For numerous taxa, species richness is much higher in tropical than in temperate zone habitats. A major challenge in community ecology and evolutionary biogeography is to reveal the mechanisms ...underlying these differences. For herbivorous insects, one such mechanism leading to an increased number of species in a given locale could be increased ecological specialization, resulting in a greater proportion of insect species occupying narrow niches within a community. We tested this hypothesis by comparing host specialization in larval Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) at eight different New World forest sites ranging in latitude from 15° S to 55° N. Here we show that larval diets of tropical Lepidoptera are more specialized than those of their temperate forest counterparts: tropical species on average feed on fewer plant species, genera and families than do temperate caterpillars. This result holds true whether calculated per lepidopteran family or for a caterpillar assemblage as a whole. As a result, there is greater turnover in caterpillar species composition (greater β diversity) between tree species in tropical faunas than in temperate faunas. We suggest that greater specialization in tropical faunas is the result of differences in trophic interactions; for example, there are more distinct plant secondary chemical profiles from one tree species to the next in tropical forests than in temperate forests as well as more diverse and chronic pressures from natural enemy communities.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ecological opportunity - through entry into a new environment, the origin of a key innovation or extinction of antagonists - is widely thought to link ecological population dynamics to evolutionary ...diversification. The population-level processes arising from ecological opportunity are well documented under the concept of ecological release. However, there is little consensus as to how these processes promote phenotypic diversification, rapid speciation and adaptive radiation. We propose that ecological opportunity could promote adaptive radiation by generating specific changes to the selective regimes acting on natural populations, both by relaxing effective stabilizing selection and by creating conditions that ultimately generate diversifying selection. We assess theoretical and empirical evidence for these effects of ecological opportunity and review emerging phylogenetic approaches that attempt to detect the signature of ecological opportunity across geological time. Finally, we evaluate the evidence for the evolutionary effects of ecological opportunity in the diversification of Caribbean Anolis lizards. Some of the processes that could link ecological opportunity to adaptive radiation are well documented, but others remain unsupported. We suggest that more study is required to characterize the form of natural selection acting on natural populations and to better describe the relationship between ecological opportunity and speciation rates.
Insect outbreaks are expected to increase in frequency and intensity with projected changes in global climate through direct effects of climate change on insect populations and through disruption of ...community interactions. Although there is much concern about mean changes in global climate, the impact of climatic variability itself on species interactions has been little explored. Here, we compare caterpillar-parasitoid interactions across a broad gradient of climatic variability and find that the combined data in 15 geographically dispersed databases show a decrease in levels of parasitism as climatic variability increases. The dominant contribution to this pattern by relatively specialized parasitoid wasps suggests that climatic variability impairs the ability of parasitoids to track host populations. Given the important role of parasitoids in regulating insect herbivore populations in natural and managed systems, we predict an increase in the frequency and intensity of herbivore outbreaks through a disruption of enemy-herbivore dynamics as climates become more variable.
Microarray technology has the unparalleled potential to simultaneously determine the dynamics and/or activities of most, if not all, of the microbial populations in complex environments such as soils ...and sediments. Researchers have developed several types of arrays that characterize the microbial populations in these samples based on their phylogenetic relatedness or functional genomic content. Several recent studies have used these microarrays to investigate ecological issues; however, most have only analyzed a limited number of samples with relatively few experiments utilizing the full high-throughput potential of microarray analysis. This is due in part to the unique analytical challenges that these samples present with regard to sensitivity, specificity, quantitation, and data analysis. This review discusses specific applications of microarrays to microbial ecology research along with some of the latest studies addressing the difficulties encountered during analysis of complex microbial communities within environmental samples. With continued development, microarray technology may ultimately achieve its potential for comprehensive, high-throughput characterization of microbial populations in near real time.
Subsurface storm flow of phosphorus (P), including particulate P, has been recently discussed as an important P transport path in contrast to typical surface runoff events. However, P speciation, and ...P concentration during storm events has not been extensively investigated; therefore, its contribution to the water quality is not clearly understood. In this study, the physicochemical properties of particulate P in tile water samples during a high flow event were investigated in Midwestern agricultural lands using wet chemical methods, 31P Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy and P K-edge X-ray absorptions near edge structure spectroscopy.
