Herbivore grazing is an important determinant of plant community assemblages. We used data from a multi-year experimental study in Northern Fennoscandia to analyze the effect of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) grazing on plant community diversity including its phylogenetic structure. Similar to previous studies on low productivity ecosystems in this region, we found no effect of grazing on plant biodiversity and a transition from dwarf shrubs to graminoids with pulse (i.e. grazed every other year) and press (i.e. grazed every year) grazing. Interestingly, communities with pulse grazing were more phylogenetically dispersed than communities with press grazing and lightly grazed communities. We argue that the indirect effects of reindeer grazing (e.g. interspecific competition and soil nutrient availability) may work in opposition of the direct effects (i.e. physical removal of species) and that the phylogenetic structure of the resulting community will depend upon the relative strengths of the direct and indirect effects. This interpretation suggests that the indirect effects of reindeer grazing in our study region are more important than the direct effects in driving community assembly for plant communities that are exposed to pulse grazing. Our results have important implications for the management of reindeer in Fennoscandia if pulses of grazing can increase the phylogenetic diversity of plant communities.

Studies on the effects of invasive plants on native herbivores often only concern about short-term effects, and few studies have focused on the long-term effects of invasive plants on herbivores. We investigated the development of Spodoptera litura to the second generation on the invasive plant Phytolacca americana and the exotic non-invasive plant Phytolacca icosandra, meanwhile, we tested the impacts of the P. americana on the S. litura through laboratory bioassay, oviposition preference and detoxifying enzyme activity analysis. The results show that S. litura have feeding and oviposition preference to P. icosandra, the larval weight and oviposition preference index (OPI) of S. litura feeding on P. icosandra are higher. However, the developmental duration of S. litura on P. icosandra is shorter than that of P. americana; the activities of Acetyl cholinesterase (AchE) and Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) of S. litura feeding on the leaves of the P. americana were higher than those of feeding on artificial diet and P. icosandra. There is no significant difference of activities of AchE and GST between S. litura feeding on artificial diet and P. icosandra. These findings have important implications for the evaluation of the impacts of invasive plant P. americana on native herbivores in the local ecosystem and explain that invasive plant has higher resistance to herbivores and suffer less damage than exotic non-invasive plant in the invaded range.

The mechanisms of forest seed dispersal and regeneration of various altered forest ecosystems are complemented by the action of carnivores. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of endozoochoric and diploendozoochoric mammals in the dispersal, scarification, and germination of seeds in two different forest ecosystems: temperate forest (TF) and dry tropical forest (DTF). A direct search and scat collection were carried out to determine dispersing agents and the abundance and richness of seeds in the Protected Natural Area, Sierra Fría, Aguascalientes, Mexico. Viability was evaluated by means of X-rays and a germination test using an optical densitometry. In addition, thickness measurements and observations were made on the surfaces of the testas by a scanning electron microscopy. In the TF, four plant species were dispersed, mainly Arctostaphylos pungens (P < 0.05), by four mammals, where the gray fox dispersed the highest average (66.8 ± 68.2; P < 0.05) and diploendozoochory was detected in bobcat scats associated with rabbit hair (Sylvilagus floridanus). The DTF presented higher abundance and richness of species, where Myrtillocactus geometrizans had the highest abundance (2680 ± 4423) and the coati (P < 0.05) dispersed the highest number of seeds (8639 ± 12203). In both types of forest, endozoochory and diploendozoochory did not affect the viability, the thickness of the testas, or the germination of any species of seeds. These results suggest that dispersing carnivores adapt to the abundance and richness of seeds in the forests they inhabit, thus developing an important ecological function by dispersing, scarifying and promoting the selective germination of seeds with thick testas in TF and thin testas in DTF.

A document by Nasrin Amini Tehrani. Click on the document to view its contents.

