Palaeolimnological studies of the eutrophication of volcanic Lake Albano (Central Italy)

We use palaeolimnological techniques to reconstruct the eutrophication history of a volcanic lake (Lake Albano, central Italy) over the past three centuries. The presence of annual varves down to the bottom of the core (c. 1700 A.D.) indicated the lack of bioturbation and likely long-term meromixis. Sedimentation rates were estimated by varve counts (calcite/diatom couplets), indicating a mean rate of 0.15 cm yr^–1. The reconstruction of eutrophication was traced using past populations of algal and photosynthetic bacteria (through their fossil pigment), and geochemistry, as well as fossil remains of chironomids. Phaeophorbidea and the red carotenoid astaxanthin were used to detect past zooplankton development.The first sign of trophic change related to human activities is datedc. 1870 A.D. From that period onward a sharp increase of authigenic CaCO₃, nitrogen, N:P ratio, and dinoxanthin, a characteristic carotenoid of Chrysophyceae and Dinophyceae, is observed.Chironomid analyses showed the near absence of a deep water fauna throughout the core length. The populations of chironomid larvae are restricted to oxygenated littoral zones. In fact, the few fossil remains found are primarily of littoral origin, representing shallow water midges that were transported to profundal waters. The reduction of total chironomid in the uppermost layers of the core is to be related to human land uses.     

Signature pigments of green sulfur bacteria in lower Pleistocene deposits from the Banyoles lacustrine area (Spain)

Signature pigments of photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria (GSB) were found in ancient sediments collected from an abandoned clay quarry located in the Banyoles lacustrine area (Spain). The sediments belong to the Interglacial Waalian of the lower Pleistocene (0.7–1.5 millions years old) and were deposited after a marshy event occurring during that geologic period. Reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) analyses of acetone:methanol sediment extracts revealed that the main pigments found were carotenoids of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic photosynthetic organisms. In particular, isorenieratene (Isr) and β-isorenieratene (β-Isr) constituted the larger bacterial fraction (35–40% of the total carotenoid content), whereas okenone, a signature pigment of purple sulfur bacteria, accounted for less than 2%. Xanthophylls from oxygenic photosynthetic organisms accounted for the remaining carotenoids. Likewise, traces of degradation products of both bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) and chlorophyll (Chl) were also detected. The low concentration of Chl degradation products made proper identification of these compounds impossible. In contrast, degradation products of BChl-e such as bacteriochlorophyllide-e and bacteriopheophorbide-e were identified in the HPLC analyses, suggesting that chemical degradation of naturally occurring BChl aggregates of GSB was slower in the clay quarry sediments. The presence of signature pigments of brown-colored species of GSB (Isr, β-Isr and degradation products of BChl-e) in the sediments suggests an ancient aquatic environment where GSB were present and where episodes of sulfide-rich anoxia reaching the photic zone could be envisaged. Similarly, the large percentage of algal xanthophylls supports that algae could be an important part of the microbial photosynthetic community in this ancient ecosystem.     

Effects of sediment mixing and benthic algal production on fossil pigment stratigraphies

Effects of sediment mixing and benthic algal production on fossil pigment profiles were quantified by fine-interval analysis of cores in a transect across the basin of Paul Lake, MI. Annually resolved profiles (1957–1986) of carotenoids and chlorophyll a from varved sediments at deepwater (15 m) sites were compared to fine-interval (2.5–3.5 mm) stratigraphies from sites with increasing sediment mixing and benthic algal production (4 m>7 m>9 m). The degree of sediment mixing was also modelled using running means of pigment concentrations in varved sediments and compared to disturbed profiles. Effects of sediment mixing included reduction of peak pigment concentrations, broadening of peaks and migration of maxima deeper into deposits. Sedimentary signal strength was defined as the ratio of peak concentrations to baseline levels. Short-lived or weak signals ( 1.5 x baseline) were resolved only in the least disturbed deposits, while strong signals (5 x baseline) withstood sediment homogenization to depths greater than 1 cm (>5 year accumulation). Comparison of core-wide mean pigment concentrations suggested that cores recovered from within the photic zone are influenced by benthic algal production and will not represent either historical or current ecological dynamics in the water column. We conclude that: moderate levels of mixing do not destroy fossil pigment profiles; disturbed stratigraphies can remain ecologically interpretable; and fine-interval analyses are warranted in lakes with undisturbed ¹³⁷Cs profiles and where sediment porosity <90%.     

