Two Field Techniques for Estimating Relative Abundance of Galliformes

Galliformes are often difficult to count adequately in their natural habitats due to low detectability of them. In the present study, we confirm availability of feather-count and feces-count as two useful field techniques to estimate the relative abundance of eared-pheasants (Crossoptilon spp.). The former is suitable to forest environments during the post-incubation period, whereas the latter is best in areas with dry climate conditions during the fall-winter season. With the advantages of reduced survey effort and high repeatability, the two techniques are potentially applicable to other Galliform species in habitat selection studies and long-term population monitoring.

Differentiation of Four Pairs of Isomers by Comparing Their Relative Abundances of Fragment Ions

Based on the LC-ESI/MSn technique, the four pairs of isomers of psoralen and isopsoralen, imperatorin and isoimperatorin, neohesperidin and hesperidin, naringin and narirutin were distinguished mainly by comparison of the relative abundances of their major fragment ions. Because of the effect of the hydrogen on the C8 of psoralen, the intensity of the fragment ion formed by the loss of CO2 was relatively increased. By comparing the abundance of the product ions formed by the loss of CO and 2CO, the isomers of psoralen and isopsoralen could be distinguished. This method can also be used to distinguish the isomers of imperatorin and isoimperatorin. Because of the different con- nected position between glucose and rhamnose, in the mass spectrum of neohesperidin, the relative abundances of ions at m/z 489 and 343 generated by the ring-cross cleavage of glycan were more than 10%, while in the mass spec- trum of hesperidin, they were all less than 1%. This approach can also be used to distinguish the isomers ofnaringin and narirutin. Although the fragmentation pathways were similar, according to the tiny difference of structure, the change of relative intensity of main fragment ions could be observed and it could be used to distinguish some isomers more accurately and quickly.

Relative Abundance and the Relationships between Aniline,Phenol and Catechol Degraders in Fresh Water

Relative abundance and relationships between aniline, phenol and catechol degraders were investigated in unpolluted and polluted fresh waters in Osaka prefecture, Japan. Phenol and catechol degraders were found more frequently compared to aniline degraders. The results indicate that these degraders were more abundant in polluted waters than in unpolluted waters. Aniline degraders isolated from the Ina River water showed a higher capability of degrading catechol than phenol. Analysis on sequence homology among these three kinds of degraders indicated a possible relationship between aniline degraders and certain strains of both catechol and phenol degraders.

Stable isotope labelled mass spectrometry for quantification of the relative abundances for expressed proteins induced by PeaT1

The protein elicitor from the mycelium of Alternaria tenuissima has been isolated.The elicitor triggered resistance to the tobacco mosaic virus in tobacco by inducing relative oxygen species,but without causing hypersensitive necrosis.The elicitor is reported to impart resistance against Verticillium dahliae and to increase yield in cotton,but its mechanism is not yet clear.In this study,the stable isotope labelled mass spectrometry method was used to quantify the relative abundances of protein expression induced by PeaT1 in Arabidopsis.A significant difference in the relative abundances for the expression of different proteins related to metabolism,modification,regulatory,defense,stress and antioxidation was found in Arabidopsis.

Short-Term Influence of Burning on Species Abundance, Biomass Production, Wood Plant Density and Browsing Unit in an Albany Thicket of the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Fire is regarded as management practice for maintaining grasslands and savannas. The vegetation occurring in fire prone areas becomes highly adapted to fire occurrences in savannas and grasslands. However, documentation on the influence of burning on vegetation is still limited in an albany thicket biome. The aim of the study was to evaluate the short-term influence of burning on species abundance, biomass production, wood plant density and browsing unit. Six plots (2500 m2) were demarcated;in each plot two parallel transects of 120 m2 with 5 m distance apart were measured. Three plots were burned in spring season, while no burning was done on the other remaining plots. Forty points per plot were obtained using step-point method to determine the relative abundance at burned and unburned plots. Woody plants occurred within a transect were identified, counted and recorded to determine density and browsing unit. Three quadrats (i.e. 0.25 m2) per plot were randomly laid within the transect;aboveground plant material within a quadrat were harvested. A total of 18 samples were harvested and oven dried at 60˚C for 48 hours to determine biomass production. The results showed that Themeda triandra (14%) and Panicum maximum (10%) were most abundant grass species at the burned plots. Burned plots had significantly higher biomass production (4804 kg/ha) compared to unburned plots (3641 kg/ha). Vachellia karoo (burned: 65.85% & unburn: 13.70%) and Searsia pallens (burned: 26.83% & unburned: 6.85%) were most dominant wood plant species at both burned and unburned plots. Burned plots had the highest browsing unit (3221 BU/ha) compared to unburned plots (2058 BU/ha). The decrease of woody plants at the burned plots proved that fire has a tremendous potential for managing woody plants. This study provided information on short-term influence of burning, however further long-term trials are required to determine the effects of burning.