Drought is one of the most significant natural disasters in the arid and semi-arid areas of China. The growth stages of populations or plant organs often differ in how they respond to drought and other adversities. At present, little is known about size- and leaf age-dependent differences in the mechanisms of shrubs-related drought resistance in China’s deserts. We studied Artemisia ordosica Krasch to evaluate its photosynthesis responses to drought stress. A field experiment conducted in Mu Us Desert, Ningxia, China. Rainfall was manipulated by installing outdoor shelters, with four rainfall treatments applied to 12 plots (each 5  5 m). There were four precipitation levels CK (ambient), -30%, -50%, -70%, each with three replications. Taking individual crown size as the dividing basis, the responses of the plants’ photosynthetic systems to drought were measured at different growth stages, i.e. large-sized (＞1 m2), medium-sized (0.25-1 m2), small-sized (＜0.25 m2). In the meanwhile, leaves were divided into mature leaves and new ones for separately measurement. Our results showed that (1) under drought stress, the transfer efficiency of light energy captured by antenna pigments to the PSII reaction center decreased, and the heat dissipation capacity increased simultaneously. To resist the photosynthetic system damage caused by drought, A. ordosica enhanced free radical scavenging by activating the antioxidant enzyme system. (2) The threshold for a reduction in rainfall was 70%; beyond this value, the adaptive regulation of the photosynthetic system in A. ordosica failed. (3) The growth stages and leaves age led to differences in the photosynthetic system reaction to drought. Small A. ordosica plants could not withstand severe drought stress (70% rainfall reduction), whereas large A. ordosica individuals could absorb deep soil water to ensure their survival. Under mild drought stress, tender (younger) leaves had a greater ability to resist drought than older leaves, whereas the latter were more resistant to drought under severe stress.

Food habits are important factors for wild nonhuman primates’ environment adaptation. White-headed langurs (Trachypithecus leucocephalus) are endemic to the limestone forest and face to the habitat fragmentation, which have to adjust the food habits to adapt the special environment. In this study, we compared the dietary data for white-headed langurs living in Chongzuo White-headed Langur National Nature Reserve over two separate study periods to evaluate interannual variations in diet. Our results indicated that young leaves were the preferred major food for the langur. The plant parts consumption pattern was similar between the two separate study periods. The consumption of young leaves was varied with the availability of young leaves, whereas the consumption of mature leaves was negative correlated with the young leaf’s availability. The consumption of plant species and diet diversity varied in the two separate study periods, which were higher in 2013 than 2016. In both 2013 and 2016, the diet diversity varied with the consumption of mature leaves, but negative correlated with the consumption and availability of young leaves. Dietary interannual variation probably linked to the phenology variations, or probably mean that the white-headed langurs has a flexible ecological adaptation coping with habitat fragmentation.

How plants cope with the increase of population density via root plasticity is not well documented. Abiotic environments and plant ontogeny may play an important role in determining plant response to density and thus contribute to understanding this issue. We aimed to investigate root plasticity in response to density under contrasting soil conditions at three stages of plant growth in an annual herbaceous species Abutilon theophrasti. We conducted a field experiment by subjecting plant individuals to low, medium and high densities (13.4, 36.0 and 121.0 plants m-2, respectively) under fertile and infertile soil conditions, and a series of root traits were measured at three harvests when they had grown for 30, 50 and 70 d. Results revealed the complexity of root response to density, which may increase, decrease or canalize, depending on the strength of above- and below-ground interactions, which varied with soil conditions or growth stage. The intensity of above- and/or below-ground interactions increased with decreased soil resources, but first increased then decreased with growth stage. Facilitation is more likely to occur at low to moderate below-ground interaction, when above-ground interaction is negligible, and resources are abundant and at early stage of plant growth. Plants may prefer to adjust biomass allocation to maintain total mass stable initially, before suffering decreased total mass, in response to intraspecific interactions.

Understanding trade-offs in wild populations is difficult, but important if we are to understand the evolution of life histories and the impact of ecological variables upon them. Markers that reflect physiological state and predict future survival would be of considerable benefit to unravelling such trade-offs and could provide insight into individual variation in senescence. However, currently used markers often yield inconsistent results. One underutilised measure is haematocrit, the proportional of blood comprising of erythrocytes, which relates to the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity and viscosity, and to individual endurance. Haematocrit has been shown to decline with age in cross-sectional studies (which may be confounded by selective appearance/disappearance). However, few studies have tested whether haematocrit declines within-individuals or whether low haematocrit impacts survival in wild taxa. Using longitudinal data from the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), we demonstrated that haematocrit increases with age in young individuals (<1.5 years) but decreases with age in older individuals (1.5–13 years). In breeders, haematocrit was higher in males than females and varied relative to breeding stage. High haematocrit was associated with lower survival in young individuals, but not older individuals. Thus, while we did not find support for haematocrit as a marker of senescence, high haematocrit is indicative of poor condition in younger individuals. Possible explanations are that these individuals were experiencing dehydration and/or high endurance demands prior to capture, which warrants further investigation. Our study demonstrates that haematocrit can be an informative metric for life-history studies investigating trade-offs between survival, longevity and reproduction.