Assessment of soil organic carbon in semi-arid Sudan using GIS and the CENTURY model

Using the UNFCCC as a basis, and the objectives of estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the period 1900–2100, a spatially explicit database of climate, land cover and soil texture was compiled for a 262,000 km² region in semi-arid Sudan. The area is characterized by low input cultivation of millet, sorghum and sesamé combined with livestock grazing. By integrating the database with the CENTURY ecosystem model, we were able to estimate historical, current and future pools of SOC as a function of land management and climate.The SOC (upper 20 cm) decrease from 1900 to 2000 was estimated to be 6·8 Mt and the maximum potential carbon sink (SOC increase) for the period 2000 to 2100 was estimated to be 17 Mt. Cropland and grassland lost 293 and 152 t SOC km⁻² respectively whereas the savannahs gained 76 t SOC km⁻² from 1900 to 2000. The SOC sequestration scenario simulated during 2000–2100 recovered 94, 84 and 75 t km⁻² for cropland, grassland and savannah respectively.In addition to climate and soils, cropping intensity, fallow periods, fire frequency and grazing intensity also influence cropland SOC variation. Grassland and savannah SOC variations depend on grazing intensity and fire return interval. Land management may affect future amounts of SOC in semi-arid areas thereby turning them from sources into sinks of carbon. SOC estimates were reasonably consistent with measurements (r²=0·70, n=13).     

A review of factors that regulate carotenoid and chlorophyll deposition and fossil pigment abundance

Limnological surveys show that fossil pigment concentration is an accurate predictor of algal production. However, experimental and mass flux studies indicate that >90% of pigment is degraded to colourless compounds before permanent burial. To reconcile these views, this paper reviews current literature on pigment degradation and proposes a hierarchical control model for pigment deposition and fossil abundance. Over the widest range of production, pigment deposition and fossil concentration are proportional to algal standing crop. However, within a narrower range, the actual concentration of pigment in sediments is regulated by photo- and chemical oxidation. Three phases of loss exist: rapid oxidation in the water column (T_1/2=days); slower post-depositional loss in surface sediments (T_1/2=years); and very slow loss of double bonds in deep sediments (T_1/2=centuries). Despite losses during deposition, fossil and algal abundance remain correlated through time, so long as there is no change in basin morphometry, light penetration, stratification or deepwater oxygen content. At the finest scale, food-web processes can increase the preservation of pigments from edible algae by incorporating pigments into feces that sink rapidly and bypass water column losses. As a consequence of selective loss during deposition and initial burial, carotenoid relative abundance is an unreliable measure of phytoplankton community composition. Instead, absolute concentration — scaled to the historical maximum — should be used for fossil interpretations.     

Effect of plant species on shrub fertile island at an oasis–desert ecotone in the South Junggar Basin, China

Shrub fertile islands are a common feature in arid ecosystems. To examine the effect of plant species on the spatial patterns of soil chemical and physical properties surrounding individual shrubs, two deciduous shrub species with different morphologies (Tamarix spp. and Haloxylon ammodendron Bge.) were studied at an oasis–desert ecotone in South Junggar Basin. Soil samples were collected under the shrub crown (canopy), at the vertically projected limit of shrub crown margin (periphery), and in the space between shrub crowns (interspace) at two depths, 0–10 and 10–20 cm, to analyze their physical and chemical properties. The results show that the fertile islands of Tamarix spp. are enriched with more soil nutrients (significantly higher, P<0.05; soil organic matter (SOM); total nitrogen (TN) and available nitrogen (AN); to a deeper depth (>20 cm) and in a larger area (beyond the canopied area) compared to that of H. ammodendron (significantly higher, P<0.05, soil nutrients detected only for AN; <20 cm in depth; smaller than the canopied area). Soil texture patterns surrounding the shrubs of the two species are even more different, with more coarse particles under the Tamarix spp. canopies compared to the interspace between shrubs but fewer under the H. ammodendron canopies compared to the interspaces. These variations are attributed to the difference in morphology of the two studied species: the Y-shaped crowns of H. ammodendron are less capable of capturing and maintaining litter under them than the hemispheroidal crowns of Tamarix spp., which leads to the less well developed fertile islands surrounding H. ammodendron shrubs.     