Dynamics and diversity of symbiotic bacteria in Apolygus lucorum at different developmental stages

Background Apolygus lucorum is a worldwide omnivorous pest damaging a range of crops and causing great economic losses.Symbiotic bacteria living in insects play a key role in the nutrition,physiology,and behavior of hosts.Here,we present an experiment using Illumina HiSeq sequencing targeting the V3–V4 regions of bacteria’s 16S rRNA throughout the entire life cycle of A.lucorum.Results The first and second instar nymphs have the largest alpha diversity compared with other life stages of the insect.Bacterial phyla Proteobacteria(72.29%),Firmicutes(15.24%),Actinobacteria(7.76%)exhibit the largest relative abundance in all developmental stages.Erwinia(23.97%)and Lactococcus(10.62%)are the two genera with the high-est relative abundance.The relative abundance of Erwinia in the nymph stage is significantly greater than the adult stage,and the relative abundance of Lactococcus in 6-day-old and 9-day-old adult females is higher compared with adult males.Conclusions These results reveal that microbial community composition and relative abundance shift dynamically at different life stages,implying that different bacterial phyla and genera may have specific roles in specific life stages such as metabolism,nutrition absorption,detoxification,and reproduction.This study reveals for the first time the community composition and ecological dynamics of symbiotic bacteria throughout the life stages of A.lucorum,and thus may provide insight to new strategies for pest control.

鬼臼及其羧酸酯类化合物2位立体异构体的EIMS质谱研究

Podophyllotoxin,picropodophyllotoxin and their eight esters were studied using EI MS.The 2-epimers of podophyllotoxin and its esters can be identified by calculating the rate of relative abundance of m/z 168,396 to molecular ion peak in EI MS.

Effect of Partial Root-Zone Irrigating Deuterium Oxide on the Properties of Water Transportation and Distribution in Young Apple Trees

Partial root-zone irrigation （PRI） has been proved to be an optimal water-saving irrigation technology, however, few studies were done on water transportation and distribution under PRI. The present study was performed to investigate the water transportation and distribution among the wet and dry root-zones and the shoot using deuterium water （D2O） in 1/4 root-zone PRI experiment. It also aimed to determine and analyze the D2O relative abundance within different types of roots and shoots. The results indicated that water could be transported from roots in wet root-zone to roots in dry root-zone and shoots within 2 h after irrigation. Water transportation in roots of wet-zone was carried out by absorbing root, 1-2 mm root, 2-5 mm root, and〉5 mm root progressively, while through a reverse process in three dry root-zones. In shoots, water was transported to trunk, central trunk, annual branches, shoot and leaf progressively. Thus in the young apple trees subjected to PRI, water was distributed ifrst in the roots, including the roots in the wet and dry root-zones, to satisfy the water need of roots itself, and then transported to the shoot within hours of irrigation.

Structure and floristic composition of old-growth wet evergreen forests of Nelliampathy Hills, Southern Western Ghats

We analyze the structure and composition of old-growth wet evergreen forest of Nelliampathy hills, the chain of hills lying immediately south of Palghat Gap, in the southern Western Ghats of India. We sampled 30 plots of 0.1 ha each （50 m × 20 m） at six locations enumerating all plants ？ 10 cm girth at breast height. We pooled the data and computed various structural parameters. There were 152 species of 120 genera and 51 families of the study area. Of these, 118 （77%） were trees, 24 were climbers （16%） and 10 were shrubs （7%）. Species richness varied from 58–99 per 0.5 ha sample and Shannon indices of diversity ranged from 4.4 to 5.2. Fifty-nine per cent （89 species） of the species were Indian Sub-continent elements and 34% （51 species） are endemic to the Western Ghats. Fifteen species are listed in various threat categories. Aglaia and Litsea were the most species-rich genera. Numbers of families ranged from 27–43 per 0.5 ha sample. Euphorbiaceae and Lauraceae were the most species-rich families. Stand density varied from 1714 to 2244 stems·ha？1 and basal area from 53.6 to 102.1 m2·ha？1. The vegetation was dominated by 3–6 species and six dominance patterns characterized the species composition within the hill complex. The old-growth evergreen forests of Nelliampathy exist as small fragments rich in biodiversity and can be used as benchmarks for comparison with disturbed forests.