Alpine meadow plants, which are adapted to humid and cold environments, are more sensitive to environmental factors such as drought and high temperatures. However, excluding species competition, the physiological responses of individual alpine meadow species to drought and heat stress remain unclear. In this study, four representative species of typical functional groups in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were selected as experimental materials. Heat (H1, H2), drought (D1, D2), and combined heat and drought stress (D1H1, D2H2) treatments were implemented to reveal the physiological characteristics’ response to a constant drought and heat environment. Our results showed that the leaf water content (LWC) of Kobresia humilis and Poa annua increased significantly under heat stress and the compound heat and drought stress (P<0.05). Additionally, the aboveground biomass (AGB) of Oxytropis ochrocephala and Saussurea pulchra decreased significantly under compound stress (P<0.05). The response patterns of the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and transpiration rate (Tr) of K. humilis and P. annua under various stress treatments were similar; as were those of O. ochrocephala and S. pulchra. The stomatal conductance (Gs) variation in K. humilis, P. annua, O. ochrocephala, and S. pulchra were the same under three kinds of stress treatments. The photosynthetic characteristics were more sensitive to the effects of composite than of single factors. The drought × heat × species treatment had a significant influence on various indexes except on height and the belowground biomass (P<0.01). Within a certain range, daytime temperature (DT) promoted the height and increased the LWC of the plants, while it inhibited their AGB and intercellular CO2 concentration. The Pn, Tr, and Gs were more sensitive to soil moisture than to DT. Our results help improve understanding of the physiological response regularity of representative alpine meadow plant species to continuous drought and high temperature conditions.

1. Dietary specialization is common in animals and has important implications for individual fitness, inter- and intraspecific competition, and the adaptive potential of a species. Differences in diet composition have been well-studied in shorebirds and their allies (Charadriiformes) and can be influenced by an individual’s morphology, social status, and acquired skills. In particular, sexual size dimorphism is thought to facilitate resource partitioning in some shorebird species. 2. We assessed the role of age- and sex-related dietary specialization in facilitating resource partitioning between seasons and among demographic groups in the sexually dimorphic western sandpiper (Calidris mauri). Using stable isotope mixing models, we quantified the contribution of biofilm, microphytobenthos, and benthic invertebrates to the diets of western sandpipers during mid-winter (January/February) and at the onset of the breeding migration (April). 3. Diet composition differed between seasons, among demographic groups, and among demographic groups within each season. In winter, prey consumption was similar among demographic groups, but, in spring, diet composition differed among demographic groups with bill length and body mass explaining 31% of the total variation in diet composition. Epifaunal invertebrates made up a greater proportion of the diet in males which had lesser mass and shorter bills than females. Consumption of Polychaeta increased with increasing bill length and was greatest in adult females. In contrast, consumption of microphytobenthos, thought to supply nutrition for migrating sandpipers, increased with decreasing bill length and was greatest in juvenile males. 4. Our results provide evidence that age- and sex-related dietary specialization in western sandpipers facilitate seasonal resource partitioning that would reduce competition during spring at the onset of the breeding migration. 5. Understanding resource partitioning throughout the annual cycle and among different demographic groups is critical because dietary specialization has important implications for the ecology, evolution, and conservation of a species.