Vegetation patterns and diversity along an altitudinal and a grazing gradient in the Jabal al Akhdar mountain range of northern Oman

Little is known about the effects of grazing on vegetation composition on the Arabian Peninsula. The aim of this study therefore was to analyse the vegetation response to environmental conditions of open woodlands along an altitudinal and a grazing gradient in the Jabal al Akhdar mountain range of Oman. The species composition, vegetation structure, grazing damage and several environmental variables were investigated for 62 samples using a nested plot design. Classification analysis and a Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) were used to define vegetation types and to identify underlying environmental gradients. The relationship between environmental variables and diversity was analysed using correlation coefficients and a main-effects ANOVA. The plant species richness followed a unimodal distribution along the altitudinal gradient with the highest number of species at the intermediate altitudinal belt. The cluster analysis led to five vegetation groups: The Sideroxylon mascatense–Dodonaea viscosa group on grazed and the Olea europaea–Fingerhuthia africana group on ungrazed plateau sites at 2000 m a.s.l., the Ziziphus spina-christi–Nerium oleander group at wadi sites and the Moringa peregrina–Pteropyrum scoparium group at 1200 m a.s.l, and the Acacia gerrardii–Leucas inflata group at 1700 m a.s.l. The CVA indicated a clear distinction of the groups obtained by the agglomerative cluster analysis. The landform, altitude and grazing intensity were found to be the most important variables distinguishing between clusters. Overgrazing of the studied rangeland is an increasing environmental problem, whereas the plant composition at ungrazed sites pointed to a relatively fast and high regeneration potential of the local vegetation.     

Multi-proxy data from Kaksoislammi Lake in Finland: dramatic changes in the late Holocene cladoceran assemblages

A small lake, Kaksoislammi (60° 3830N, 24° 4550E), in southern Finland was studied for Cladocera, diatoms and pollen from a core which covers the entire Holocene. The diatom remains indicate a steady development from alkaliphilous taxa towards the dominance of acidophilous forms and lowering pH in the late Holocene. About 1800–1700 BP, dramatic changes took place in the microfauna, mainly the planktonic Cladocera. Bosmina longirostris, the dominant species, suddenly disappeared, and Daphnia, Chydorus sphaericus and Chaoborus increased. The change is simultaneous with a decline of the diatom-inferred pH to 4.8. It is probable that there was a sudden, profound change in predator-prey relationships. The acidity of the lake water probably increased to such a low level that it led to the disappearance of even the most acid-tolerant fish. Consequently invertebrate predators increased and quickly altered the species composition in the lake. There is also pollen evidence of the onset of Iron Age cultivation and grazing almost simultaneously with the faunal change. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that the sudden lowering of pH was indirectly caused by prehistoric human activity; possibly the acidic peatland surrounding the lake was disturbed.     

开垦对内蒙古温带草地土壤不同有机碳组分的影响(英文)

Cultivation is one of the most important human activities affecting the grassland ecosystem besides grazing, but its impacts on soil total organic carbon (C), especially on the liable organic C fractions have not been fully understood yet. In this paper, the role of cropping in soil organic C pool of different fractions was investigated in a meadow steppe region in Inner Mongolia of China, and the relationships between different C fractions were also discussed. The results indicated that the concentrations of different C fractions at steppe and cultivated land all decreased progressively with soil depth. After the conversion from steppe to spring wheat field for 36 years, total organic carbon (TOC) concentration at the 0 to 100 cm soil depth has decreased by 12.3% to 28.2%, and TOC of the surface soil horizon, especially those of 0-30 cm decreased more significantly (p<0.01). The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) at the depth of 0-40 cm were found to have decreased by 66.7% to 77.1% and 36.5% to 42.4%, respectively. In the S.baicalensis steppe, the ratios of soil DOC to TOC varied between 0.52% and 0.60%, and those in the spring wheat field were only in the range of 0.18%-0.20%. The microbial quotients (qMBs) in the spring wheat field, varying from 1.11% to 1.40%, were also lower than those in the S. baicalensis steppe, which were in the range of 1.50%-1.63%. The change of DOC was much more sensitive to cultivation disturbance. Soil TOC, DOC, and MBC were significantly positive correlated with each other in the S. baicalensis steppe, but in the spring wheat field, the correlativity between DOC and TOC and that between DOC and MBC did not reach the significance level of 0.05.     