In slightly alkaline pH tile water, total P was ranging from ∼0.06 to 0.22 mg L−1, which is significantly greater than dissolved reactive P (DRP) (∼0.02–0.08 mg L−1). The tile water contains P enriched particulate matters (∼200–660 mg L−1). Total P in the colloidal fraction was from 1013 to 2270 mg kg−1. Phosphate and organic P species, especially monoesters, are sorbed in soil colloids like calcite, and iron oxides, and colloids are effective carriers of P in the subsurface transport process during storm events. The results of this study show that storm events can accelerate the subsurface transport of P with soil particles in addition to DRP.
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•Storm flow induced P release was monitored in agricultural tile waters.•The release of TP in particulate P was far greater than DRP during storm events.•The concentration of DRP exceeds the eutrophication inducible P level.•Both organic and inorganic P were equally important P species in particulate P.•Phosphorus is enriched in iron oxyhydroxide nanoclusters in tile waters.
There are numerous regulatory‐approved Escherichia coli enumeration methods, but it is not known whether differences in media composition and incubation conditions impact the diversity of E. coli ...populations detected by these methods. A study was conducted to determine if three standard water quality assessments, Colilert®, USEPA Method 1603, (modified mTEC) and USEPA Method 1604 (MI), detect different populations of E. coli. Samples were collected from six watersheds and analysed using the three enumeration approaches followed by E. coli isolation and genotyping. Results indicated that the three methods generally produced similar enumeration data across the sites, although there were some differences on a site‐by‐site basis. The Colilert® method consistently generated the least diverse collection of E. coli genotypes as compared to modified mTEC and MI, with those two methods being roughly equal to each other. Although the three media assessed in this study were designed to enumerate E. coli, the differences in the media composition, incubation temperature, and growth platform appear to have a strong selective influence on the populations of E. coli isolated. This study suggests that standardized methods of enumeration and isolation may be warranted if researchers intend to obtain individual E. coli isolates for further characterization.
Significance and Impact of the Study
This study characterized the impact of three USEPA‐approved Escherichia coli enumeration methods on observed E. coli population diversity in surface water samples. Results indicated that these methods produced similar E. coli enumeration data but were more variable in the diversity of E. coli genotypes observed. Although the three methods enumerate the same species, differences in media composition, growth platform, and incubation temperature likely contribute to the selection of different cultivable populations of E. coli, and thus caution should be used when implementing these methods interchangeably for downstream applications which require cultivated isolates.
Significance and Impact of the Study: This study characterized the impact of three USEPA‐approved Escherichia coli enumeration methods on observed E. coli population diversity in surface water samples. Results indicated that these methods produced similar E. coli enumeration data but were more variable in the diversity of E. coli genotypes observed. Although the three methods enumerate the same species, differences in media composition, growth platform, and incubation temperature likely contribute to the selection of different cultivable populations of E. coli, and thus caution should be used when implementing these methods interchangeably for downstream applications which require cultivated isolates.
Faster, more accurate, stack-flow measurements Johnson, A.N.; Shinder, I.I.; Filla, B.J. ...
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995),
03/2020, Letnik:
70, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Exhaust flows from coal-fired electricity-generating plants are determined by averaging flue gas velocities measured at prescribed points in the stack cross section. These velocity measurements are ...made using EPA-approved differential pressure probes such as the 2-hole S-probe or the 5-hole spherical probe. Measurements using the more accurate 5-hole spherical probes require a time-consuming rotation (or nulling) of the probe to find the yaw angle. We developed a time-saving non-nulling technique using a spherical probe that measures all 3 components of velocity and therefore provides better accuracy than an S-probe. We compared the non-nulling technique with the EPA Method 2F nulling technique at both high (16 m/s) and low (7 m/s) loads in a coal-fired powerplant smokestack. Their excellent mutual agreement (within 0.3% of the flow) demonstrates that the non-nulling technique accurately measures flue gas flows.
Implications: Accurate flow measurements are critical for quantifying the levels of greenhouse gases emitted from coal-fired power plant smokestacks. Flow measurement accuracy derives from the annual calibration of stack flow monitors. Calibrations are performed using EPA sanctioned pitot traverse methods called the flow relative accuracy test audit (RATA). This study demonstrates the viability of a new pitot traverse method, herein called the Non-Nulling Method. Testing in a coal-fired power plant stack showed that the new method is 5 times faster to implement than the most accurate EPA pitot traverse method (i.e., Method 2F), yet gives the same or better accuracy.