1. Worldwide bees provide an important ecosystem service of plant pollination. However, environmental pressures are threatening their survival. Information is lacking on how land-use systems and weather patterns in developing countries influence bee populations. 2. We investigated how environmental and land use mediated factors influence the abundance, diversity, and distribution of bees across seasons in a farming communal area of Zimbabwe. Bees were systematically sampled in five land-use types (natural woodlot, pastures, homestead, field, and garden) recording ground cover, grass height, flower abundance, and types, tree abundance, and recorded elevation, temperature, light intensity, wind speed, wind direction, and humidity. The hurdle model, general linear model, and PCA were conducted to understand the influence of explanatory variables on bee abundance and Shannon diversity. 3. We found out that bee abundance was highly positively influenced by the number of flower types P < 0.0001 and significantly positively correlated to tree abundance P = 0.0475. We also highlight the high sensitivity of bees to weather changes as wind speed increases, thus reducing the probability of finding bees (P = 0.033). Temperatures above 28.50C significantly lowered bee abundance (P < 0.001). 4. Bee diversity was highest in homesteads (coefficient 0.4438) and natural woodlots (coefficient 0.4172) than gardens with fields and pastures having a disproportionately high abundance of Apis. Bee species also showed tolerance to different land-use types with Megachile associated with homesteads and Nomia with grasslands. Homesteads however supported more diverse species (P = 0.0453) highlighting the importance of some of its components to bee conservation. 5. Synthesis and applications. Our study showed that land-use change reduced the diversity of species and proliferated species that could tolerate the changes. These results highlight the importance of setting aside bee-friendly habitats that can be refuge sites for species susceptible to land-use change.

1. Chain formation is common feature among non-motile marine phytoplankton. Several theories exist around the potential benefits of larger colonies. 2. Here we test the hypothesis that predation is one of the evolutionary drivers behind chain formation and chain length plasticity. We exposed cultures of Thalassiosira rotula, Chaetoceros curvisetus and Chaetoceros affinis to copepodamides, a chemical alarm signal from copepods. This was coupled with a grazing experiment which compared grazing rates on different chain lengths. 3. Our results show that T. rotula and C. curvisetus decreased their chain lengths by 79 % and 49 %, respectively, in response to copepodamides. Single cells and short chains were grazed at lower rates and the copepodamide driven size shift led to 30 % and 12 % lower grazing in T. rotula and C. curvisetus respectively. C. affinis did not respond to copepodamides and did not show the same size dependent clearance rate. 4. We found that more chain forming diatoms respond to predatory cues from copepods than previously known, and that predation is likely an important driver in the evolution of colony size and colony size plasticity.

Evolutionary theory predicts that infection by a parasite that reduces future host survival or fecundity should select for increased investment in current reproduction. In this study we use the cestode Ligula intestinalis and its intermediate fish host Engraulicypris sardella in Wissman Bay, Lake Nyasa (Tanzania) as a model system. Using data about infection of E. sardella fish hosts by L. intestinalis collected for a period of 10 years, we explored whether parasite infection affects the fecundity of the fish host E. sardella, and whether host reproductive investment has increased at the expense of somatic growth. We found that L. intestinalis had a strong negative effect on the fecundity of its intermediate fish host. For the non-infected fish we observed an increase in relative gonadal weight at maturity over the study period, while size at maturity decreased. These findings suggest that the life history of E. sardella has been shifting towards earlier reproduction. Further studies are warranted to assess whether these changes reflect plastic or evolutionary responses. We also discuss the interaction between parasite and fishery-mediated selection as a possible explanation for the decline of E. sardella stock in the lake. KEYWORDS Life history evolution; African Great Lakes; Lake Nyasa; Usipa; Lake Malawi sardine; Parasite invasion; Environmental change.

In the present study, to the evaluate genetic diversity and genetic structure of a mutational rice (B810S) with a color marker from China, the entire sequence of the atpH gene of the chloroplast genome from B810S was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were sequenced, and sequence variations in the atpH gene were then examined. The entire sequence of the atpH gene was 245 bp in size. Compared it with 810S, whichis the male parent of B810S, the results showed a similarity of 51.22%. There are 2 haplotypes in their atpH gene sequences and the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were 1.0000 and 0.41250, respectively. In addition, phylogenetic analysis of B810S and other normal rice strains was conducted and a phylogenetic tree was constructedusing maximum likelihood (ML) method based on the atpH gene sequence from the chloroplast genome. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that B810S separated from other rice strains formed an independent branch in the phylogenetic tree, which suggests that B810S with a color marker is a new male sterile rice line. The molecular approach employed in this study provides a foundation for further study of the genetic diversity and structure of rices in different geographical regions of China and other regions in the world.