Performance comparison of different microbial DNA extraction methods on bird feces

Background:As an important player during food digestion,gut microbiota has attracted much attention in diet adaptation studies in birds.Microbiota extracted from feces has been widely used as a proxy for gut microbiota.Although several methods have been developed for microbial DNA extraction,their performances in the bird feces have not been systematacially evaluated yet.Methods:In this study,we applied three DNA extraction methods(Qiagen,MoBio and Bead)to extract DNA from feces of three avian dietary guilds(granivore,omnivore and carnivore),sequenced V4 region of 16S rRNA gene for each extract and evaluated the performances of DNA yield,DNA integrity,microbial composition,cell lysis capacity and alpha diversity for the three methods on each dietary guild.Results:Bead method was the best on the performance of both DNA yield and DNA integrity regardless of dietary guild.In granivore,microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels,alpha diversity and cell lysis capacity were comparable among all methods.In omnivore,Qiagen had the best performance on alpha diversity,fol-lowed by Bead and MoBio.There were small variations on microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels among different extraction methods.MoBio exhibited the best performance on cell lysis capacity.In carnivore,considerable variations were found on microbial relative abundance at both species and phylum levels.Qiagen had the best performance on alpha diversity,followed by MoBio and Bead.MoBio had the highest cell lysis capacity.Conclusions:DNA yield and integrity have no obvious impact on microbial composition,alpha diversity or cell lysis capacity.The microbiota results(e.g.,microbial composition,cell lysis capacity,alpha diversity)obtained from differ-ent methods are comparable in granivorous avian species but not in omnivorous or carnivorous birds.Either method could be used in granivore microbiota studies.For omnivores and carnivores,we recommend Qiagen method when the research purpose is microbial diversity and MoBio when gram-positive bacteria is the research target.

Diversity of endophytic fungi associated with the medicinally important aromatic plant Gaultheria fragrantissima

A total of thirty three(33)endophytic fungi including sterile mycelia were isolated from the leaf,stem and roots of medicinally important aromatic plant Gaultheria fragrantissima.Majority of the fungi belonged to the phylum Ascomycota.The total percentage colonization frequency(%CF)of each endophytic fungal species was calculated of which Juxtiphoma eupyrena showed highest colonization frequency(20.14%)in the leaf whereas Globisporangium irregulare was found to have highest colonization frequency in the stem(14.58%)and in the roots,Trichoderma viride was observed to have the highest colonization frequency of 21.43%.Diversity of endophytic fungi in the roots was found to be higher as compared to the other plant tissues.

Modelling the variation of demersal fi sh distribution in Yellow Sea under climate change

Climate change can aff ect fi sh individuals or schools,and consequently the fi sheries.Studying future changes of fi sh distribution and abundance helps the scientifi c management of fi sheries.The dynamic bioclimate envelope model(DBEM)was used to identify the“environmental preference profi les”of the studied species based on outputs from three Earth system models(ESMs).Changes in ocean conditions in climate change scenarios could be transformed by the model into those in relative abundance and distribution of species.Therefore,the distributional response of 17 demersal fi shes to climate change in the Yellow Sea could be projected from 1970 to 2060.Indices of latitudinal centroid(LC)and mean temperature of relative abundance(MTRA)were used to represent the results conducted by model.Results present that 17 demersal fi sh species in the Yellow Sea show a trend of anti-poleward shift under both low-emission scenario(RCP 2.6)and high-emission scenario(RCP 8.5)from 1970 to 2060,with the projected average LC in three ESMs shifting at a rate of-1.17±4.55 and-2.76±3.82 km/decade,respectively,which is contrary to the previous projecting studies of fi shes suggesting that fi shes tend to move toward higher latitudes under increased temperature scenarios.The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass could be the major driver resulting in the shift,which shows a potential signifi cance to fi shery resources management and marine conservation,and provides a new perspective in fi sh migration under climate change.