Reconstructing long-term changes in Daphnia's body size from subfossil remains in sediments of a small lake in the Himalayas

A combined analysis of modern zooplankton and fossil Cladocera assemblages from a Himalayan lake, Lake 40, revealed that the endemic Daphnia tibetana disappeared in the late-1980s, after persisting as the only Daphnia species for almost 3000 years. Daphnia head shields, which are rarely recovered from the sediments, were the most abundant Daphnia remains in the lake. The remains were of the Ctenodaphnia type; the smaller ones had a large central hole. Head shields of the same type were also found in zooplankton water samples, rich in exuviae as well as of intact specimens of D. tibetana, from a nearby lake. Small individuals had a distinct nuchal organ in the dorsal region of the head. We therefore postulated that the head shields with the hole were from young (newborn or individuals in the two first moults). Up to now, the nuchal organ has been described in laboratory populations of D. (Ctenodaphnia) magna, where it disappears quite early in life. It probably functions as an osmoregulatory organ, essential for the survivorship of late embryos and early juveniles. On the other hand, as far as we know, head shields with a hole have never been recorded in plankton or in sediments. In view of the fact that head shields were representative of Daphnia abundance, we used them to reconstruct changes in density and body size during ca. 3000 years. In fishless mountain lakes, mean Daphnia body size tends to increase toward the end of the productive season. The number of moults and maximum body size depend mainly on the duration of the ice-free period, and on summer temperatures. In cold years, when the productive season is short, the number of moults will be low, and the range of Daphnia body size will be narrow. We used Daphnia body size and abundance estimates, in addition to an analysis of changes in the Cladocera assemblage, to reconstruct past environmental conditions.     

Effects of fire, grazing, and the presence of shrubs on Chihuahuan desert grasslands

Responses of herbaceous and suffrutescent species to fire, grazing, and presence of Prosopis glandulosa were examined in a Chihuahuan desert grassland in south-central New Mexico. Treatments were assigned randomly to eight 12×8 m plots within each of two blocks. Following fires in June 1995, unfenced plots were exposed to livestock grazing over 4 years. Plots were established that either included or excluded P. glandulosa. Perennial grass cover, primarilyBouteloua eriopoda , decreased by 13% in burned plots but increased 5% in unburned areas. Conversely, perennial forb cover was 4% greater after fire. Perennial grass frequency decreased 30% more and perennial forb frequency increased 10% more following burning. Further, increases in evenness after fire resulted in a 225% increase in species diversity. Grazing also resulted in a decrease in perennial grass cover while frequency decreased 22% more in grazed than ungrazed plots. Only frequency and not cover of perennial forbs and annual grasses increased more following grazing. Presence of P. glandulosa had no differential effect on responses of non-shrub species. Fires were conducted during near drought conditions while grazing occurred during years of precipitation equivalent to the long-term average. Precipitation immediately following fire may be critical for recovery of B. eriopoda -dominated desert grasslands; relationships between fire and post-fire precipitation patterns require future investigation.     

Comparing nitrogen isotopic signals between bulk sediments and invertebrate remains in High Arctic seabird-influenced ponds