The capacity and extent to which prey species forage is often dependent on the temporal and/or spatial distribution of predators. Predation risk within a given habitat may differ according to the structure of the landscape and ecological community. Predators may frequent selected habitat patches and it is these areas prey are expected to avoid. Aside from the direct removal of prey individuals through predation, the density of prey populations may be altered as a result of a perceived predator presence and the energetically expensive responses initiated. A predator presence may be perceived upon the detection of sensory environmental cues, including a predator’s pheromones. The Landscape of Fear (LOF) concept proposes the exposure to a real or perceived predation threat may disrupt prey distribution and activity. Such an environment may be referred to as a ‘landscape of fear’, though the interspecies complexes and abiotic factors affecting a predator-prey relationship should not be omitted when quantifying the effects of predation. Here, we summarise the initial and more recent publications addressing the LOF theory, identifying known aspects and potential for future research.

Aim: The current geographic distribution of plants and their dispersers are a result of coevolution, but the reciprocity effects on the distribution of large seed pine and primary seed dispersers required understanding of (a) the distribution range and distribution characteristics of each species, and (b) the overlapping of distribution areas of animals and plants to explore whether they match. Location: China Methods: To find the target species, we identified eight large-seeded pine species in China in terms of seed size and wing traits as well as four primary seed disperser species in terms of body size, diet and food storage behavior. To map the geographical distribution, we obtained species distribution information from books, literature and GBIF. We then analyzed the distribution relationship by overlapping the distribution areas and patterns comprehensively. Results: We identified eight species of large-seeded pines (Pinus fenzeliana, P. gerardiana, P. dabeshanensis, P. koraiensis, P. pumila, P. bungeana, P. armandii, and P. sibirica) and four species of primary seed dispersers (Nucifraga caryocatactes, Sciurus vulgaris, Tamias sibiricus, and Sciurotamias davidianus). Pines interlaced from the Northeast to the Southwest of China along the mountains with an average altitude of 1000-2000 m, while each species of seed disperser had a wide distribution range that overlapped completely or partially with that of four or more species of the large-seeded pines. For pines that lack sufficient research on seed dispersal, our research provides them with potential seed dispersers Main conclusions: The distribution pattern of large-seeded pines and the primary seed dispersers was matched, we believed that reciprocal relationship promotes this distribution pattern. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating the ecological consequences of geographical distribution into reciprocal interactions between species and biodiversity conservation.

Summary 1. Research has indicated that increases in nitrogen (N) deposition can greatly affect ecosystem processes and functions. There is limited information about the effects of long-term N addition on soil nematodes and their functional composition, although nematodes are the most abundant multicellular animals on Earth. 2. We conducted a field experiment in 2004 with four levels of N addition (0, 60, 120, and 240 kg N ha-1 yr-1) in a subtropical Cunninghamia lanceolata forest. Soil samples with three depths (0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm) were collected and the community structure, diversity and trophic groups of soil nematodes were determined in 2014. 3. N addition significantly increased the abundance of bacterial- and fungal-feeding nematodes, but decreased the abundance of plant-feeding nematodes at the 0-20 cm soil layer. Accordingly, the plant parasite index and enrichment index decreased but the basal index and channel index increased, which weaken the importance of the plant-based energy channel, but enhance the importance of the fungal-based energy channel. N addition had no effects on the diversity of soil nematodes in three soil depths. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that N loading directly changed plant-feeding (total r2=0.42) nematodes, or indirectly affected bacterial- (r2=0.43), fungal- (r2=0.31) and plant-feeding nematodes via change soil nutrients, soil water content and pH. 4. These findings suggest that N addition can change the community structure and energy channels soil nematodes, which would affect soil processes and food web functions in forest soils under future environmental change scenarios.

Alpine wetlands play a sensitive function in global carbon cycle during the ongoing climate warming, yet the temporal patterns of carbon dynamics from in situ ground-based long-term observations remains unclear. Here, we analyzed the continuous net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) measured with the eddy covariance technique over an alpine peatland on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau from 2007 to 2016. The wetland acted as a net CO2 source with a positive NEE (120.4 ± 34.8 gCm-2year-1, Mean ± S.D.), with the mean annual gross primary productivity (GPP) of 500.3 ± 59.4 gCm-2year-1 and annual ecosystem respiration (RES) of 620.7 ± 74.2 gCm-2year-1. At the seasonal scale, the classification and regression trees (CART) analysis showed that aggregated growing season degree days (GDD) was the predominant determinant on variations in monthly NEE and monthly GPP. Variations in monthly RES were determined by soil temperature (Ts). Furthermore, non-growing season Ts had a significant positive correlation with the following year annual GPP (p<0.05). Non-growing season RES only accounted for about 25% of annual RES, but had significant correlation with annual RES and annual NEE (p<0.05). The further partial correlation analysis showed that non-growing season air temperature (Ta, p = 0.05), rather than precipitation (PPT, p = 0.25) was a predominant determinant on variations in annual NEE. Our results highlighted the importance in carbon dynamics of climate fluctuations and CO2 emission from the non-growing season in alpine wetlands. We speculated that the vast peadlands would positively feedback to climate change on the Tibetan plateau where the non-growing season warming was significant.

Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Ambrosia trifida are two species of very harmful and invasive plants of the same genus. However, it remains unclear why A. artemisiifolia is more widely distributed than A. trifida worldwide. Distribution and abundance of these two species were surveyed and measured from 2010 to 2017 in the Yili Valley, Xinjiang, China. Soil temperature and humidity, main companion species, the biological characteristics in farmland ecotone, residential area, roadside and grassland, and water demand of the two species were determined and studied from 2017 to 2018. The area occupied by A. artemisiifolia in the Yili Valley was more extensive than that of A. trifida, while the abundance of A. artemisiifolia in grassland was less than that of A. trifida at eight years after invasion. The interspecific competitive ability of two species were stronger than those of companion species in farmland ecotone, residential, and roadside. In addition, A. trifida had greater interspecific competitive ability than other plant species in grassland. The seed size and seed weight of A. trifida were five times or eight times those of A.artemisiifolia. When comparing the changes under simulated annual precipitation of 840 mm versus 280 mm, the seed yield per m2 of A. trifida decreased from 50,185 to 19, while that of A. artemisiifolia decreased from 15,579 to 530. The differences in the distribution of the two species are mainly due to differences in interspecific competitive ability, seed size, and water dependence. The two species have stronger interspecific competitive ability than that of companion species, but A. artemisiifolia has a smaller seed size and stronger drought tolerance, which allows A. artemisiifolia to spread farther than A. trifida. The reason for wider distribution of A. trifida in grassland is that A. trifida has stronger interspecific competitive ability than A. artemisiifolia under sufficient water.

Plasticity in salt tolerance can be crucial for successful biological invasions of novel habitats by marine gastropods. The intertidal snail Batillaria attramentaria, which is native to East Asia but invaded the western shores of North America from Japan eighty years ago, provides an opportunity to examine how environmental salinity may shape behavioral and morphological traits. In this study, we compared the movement distance of four B. attramentaria populations from native (Korea and Japan) and introduced (USA) habitats under various salinity levels (13, 23, 33, and 43 PSU) during 30 days of exposure in the lab. We sequenced a partial mitochondrial CO1 gene to infer phylogenetic relationships among populations and confirmed two divergent mitochondrial lineages constituting our sample sets. Using a statistic model-selection approach, we investigated the effects of geographic distribution and genetic composition on locomotor performance in response to salt stress. Snails exposed to acute low salinity (13 PSU) reduced their locomotion and were unable to perform at their normal level (the moving pace of snails exposed to 33 PSU). We did not detect any meaningful differences in locomotor response to salt stress between the two genetic lineages or between the native snails (Japan versus Korea populations), but we found significant locomotor differences between the native and introduced groups (Japan or Korea versus the USA). We suggest that the greater magnitude of tidal salinity fluctuation at the USA location may have influenced locomotor responses to salt stress in introduced snails.

1 Extreme events such as extreme drought and rainfall are predicted to be more frequent under ongoing climate change. Biomass allocation is an important strategy for plants to respond to such changes. However, few studies explored the effects of water availability on biomass allocation of dominant plants in Inner Mongolia steppe in China. 2 A controlled experiment was conducted by treating four perennial plant species (Leymus chinensis, Stipa grandis, Artemisia frigida and Potentilla acaulis) with eight levels of water availability, which was selected based on the local annual mean precipitation, simulating rainfall scenarios facing climate change. 3 Water availability significantly affected the aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, total biomass and the ratio of belowground biomass and aboveground biomass of plants, and these effects were modified by species. Our results indicated that plants could modify their biomass allocation strategies to adapt to the gradient of water availability. 4 Climatic factors such as precipitation and temperature always co-vary, thus responses of plants to more complicated climate change (e.g. the joint variation of temperature and rainfall) should be further explored in order to better understand grassland management and restoration under climate change.