A Preliminary Survey on Diversity and Conservation Status of Medium and Large‐Sized Mammals in Weyngus Forest, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Mammalian surveys are vital tools for effective managements and conservation strategies. A survey was conducted to investigate the species composition, relative abundance and to determine their major threats in Weyngus Forest, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The data were collected from April 2020 to June 2020. Transect method and subjective interviews were used to collect data for the study. A total of 11 species of medium and large sized mammals belonging to six orders and eight families were recorded by direct and indirect evidences. Porcupine (Hystrix cristata), Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiops), and Coloubus monkey (Colobus guereza) were among the medium-sized mammals while, Spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), Bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and Common duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia) were among the large-sized mammals recorded in the study area. Vervet monkey has been the most frequently observed species, whereas spotted hyena was observed less often. Simpson’s Similarity Index (SI) showed a significant overlap of mammalian species composition between scrubland and natural forest (SI = 0.62). Illegal logging of trees for fuel wood, agricultural land expansion, illegal hunting and land degradation were the main threats of mammals in the study area. Community participation and awareness creation are highly recommended to limit the impact of anthropogenic activities threatening wildlife.

Using proteomics to compare the molecular structures of sulfide and permeate-depilated sheepskins

An environmentally friendly method using real or artificial bovine milk permeate to both depilate and preserve sheepskins has been reported which completely and cleanly removed the wool from the hair follicle and had no detrimental effects on the skin.A proteomic analysis,assessing the relative abundance of proteins in matched permeate-depilated and chemically depilated(sulfide)sheepskins,showed variations in the levels of specific collagen types in the skin's basement membrane and other proteins associated with the follicles.These findings were corroborated by biochemical analyses of matched permeate depilated and raw skin samples,and provide clues to the mechanism of non-invasiveand complete depilation.They also support the observation that permeate-depilated skins were smoother than their sulfide-depilated counterparts and resulted in leather with a superior surface.

The effects of fertilization on the trait-abundance relationships in a Tibetan alpine meadow community

Aims Comparisons of the trait-abundance relationships from various habitat types are critical for community ecology,which can offer us insights about the mechanisms underlying the local community assembly,such as the relative role of neutral vs.niche processes in shaping community structure.Here,we explored the responses of trait-abundance relationships to nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P)and potassium(K)fertilization in an alpine meadow.Methods Five fertilization treatments(an unfertilized control and additions of N,P,K and NPK respectively)were implemented using randomized block design in an alpine Tibetan meadow.Species relative abundance(SRA),plant above-ground biomass and species richness were measured in each plot.For 24 common species,we measured species functional traits:saturated height,specific leaf area(SLA)and leaf dry matter content(LDMC)in each treatment but seed size only in the unfertilized control.Standard major axis(SMA)regression and phylogenetically independent contrasts(PICs)analysis were used to analyse species trait-abundance relationships in response to different fertilization treatments.Important Findings Positive correlations between SRA and saturated height were raised following N,P and NPK fertilizations,which indicated an increase in light competition in these plots.In P fertilized plots,SRA was also positively correlated with LDMC because tall grasses with a nutrients conservation strategy often have a relative competitive advantage in capturing limited light and soil nutrients.In K fertilized plots,neither the trait-abundance relationships nor above-ground biomass or species richness significantly differed from that in the control,which suggests that K was not a limiting resource in our study site.These significant correlations between species traits and relative abundance in fertilized treatment suggest that trait-based selection plays an important role in determining species abundance within local communities in alpine meadows.

