year for ND2, independent of geographical location, annual precipitation, and the respective co-occurring protein at the second locus. Moreover, presence of the ancestral ATP6 protein, as inferred from phylogenetic networks, was positively affected by the simultaneous presence of the derived ND2 protein and vice versa, independent of temperature, precipitation, or geographic location. Finally, we obtained a significant coevolution signal for the ancestral ATP6 and derived ND2 sequences and vice versa. Conclusions positive selection was strongly suggested by the population genetic approach and the codon-based tests in both mtDNA genes. Moreover, the two most prevalent proteins at the ATP6 locus were distributed at significantly varying frequencies across the study area with a significant effect of mean annual temperature on the occurrence of the ATP6 proteins independent of geographical coordinates and the co-occuring ND2 protein variant. For ND2, occurrence of the two most frequent protein variants was significantly influenced by the mean minimum temperature of the coldest month, independent of the co-occurring ATP6 protein variant and geographical coordinates. This strongly suggests direct involvement of ambient temperature in the adaptation of the studied mtOXPHOS genes. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0896-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hichem Ben Slimen
- UR Génomique des Insectes Ravageurs des Cultures d'Intérêt Agronomique (GIRC), Université de Tunis El-Manar, 2092, El Manar, Tunisia. .,Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Béja, Beja, 9000, Tunisia.
| | - Helmut Schaschl
- Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Knauer
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - Franz Suchentrunk
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Ferguson JM, Carvalho F, Murillo-García O, Taper ML, Ponciano JM. An updated perspective on the role of environmental autocorrelation in animal populations. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2016; 9:129-148. [PMID: 27158281 PMCID: PMC4856168 DOI: 10.1007/s12080-015-0276-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ecological theory predicts that the presence of temporal autocorrelation in environments can considerably affect population extinction risk. However, empirical estimates of autocorrelation values in animal populations have not decoupled intrinsic growth and density feedback processes from environmental autocorrelation. In this study we first discuss how the autocorrelation present in environmental covariates can be reduced through nonlinear interactions or by interactions with multiple limiting resources. We then estimated the degree of environmental autocorrelation present in the Global Population Dynamics Database using a robust, model-based approach. Our empirical results indicate that time series of animal populations are affected by low levels of environmental autocorrelation, a result consistent with predictions from our theoretical models. Claims supporting the importance of autocorrelated environments have been largely based on indirect empirical measures and theoretical models seldom anchored in realistic assumptions. It is likely that a more nuanced understanding of the effects of autocorrelated environments is necessary to reconcile our conclusions with previous theory. We anticipate that our findings and other recent results will lead to improvements in understanding how to incorporate fluctuating environments into population risk assessments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jake M Ferguson
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee
| | - Felipe Carvalho
- Program of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida
| | - Oscar Murillo-García
- School of Natural Resources and Environment & Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Animal, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Bento R, Hoey AS, Bauman AG, Feary DA, Burt JA. The implications of recurrent disturbances within the world's hottest coral reef. Mar Pollut Bull 2016; 105:466-472. [PMID: 26478453 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 09/25/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Determining how coral ecosystems are structured within extreme environments may provide insights into how coral reefs are impacted by future climate change. Benthic community structure was examined within the Persian Gulf, and adjacent Musandam and northern Oman regions across a 3-year period (2008-2011) in which all regions were exposed to major disturbances. Although there was evidence of temporal switching in coral composition within regions, communities predominantly reflected local environmental conditions and the disturbance history of each region. Gulf reefs showed little change in coral composition, being dominated by stress-tolerant Faviidae and Poritidae across the 3 years. In comparison, Musandam and Oman coral communities were comprised of stress-sensitive Acroporidae and Pocilloporidae; Oman communities showed substantial declines in such taxa and increased cover of stress-tolerant communities. Our results suggest that coral communities may persist within an increasingly disturbed future environment, albeit in a much more structurally simple configuration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rita Bento
- ICBAS, Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira no. 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; Emirates Diving Association, PO Box 33220 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Andrew S Hoey
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville Q4811, Australia.