Understanding fecal indicator bacteria persistence in aquatic environments is important when making management decisions to improve instream water quality. Routinely, bacteria fate and transport ...models that rely on published kinetic decay constants are used to inform such decision making but may not adequately represent instream conditions. The objective of this work was to evaluate bacterial responses to applied nutrient amendments and provide additional information regarding bacterial response to applied changes that can be incorporated into future modeling efforts. Re-created stream mesocosms were established in laboratory-based, repurposed algae raceways filled with water and sediment from a small, 3rd order Southeast Texas stream. Mesocosm treatments consisted of low (10x) or high (50x) nutrient doses above ambient water concentrations operated at low (0.032 m/s) or high (0.141 m/s) flow rates. Escherichia coli and heterotrophic bacterial concentrations were quantified in water and sediment over 22 days. No significant differences in kinetic constants were observed among E. coli in water or sediment, and only E. coli in sediment showed any growth response. Heterotrophic plate counts revealed a pronounced growth response in water and sediment within 24 h of nutrient addition but did not differ significantly from control mesocosms. Significant kinetic constant differences between E. coli and heterotrophic bacteria in water were identified (p < 0.01) but did not differ significantly in sediment (p > 0.48). Results indicate that nutrient addition does affect microbial numbers instream, but competition from heterotrophic bacteria may prevent an E. coli growth response.
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•One-time nutrient amendments do not significantly alter E. coli decay in aquatic environments.•Competition from heterotrophic bacteria suppressed potential E. coli growth.•Kinetic constants calculated improve understanding of instream fate dynamics.
Aims: To monitor microbial community dynamics in a semi-industrial-scale lignocellulosic biofuel reactor system and to improve our understanding of the microbial communities involved in the MixAlco™ ...biomass conversion process. Methods and Results: Reactor microbial communities were characterized at six time points over the course of an 80-day, mesophilic, semi-industrial-scale fermentation using community qPCR and 16S rRNA tag-pyrosequencing. We found the communities to be dynamic, bacterially dominated consortia capable of changing quickly in response to reactor conditions. Clostridia- and Bacteroidetes-like organisms dominated the reactor communities, but ultimately the communities established consortia containing complementary functional capacities for the degradation of lignocellulosic materials. Eighteen operational taxonomic units were found to share strong correlations with reactor acid concentration and may represent taxa integral to fermentor performance. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the emergence of complementary functional classes within the fermentor consortia may be a trait that is consistent across scales, and they suggest that there may be flexibility with respect to the specific identities of the organisms involved in the fermentor's degradation and fermentation processes. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provides new information regarding the composition, dynamics and potential flexibility of the microbial communities associated with the MixAlco™ process and is likely to inform the improvement of this and other applications that employ mixed microbial communities.
► Seed meals of mustard, camelina, and jatropha inhibited
Phymatotrichopsis omnivora sclerotial germination and hyphal growth in Branyon clay. ► Allyl, butyl, phenyl, and benzyl isothiocyanates ...inhibited
Phymatotrichopsis omnivora OKAlf8 hyphal growth on PDA. ► Mustard and allyl isothiocyanates were most effective.
The meals (co-products remaining after oil extraction) from many oilseed crops contain biocidal chemicals that are known to inhibit the growth and activity of some soil microorganisms including several plant pathogens. The fungus
Phymatotrichopsis omnivora (Duggar) Hennebert is the causal agent of cotton root rot that has greatly hindered the production of cotton and alfalfa in Texas and the southwestern USA. We investigated the effect of oilseed meals from both brassicaceous plants including mustard and camelina as well as non-brassicaceous plants including jatropha, flax, and Chinese tallow on
P. omnivora sclerotial germination and hyphal growth in Branyon clay soil, as well as the effects of 4 types of individual isothiocyanates (ITCs) including allyl, butyl, phenyl, and benzyl ITC on
P. omnivora growth on potato dextrose agar (PDA). The oilseed meals were added to the soil at rates of 0%, 1%, and 5% (w/w). The results showed that all tested brassicaceous and jatropha seed meals were able to inhibit
P. omnivora sclerotial germination and hyphal growth at 5% and 1% application rates respectively, with mustard seed meal being the most effective. Neither flax nor Chinese tallow showed any inhibitory effects on sclerotial germination. All tested ITCs inhibited
P. omnivora OKAlf8 hyphal growth, although the level of inhibition varied with concentration. The IC
50 values were 0.62
±
0.19, 4.47
±
0.08, 5.67
±
0.10, and 20.48
±
0.30
μg
cm
−3 for allyl, butyl, phenyl, and benzyl ITC respectively. These results indicate that press meals of several brassicaceous species as well as jatropha may have potential for reducing cotton root rot.
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