Camera traps reveal the natural corridors used by mammalian species in eastern Mexico

Background:Habitat loss and fragmentation in the Sierra Madre Oriental(SMO)ecological corridor have negative impacts on the movement and distribution of mammalian species that are of great ecological and evolutionary importance.Part of the SMO ecological corridor that is located in the state of Hidalgo is less studied despite being a potential dispersal route for mammals.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence and activity of terrestrial mammals in the riparian and non‑riparian zones of SMO.Results:Camera traps detected 15 mammalian species(i.e.,14 native and 1 domestic)in the non‑riparian zone,and 12 mammalian species in the riparian zone(i.e.,10 wild and 2 domestic).The riparian corridor was mainly used by opportunistic medium‑sized carnivores,while large carnivores and their potential prey were more frequent in the non‑riparian zone.Conclusions:Our findings suggest terrestrial mammals avoid the use of natural corridors due to the presence of domestic dogs,cattle and humans and look for new dispersal routes to move through their habitat and find the resources they need to survive.Even though some species can use disturbed corridors to move and find resources,they will change their activity patterns to avoid contact with humans and potential threats like dogs.It is,therefore,crucial to identify not one,but several corridors that must be preserved to improve the connectivity of terrestrial mammals in disturbed landscapes.

Fly ash and zero-valent iron-based in situ advanced anaerobic digestion with emphasis on the removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from sewage sludge

This study investigated the removal of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes from sewage sludge by using fly ash(FA)-based in situ advanced anaerobic digestion(AAD)under mesophilic conditions.Five antibiotics(sulfadiazine,sulfameth-oxazole,ofloxacin,tetracycline,and roxithromycin)and 11 corresponding antibiotic resistance genes(Ib-cr,qnrS,ermF,ermT,ermX,sul1,sul2,sul3,tetA,tetB,and tetG)were selected as the targets.Adding FA to anaerobic digestion to remove antibiotics and resistance genes allows waste to be treated with waste.FA-based in situ AAD of sewage sludge effectively enhanced the process stability and methane yield,and the optimal FA-added dosage was 50 mg/L.The cumulative methane yield could be well described with the improved Gompertz model.FA addition effectively increased the overall removal of ofloxacin,by up to 85.3%at 50 mg/L FA and 10μg/L antibiotics,and the combination of zero-valent iron and FA enhanced only the overall removal of ofloxacin to 92.4%and tetracycline to 85.6%.However,FA-based in situ AAD could not enhance the overall removal of other antibiotics from sewage sludge.Not all the same types of antibiotic resistance genes were strongly positively correlated with the concentrations of antibiotics.The removal of antibiotic resistance genes influenced by FA addition varied largely with the types of antibiotic resistance genes,FA dosage,antibiotic content,and the combination with zero-valent iron.FA addition could not be verified to enhance the removal of antibiotic resistance genes.The addition of FA or zero-valent iron and the antibiotic concentrations significantly changed the microbial community structure during in situ AAD,and the combination of zero-valent iron and FA significantly reduces the species diversity and microbial abundance.The most abundant bacteria were Methanogarcina,Methanoberium,unidentified_Archaea,Terrimonas,Methomethoxychlo-rovorans,and Candidatus_Cloacimonas in the ZVI-FA test.

Response of Polygonum viviparum Species and Community Level to Long-term Livestock Grazing in Alpine Shrub Meadow in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Grazing by domestic herbivores is generally recognized as a major ecological factor and an important evolutionary force in grasslands, Grazing has both extensive and profound effects on individual plants and communities, We investigated the response patterns of Polygonum viviparum species and the species diversity of an alpine shrub meadow in response to long-term livestock grazing by a field manipulative experiment controlling livestock numbers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, Here, we hypothesize that within a range of grazing pressure, grazing can alter relative allocation to different plant parts without changing total biomass for some plant species if there is life history trade-offs between plant traits, The same type of communities exposed to different grazing pressures may only alter relative species＇ abundances or species composition and not vary species diversity because plant species differ in resistant capability to herbivory, The results show that plant height and biomass of different organs differed among grazing treatments but total biomass remained constant, Biomass allocation and absolute investments to both reproduction and growth decreased and to belowground storage increased with increased grazing pressure, indicating the increasing in storage function was attained at a cost of reducing reproduction of bulbils and represented an optimal allocation and an adaptive response of the species to long- term aboveground damage, Moreover, our results showed multiform response types for either species groups or single species along the gradient of grazing intensity, Heavy grazing caused a 13,2% increase in species richness, There was difference in species composition of about 18%-20% among grazing treatment, Shannon-Wiener （H′） diversity index and species evenness （E） index did not differ among grazing treatments, These results support our hypothesis,