The mass transport of nutrients by migratory animals can markedly alter the biogeochemistry and ecology of recipient ecosystems, particularly in nutrient-poor regions such as the Arctic. However, the role of biovectors in the global cycling of nutrients is often overlooked. Here we investigate nitrogen dynamics in two seabird-affected ponds in the Canadian High Arctic. The ponds lie at the base of a large seabird colony and have been greatly enriched in nutrients due to the input of guano and other wastes. Using sediment cores that span the last ~200 years, we measured stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) in bulk sediments as well from the subfossil remains of chironomid (Diptera) head capsules and Daphnia ephippia. The bulk-sediment samples from our seabird-affected ponds had elevated δ¹⁵N values relative to seabird-free sites elsewhere in the Arctic. In general, the chironomid δ¹⁵N profiles roughly paralleled those of bulk sediments in both study ponds, while the Daphnia profile remained relatively stable in contrast to the considerable variation recorded in the bulk sediments and chironomids. Interestingly, no apparent pattern emerged among δ¹⁵N values recorded in the bulk sediments, chironomids, and Daphnia between the two study ponds. The stability recorded in the δ¹⁵N profiles from bulk sediments relative to the more variable invertebrate profiles point towards the complexity of nitrogen uptake by chironomids and Daphnia at these sites. These data suggest that the bulk sediments are integrating the different fractions of the overall δ¹⁵N pool and thus may be most appropriate for reconstructing overall trends in lake trophic status.     

Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia

The objectives of this study were to determine the composition, density and spatial distribution of the soil seed bank of woody species, as well as their regeneration pattern in two different land use systems, controlled (ranch) and open grazing, in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. We also compared the species composition of the soil seed bank and the above-ground vegetation to find out if differences exist in the soil seed bank and advance regeneration between the two land use systems. The germination requirements of seeds of the woody species were also investigated under laboratory conditions. Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acacia tortilis, Dichrostacys cinerea and Balanites aegyptiaca were encountered in the above-ground vegetation in both systems. Seeds of only A. tortilis (90±32 seeds m⁻²) from the ranch, and A. senegal (5±3 seeds m⁻²) and A. tortilis (72±34 seeds m⁻²) from the open system were found in the soil seed bank along transects with patchy horizontal pattern. The two systems were not significantly different in density of soil seed banks of A. senegal andA. tortilis . Jaccard's similarity index showed that only a few woody species were common in the soil seed flora and above ground vegetation. However, all of the species accumulated seeds (58±43–331±130 seeds m⁻²) in/on the soil under the canopy. Very large numbers of seeds of A. tortilis (19382±9722 seeds m⁻²) and D. cinerea (1278±494 seeds m⁻²) were also found in barns. Most of the seeds recovered from the soil samples (60–80%) were found in the litter layer. Acid and mechanical scarification improved legume germination (36–99% and 60–99%, respectively) over boiling water (0–48%). Treatment means differed significantly for all the legumes (p<0·001) but not for Balanites. Height and diameter class distribution of regeneration of A. tortilis and D. cinerea in both systems and A. senegal in the open system had a negative exponential correlation (r_s=−0·5, −0·25 and −0·86, respectively). A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca showed poor regeneration. Horizontal distribution of advance regeneration of all the species was patchy. Advance regeneration of A. seyal, A. tortilis and B. aegyptiaca were not significantly different, while that of A. senegal and D. cinerea were significantly different between the two systems. Poor representation of species in the soil seed bank along transects and in the different height and diameter classes may be attributed to the low density of mature trees as well as the mode and strategy of seed dispersal. Ungulate and wind dispersed species (e.g. A. senegal, A. tortilis and D. cinerea) were highly favoured. Patchiness in the distribution of seeds and advance regeneration was also a result of endozoochory. Dispersal of non-ungulate dispersed seeds (A. senegal, A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca) was restricted to the canopy zone. Piles of seeds ofA. tortilis and D. cinerea that were found in barns were a result of consumption of their pods by cattle. High concentration of seeds in the litter layer may be due to low soil disturbance and larger size of seeds. The height and diameter class distribution of A. senegal (in the open system), A. tortilis and D. cinerea also indicated that the species have good regeneration. Results from the germination tests indicated that seeds of the legumes require pre-sowing treatments to give a rapid, uniform and improved germination. Intervention through artificial regeneration should be employed to improve the density and regeneration capacity of those species with hampered regeneration at both systems.     

