Search results for "Single species"
showing 10 items of 27 documents
Biological richness of a large urban cemetery in Berlin. Results of a multi-taxon approach.
2016
Abstract Background Urban green spaces can harbor a considerable species richness of plants and animals. A few studies on single species groups indicate important habitat functions of cemeteries, but this land use type is clearly understudied compared to parks. Such data are important as they (i) illustrate habitat functions of a specific, but ubiquitous urban land-use type and (ii) may serve as a basis for management approaches. New information We sampled different groups of plants and animals in the Weißensee Jewish Cemetery in Berlin (WJC) which is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe. With a total of 608 species of plants and animals, this first multi-taxon survey revealed a c…
Optimization of the phase system in the analysis of polynuclear aromatics (PNA) from diesel engine exhaust by high performance liquid chromatography …
1979
Polynuclear aromatics (PNA) were collected and enriched from diesel engine exhausts by means of a probe and an absorber system. Group separation of PNA from other constituents of exhaust was accomplished through elution with n-heptane on a silica column. A variety of phase systems ranging from unpolar to strong polar packings and eluents, respectively, were tested to resolve PNA into single species. Of these a n-octadecyl bonded silica packing and methanol/water was found to be the most optimal with regard to resolution for real PNA mixtures. Separation was completed within 2–3 h at isocratic conditions.
Calcification is not the Achilles'heel of cold-water corals in an acidifying ocean
2015
Ocean acidification is thought to be a major threat to coral reefs: laboratory evidence and CO2 seep research has shown adverse effects on many coral species, although a few are resilient. There are concerns that cold-water corals are even more vulnerable as they live in areas where aragonite saturation (Omega ara) is lower than in the tropics and is falling rapidly due to CO2 emissions. Here, we provide laboratory evidence that net (gross calcification minus dissolution) and gross calcification rates of three common cold-water corals, Caryophyllia smithii, Dendrophyllia cornigera, and Desmophyllum dianthus, are not affected by pCO2 levels expected for 2100 (pCO2 1058 µatm, Omega ara 1.29),…
Functional classifications and their application in phytoplankton ecology
2015
SUMMARY 1. Ecologists often group organisms based on similar biological traits or on taxonomic criteria. However, the use of taxonomy in ecology has many drawbacks because taxa may include species with very different ecological adaptations. Further, similar characters may evolve independently in different lineages. 2. In this review, we examine the main criteria that have been used in the identification of nine modes of classifying phytoplankton non-taxonomically. These approaches are based purely on morphological and/or structural traits, or on more complex combinations including physiological and ecological features. 3. Different functional approaches have proved able to explain some frac…
Ocean acidification affects fish spawning but not paternity at CO2 seeps
2016
Fish exhibit impaired sensory function and altered behaviour at levels of ocean acidification expected to occur owing to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions during this century. We provide the first evidence of the effects of ocean acidification on reproductive behaviour of fish in the wild. Satellite and sneaker male ocellated wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus) compete to fertilize eggs guarded by dominant nesting males. Key mating behaviours such as dominant male courtship and nest defence did not differ between sites with ambient versus elevated CO2 concentrations. Dominant males did, however, experience significantly lower rates of pair spawning at elevated CO2 levels. Despite the higher r…
Dog sperm swimming parameters analysed by computer-assisted semen analysis of motility reveal major breed differences
2019
Dogs have undergone an intensive artificial selection process ever since the beginning of their relationship with humans. As a consequence, a wide variety of well-defined breeds exist today. Due to the enormous variation in dog phenotypes and the unlikely chance of gene exchange between them, the question arises as to whether they should still be regarded as a single species or, perhaps, they be considered as different taxa that possess different reproductive traits. The aim of this study was therefore to characterize some male reproductive traits, focusing on kinematic characteristics of dog spermatozoa from several breeds. Thirty-seven dogs from the following breeds were used: Staffordshi…
A taxonomic revision of the Capparis spinosa group (Capparaceae) from the Mediterranean to Central Asia
2014
A revision of the Capparis spinosa group has been carried out in southern Europe, northern Africa, western and central Asia, in order to provide a uniform taxonomic treatment of its representatives. The xerotropical origin of this group, showing disjunct distribution in several holoarctic and paleotropical regions, is underlined and the different species concepts historically adopted are discussed. In the present treatment a single species is recognized, C. spinosa , represented in the study area by two subspecies. C. spinosa subsp. spinosa shows derived characters, high polymorphism and a wide distribution range from the Mediterranean eastwards to China and Nepal. C. spinosa subsp. rupestr…
Seawater carbonate chemistry and nest guarding behaviour of a temperate wrasse
2021
Organisms may respond to changing environmental conditions by adjusting their behaviour (i.e., behavioural plasticity). Ocean acidification (OA), resulting from anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), is predicted to impair sensory function and behaviour of fish. However, reproductive behaviours, and parental care in particular, and their role in mediating responses to OA are presently overlooked. Here, we assessed whether the nesting male ocellated wrasse Symphodus ocellatus from sites with different CO2 concentrations showed different behaviours during their breeding season. We also investigated potential re-allocation of the time-budget towards different behavioural activities b…
Seawater carbonate chemistry and shell mineralogy, microstructure, and mechanical strength of four Mediterranean gastropod species near a CO2 seep
2017
Marine CO2 seeps allow the study of the long-term effects of elevated pCO2 (ocean acidification) on marine invertebrate biomineralization. We investigated the effects of ocean acidification on shell composition and structure in four ecologically important species of Mediterranean gastropods (two limpets, a top-shell snail, and a whelk). Individuals were sampled from three sites near a volcanic CO2 seep off Vulcano Island, Italy. The three sites represented ambient (8.15 pH), moderate (8.03 pH) and low (7.73 pH) seawater mean pH. Shell mineralogy, microstructure, and mechanical strength were examined in all four species. We found that the calcite/aragonite ratio could vary and increased sign…
Physiological advantages of dwarfing in surviving extinctions in high-CO2 oceans
2015
Excessive CO2 in the present-day ocean-atmosphere system is causing ocean acidification, and is likely to cause a severe biodiversity decline in the future, mirroring effects in many past mass extinctions. Fossil records demonstrate that organisms surviving such events were often smaller than those before, a phenomenon called the Lilliput effect. Here, we show that two gastropod species adapted to acidified seawater at shallow-water CO2 seeps were smaller than those found in normal pH conditions and had higher mass-specific energy consumption but significantly lower whole-animal metabolic energy demand. These physiological changes allowed the animals to maintain calcification and to partial…