Foliar water uptake (FWU) may be a significant way for trees to obtain water; however, studies are lacking on FWU. To determine whether FWU occurs in Platycladus orientalis growing in seasonally arid areas, the process of FWU under soil water content (SWC) of 3.9–6.5%, 6.5–9.1%, 9.1–15.6%, 15.6–20.8%, and 20.8–26.0% and different precipitation gradients (1/mm, 5 mm/h, 10 mm/h, and 15 mm/h) was studied using precipitation with labeled isotopes in simulated rainfall experiments with indoor potted plants. The results showed that FWU occurred in each treatment if the SWC ≤ 21.9% no matter the amount of precipitation. The absorption rate of rainfall by leaves increased with the increase of rainfall intensity, but decreased with the increase of SWC. The greatest rates of FWU were 2.77% and 9.52% of rainfall intensity of 1 mm/h and 15 mm/h, respectively, in the 3.9–6.5% treatment. The precipitation absorbed by the leaves of P. orientalis can be transported to xylem or root system along the water potential gradient of leaves–branches–roots. The precipitation with reverse migration in branches and roots increased with the increase of the water potential gradient of leaves–branches–roots. This study provided insight into water use patterns and water migration within trees.

1.Large carnivore conservation is complex and remains a massive challenge across the world. Owing to their wide-ranging habits, large carnivores encounter various anthropogenic pressures which may potentially lead to conflict. Animal movement is linked with individual fitness as it is important for various biological processes. Therefore, studying how large carnivores adapt their movement to dynamic landscape conditions is vital for management and conservation policy. 2.We first quantified the movement parameters of four large carnivores in and outside protected-areas in India (tiger, leopard, dhole and wolf). We then tested the effects of human pressures like human density, road density and land use types on the movement of the species. Finally, we examined the configuration of core areas as a strategy to exploit human-dominated landscape. 3.Our findings suggest that the mean hourly displacement of 4 large carnivores differed across habitats. Mean displacement of large carnivores varied from 77.58m/h for leopards to 665.3m/h for wolves. Tigers outside PAs exhibited higher displacement as compared to tigers inside PAs. Displacement during day and night were significantly different for tigers inside and outside PAs (P=0.03), and wolf whereas no difference was found for leopard and dholes. The movement and ranging patterns of species outside PAs were influenced by anthropogenic factors such as human population, road network density, and landuse. All carnivores showed multiple areas of intensive use or cores in their home ranges. The range of the core area sizes was greater for species outside PAs (tiger and wolf) in human-altered landscapes. 4.Movement ecology of large carnivores has not been explored using such an exhaustive dataset in India. Our study attempts to extend theoretical concepts to applied management problems. This study can be a starting point for rigorous studies on interlinking animal movement and landscape management for large carnivore conservation and policy-making in the Anthropocene.

The reliability of evolutionary reconstructions based on the fossil record critically depends on our knowledge of the factors affecting the fossilization of soft-bodied organisms. Despite considerable research effort, these factors are still poorly understood. The extreme rarity of unicellular non-skeletal eukaryotic fossils compared to multicellular ones is an example of a pattern that apparently requires taphonomic explanation. In order to elucidate the main prerequisites for the preservation of soft-bodied organisms, we conducted long-term (1-5 years) taphonomic experiments with the model crustacean Artemia salina buried in five different sediments. The subsequent analysis of the carcasses and sediments revealed that, in our experimental settings, better preservation was associated with the fast deposition of aluminium and silicon on organic tissues. Other elements such as calcium, magnesium and iron, which can also accumulate quickly on the carcasses, appear to be much less efficient in preventing decay. Next, we asked if the carcasses of uni- and multicellular organisms differ in their ability to accumulate aluminium ions on their surface. The experiments with the flagellate Euglena gracilis and the sponge Spongilla lacustris showed that aluminium ions are more readily deposited onto a multicellular body. This was further confirmed by the experiments with uni- and multicellular stages of the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum. The results lead us to speculate that the evolution of cell adhesion molecules, which provide efficient cell-cell and cell-substrate binding, probably can explain the rich fossil record of multicellular soft-bodied organisms, the poor fossil record of non-skeletal unicellular eukaryotes, and the explosive emergence of the Cambrian diversity of soft bodied fossils.