Salt tolerance of Microcoleus vaginatus Gom., a cyanobacterium isolated from desert algal crust, was enhanced by exogenous carbohydrates

Microcoleus vaginatus isolated from a desert algal crust of Shapotou was cultured in BG-11 medium containing 0.2 mol l⁻¹ NaCl or 0.2 mol l⁻¹ NaCl plus 100 mg l⁻¹ sucrose, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) or hot water-soluble polysaccharides (HWP), respectively. Photosynthetic oxygen evolution rates, photosystem II activity (Fv/Fm) and dark respiration of NaCl-stressed cells were enhanced significantly by the added sucrose or EPS under salt stress conditions (0.2 mol l⁻¹ NaCl). Compared with cells treated with salt alone, sodium contents in cells reduced significantly; the content of cellular total carbohydrate did not change, and intracellular sucrose, water-soluble sugar increased significantly following the addition of exogenous carbohydrates. Sucrose synthase (SS) activity of NaCl-stressed cells increased following the addition of sucrose, and sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) activity of NaCl-stressed cells increased following the addition of exogenous sucrose, EPS or HWP compared with cells stressed with NaCl only. The results suggested that the extruded EPS might be re-absorbed by cells of M. vaginatus as carbon source, they could increase salt tolerance of M. vaginatus through the changes of carbohydrate metabolism and the selective uptake of sodium ions.     

The effects of human visits on the use of a waterhole by endangered ungulates

We report the impacts of human visits at a waterhole used by mountain gazelles, Gazella gazella, and Nubian ibex, Capra ibex nubiana, in the Ibex Reserve of Saudi Arabia. Our hypothesis was that the species that normally used the waterhole during the day, the typical period of human visits, would be negatively affected. The results did not support our hypothesis, as both the diurnal mountain gazelles and partly nocturnal Nubian ibex avoided the waterhole within 6 h after human visits. We found no significant difference of waterhole use by Nubian ibex and mountain gazelles within the period of 6–12 h or 12–24 h after human visits. Given the high conservation concern of these species and the rarity of waterholes, we suggest that human visits continue to be regulated by allowing visits on non-consecutive days to give the ungulates opportunities to drink, especially during the summer and droughts when heat stresses are higher, animals are less tolerant of water deprivation, and there are less alternative waterholes.     

The piosphere revisited: plant species patterns close to waterpoints in small, fenced paddocks in chenopod shrublands of South Australia

The Waite–Nicolson rangeland management method for semi-arid chenopod shrublands predicts that smaller paddocks with medium to moderate stocking rates help to preserve the native vegetation. Vegetation cover around waterpoints in three small paddocks (<2000 ha) from Middleback Station, South Australia was studied using multivariate analysis. Data from quadrats sampled along radiating transects were tested for correlations with a number of site features and grazing history factors. Two significant associations were detected: quadrats with an abundance of Rhagodia parabolica and less palatable species such as Maireana pyramidata, and Atriplex stipitata were correlated positively with proximity to water points, paddock age and stocking rate, and negatively with paddock size. In contrast, quadrats with species such as Rhagodia ulicina and the more palatable M. sedifolia were correlated with increasing distance from the water points and paddock size, but negatively with age and stocking rates. Transect direction was not correlated with either group. Twelve of the 20 species examined, including the important forage species A. vesicaria, also were not correlated with those paddock and grazing features included here. These results suggest that the distribution of some chenopod shrub species in fenced paddocks is still possibly affected by a combination of these factors in the long term by grazing at densities of 6 ha sheep⁻¹ and that the method, although maintaining the fodder species, may not be preserving biodiversity at these grazing levels, although further study is needed.     

First subfossil records of Daphnia headshields and shells (Anomopoda,Daphniidae) about 10 000 years old from northernmost Greenland,plus Alona guttata (Chydoridae)

Silty pond sediments from Wulff Land in northernmost Greenland, radiocarbon dated 10480 BP, yielded many headshields, shells, and ephippia of Daphnia pulex, and headshields, shells, ephippia, and one postabdomen of Alona guttata. This is the first documentation of recognizable headshields and shells of Daphnia in the fossil record.     