| | - Andrew G Bauman
- Experimental Marine Ecology Laboratory, Department of Biological Science, National University of Singapore, 117543 Singapore
| | - David A Feary
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - John A Burt
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, New York University Abu Dhabi, PO Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Liao WB, Luo Y, Lou SL, Lu D, Jehle R. Geographic variation in life-history traits: growth season affects age structure, egg size and clutch size in Andrew's toad (Bufo andrewsi). Front Zool 2016; 13:6. [PMID: 26865855 PMCID: PMC4748633 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Environmental variation associated with season length is likely to promote differentiation in life-history traits, but has been little studied in natural populations of ectotherms. We investigated patterns of variation in egg size, clutch size, age at sexual maturity, maximum age, mean age, growth rate and adult body size in relation to growth season length among 17 populations of Andrew’s toad (Bufo andrewsi) at different latitudes and altitudes in the Hengduan Mountains, western China. Results We found that egg size, age at sexual maturity, and mean age increased with decreasing length of the growth season, whereas clutch size showed a converse cline. Body size did not increase with decreasing length of the growth season, but was tightly linked to lifetime activity (i.e. the estimated number of active days during lifetime). Males and females differed in their patterns of geographic variation in growth rates, which may be the result of forces shaping the trade-off between growth and reproduction in different environments. Conclusions Our findings suggest that growth season plays an important role in shaping variation in life-history traits in B. andrewsi across geographical gradients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12983-016-0138-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Bo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009 Sichuan China
| | - Yi Luo
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009 Sichuan China
| | - Shang Ling Lou
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009 Sichuan China
| | - Di Lu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009 Sichuan China
| | - Robert Jehle
- School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, M5 4WT Salford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Jessop TS, Dempster T, Letnic M, Webb JK. Interplay among nocturnal activity, melatonin, corticosterone and performance in the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marinus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2014; 206:43-50. [PMID: 25063397 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Most animals conduct daily activities exclusively either during the day or at night. Here, hormones such as melatonin and corticosterone, greatly influence the synchronization or regulation of physiological and behavioral cycles needed for daily activity. How then do species that exhibit more flexible daily activity patterns, responses to ecological, environmental or life-history processes, regulate daily hormone profiles important to daily performance? This study examined the consequences of (1) nocturnal activity on diel profiles of melatonin and corticosterone and (2) the effects of experimentally increased acute melatonin levels on physiological and metabolic performance in the cane toad (Rhinella marinus). Unlike inactive captive toads that had a distinct nocturnal melatonin profile, nocturnally active toads sampled under field and captive conditions, exhibited decreased nocturnal melatonin profiles with no evidence for any phase shift. Nocturnal corticosterone levels were significantly higher in field active toads than captive toads. In toads with experimentally increased melatonin levels, plasma lactate and glucose responses following recovery post exercise were significantly different from control toads. However, exogenously increased melatonin did not affect resting metabolism in toads. These results suggest that toads could adjust daily hormone profiles to match nocturnal activity requirements, thereby avoiding performance costs induced by high nocturnal melatonin levels. The ability of toads to exhibit plasticity in daily hormone cycles, could have broad implications for how they and other animals utilize behavioral flexibility to optimize daily activities in response to natural and increasingly human mediated environmental variation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim S Jessop
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia.
| | - Tim Dempster
- Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Mike Letnic
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jonathan K Webb
- School of the Environment, University of Technology, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Abstract
Often simple metrics are used to summarise complex patterns in stream benthic ecology, thus it is important to understand how well these metrics can explain the finer-scale underlying environmental variation often hidden by coarser-scale influences. I sampled 47 relatively pristine streams in the central North Island of New Zealand in 2007 and (1) evaluated the local-scale drivers of macroinvertebrate community structure as well as both diversity and biomonitoring metrics in this unmodified landscape, and (2) assessed whether these drivers were similar for commonly used univariate metrics and multivariate structure. The drivers of community metrics and multivariate structure were largely similar, with % canopy cover and resource supply metrics the most commonly identified environmental drivers in these pristine streams. For an area with little to no anthropogenic influence, substantial variation was explained in the macroinvertebrate community (up to 70% on the first two components of a partial least squares regression), with both uni- and multivariate approaches. This research highlights two important points: (1) the importance of considering natural underlying environmental variation when assessing the response to coarse environmental gradients, and (2) the importance of considering canopy cover presence when assessing the impact of stressors on stream macroinvertebrate communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Tonkin
- Department of Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , Dushu Lake Higher Education Town, SIP, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province , China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Liu Y, Zhang L, Niu H, Sun Y, Xu X. Habitat-specific differences in plasticity of foliar δ (13)C in temperate steppe grasses. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:648-55. [PMID: 25035804 PMCID: PMC4098143 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Revised: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A decrease in foliar δ (13)C with increasing precipitation is a common tendency in steppe plants. However, the rate of decrease has been reported to differ between different species or populations. We here hypothesized that plant populations in the same habitat of temperate steppes may not differ in foliar δ (13)C response patterns to precipitation, but could differ in the levels of plasticity of foliar δ (13)C across different habitats. In order to test this hypothesis, we conducted controlled watering experiments in northeast China at five sites along a west-east transect at latitude 44°N, which show substantial interannual fluctuations and intra-annual changes in precipitation among them. In 2001, watering treatment (six levels, three replicates) was assigned to 18 plots at each site. The responses of foliar δ (13)C to precipitation (i.e., the sum of watering and rainfall) were determined in populations of several grass species that were common across all sites. Although similar linear regression slopes were observed for populations of different species growing at the same site, significantly different slopes were obtained for populations of the same species growing at different sites. Further, the slope of the line progressively decreased from Site I to Site V for all species in this study. These results suggest habitat-specific differences in plasticity of foliar δ (13)C in temperate steppe grasses. This indicates that species' δ (13)C response to precipitation is conservative at the same site due to their long-term acclimation, but the mechanism responsible behind this needs further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanjie Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesNO. 19-A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lirong Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesNO. 19-A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Haishan Niu
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of SciencesNO. 19-A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yue Sun
- Key Laboratory and Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesNO.11-A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xingliang Xu
- Key Laboratory and Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesNO.11-A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Taylor JE. The effect of fluctuating selection on the genealogy at a linked site. Theor Popul Biol 2013; 87:34-50. [PMID: 23583270 DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2013.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The genealogical consequences of temporally fluctuating selection at linked neutrally-evolving sites are studied using coalescent processes structured by genetic backgrounds. Surprisingly, although between-generation fluctuating selection and within-generation fecundity variance polymorphism lead to indistinguishable allele frequency dynamics at the selected site, I show that these two scenarios affect the genealogical structure of the population in distinctive ways. Whereas coalescence times are elevated at the selected site when heterozygotes have lower within-generation fecundity variance than either homozygote, fluctuating selection typically depresses the depth of the genealogy at tightly-linked sites. More importantly, these results indicate that fluctuating selection will have a characteristic signature combining an excess of selected variation at the affected site and a slight reduction in neutral variation at tightly linked sites. This observation suggests that it may be possible to distinguish balanced polymorphisms maintained by environmental variation from those maintained by heterozygote advantage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse E Taylor
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
| |
Collapse
|