Plant water relations of thornscrub shrub species, north-eastern Mexico

As an approach to understand how diurnal and seasonal plant water potentials (Ψ) are related to soil water-content and evaporative demand components, the responses of six thornscrub shrubs species (Havardia pallens, Acacia rigidula, Eysenhardtia texana, Diospyros texana, Randia rhagocarpa, and Bernardia myricaefolia) of the north-eastern region of Mexico to drought stress were investigated during the course of 1 year. All study species showed the typical diurnal pattern of variation in Ψ. That is, Ψ decreased gradually from predawn (Ψ_pd) maximal values to reach minima at midday (Ψ_md) and began to recover in the late afternoon. On a diurnal basis and with adequate soil water-content (>0.20 kg kg⁻¹), diurnal Ψ values differed among shrub species and were negatively and significantly (p<0.001) correlated with air temperature (r=−0.741 to −0.883) and vapor pressure deficit (r=−0.750 to −0.817); in contrast, a positive and significant (p<0.001) relationship was found to exist with relative humidity (r=0.758–0.842). On a seasonal basis, during the wettest period (soil water-content>0.20 kg kg⁻¹), higher Ψ_pd (−0.10 MPa) and Ψ_md (−1.16 MPa) values were observed in R. rhagocarpa, whereas lower figures (−0.26 and −2.73 MPa, respectively) were detected in A. rigidula. On the other hand, during the driest period (soil water-content<0.15 kg kg⁻¹), Ψ_pd and Ψ_md values were below −7.3 MPa; i.e. when shrubs species faced severe water deficit. Soil water-content at different soil layers, monthly mean relative humidity and monthly precipitation were significantly correlated with both Ψ_pd (r=0.538–0.953; p<0.01) and Ψ_md (r=0.431–0.906; p<0.05). Average soil water-content in the 0–50 cm soil depth profile explained between 70% and 87% of the variation in Ψ_pd. Results have shown that when gravimetric soil water-content values were above 0.15 kg kg⁻¹, Ψ_pd values were high and constant; below this threshold value, Ψ declined gradually. Among all shrub species, A. rigidula appeared to be the most drought tolerant of the six species since during dry periods it tends to sustain significantly higher Ψ_pd in relation to B. myricaefolia. The remaining species showed an intermediate pattern. It is concluded that the ability of shrub species to cope with drought stress depends on the pattern of water uptake and the extent to control water loss through the transpirational flux.     

Reconstructing the historical changes in Daphnia mean size and planktivorous fish abundance in lakes from the size of Daphnia ephippia in the sediment

The zooplankton community structure in lakes is highly influenced by size-selective predation by fish, with small zooplankton species dominating at high predation pressure. Remains of cladocerans are preserved in the sediment and may be used to trace historical changes in fish predation. We determined how contemporary data on planktivorous fish were related to the size of Daphnia ephippia (dorsal length) in the surface sediment (0-1 cm) of 52 mainly shallow lakes with contrasting densities of fish and nutrients (TP: 0.002-0.60 mg P l^-1). Density of fish expressed as catch per unit effort, in terms of numbers in multiple mesh-sized gill nets (CPUE_n), decreased significantly with increasing mean size of ephippia. The relationship was improved by adding TP as an independent variable, now explaining 90% of the variation in CPUE_n on the full data set covering lakes in Denmark, Greenland and New Zealand, and 78% if only data on Danish lakes were used. CPUE by weight of planktivorous fish and mean weight of Daphnia in the pelagial during summer were also related to ephippial size. By including contemporary data on established relationships between the sizes of egg-bearing female Daphnia and ephippia, we inferred changes in the CPUE_n, mean size of ephippia-bearing Daphnia and summer mean body weight of Daphnia from ephippial size in four lakes during the past 1-2 centuries. In a hypertrophic lake subject to periodic fish kills, Daphnia mean body weight was high and CPUE_n was low compared with those in two eutrophic lakes, while CPUE_n was low and Daphnia body weight was high in the least eutrophic, clearwater lake. Estimated CPUE_n and Daphnia mean weight in the surface sediment of these four lakes corresponded well with contemporary data. Only small changes in ephippial size with time were observed in the clearwater lake and in one of the lakes that had suffered early eutrophication, while major changes occurred in the two other lakes that had been subjected to a major increase in nutrient input or fish kills. We conclude that Daphnia ephippia preserved in the surface sediments of lakes may be a useful and efficient method to quantify the present-day abundance of planktivorous fish and Daphnia mean size. The method is particularly valid in surveys aimed to give a general picture of the fish stock and the ecological state in a set of lakes in a region rather than a precise estimate for a single lake. Though some evidence is provided, more work is needed to evaluate whether the equations are valid for hind-casting in down-core palaeoecological studies.