Habitat provision of barnacle tests for overcrowded periwinkles

In habitats where competition for space is a shaping force of animal distribution such as in the intertidal rocky ecosystem, new habitats are readily taken by colonising species. We examined the importance of empty Chthamalus spp. tests as a habitat for the intertidal common periwinkle Melaraphe neritoides on Portuguese rocky shores. The role played by the space between neighbouring barnacles as a habitat for other species has been largely studied with regard to how an ecosystem functions, whereas the equivalent role of empty barnacle tests remains largely unknown. The small periwinkle is one of the most abundant snails in European rocky shores and is an important prey for key mobile predators. Biological facilitation is common in the rocky intertidal zone, where biological structures often potentiate the abundance of other species. The role played by barnacles as biological facilitators through habitat provision is not fully understood. In this study, the abundance and morphometric features of empty barnacle tests and their occupants were examined across shore levels and shores with differing exposures, as these are important gradients explaining barnacle distribution. The availability of empty barnacle tests was also experimentally manipulated to examine the percentage, time and length of occupation. Empty barnacles were more abundant on the midshore of sheltered shores and barnacle tests were wider on the upper shore but taller on the midshore. The minimum barnacle test occupation rate by the periwinkle was 70%. Barnacle shell height was an important factor determining snail occupation, where taller barnacles harboured significantly more, but not necessarily larger, snails. Snails outside the barnacle tests were significantly larger than those found within, suggesting that this crustacean group has an increased importance as a habitat for juvenile snails, thus potentially influencing the population dynamics of M. neritoides. We found that occupation of experimentally created empty barnacles was extremely high (70%) on the day after, and remained at 100% after 3 months of monitoring. Our study is the first of its kind to focus on the features of barnacle tests that snails occupy and their occupying snail traits. According to our results, it is clear that barnacles have an important role in providing additional habitat for young gastropods. The small periwinkle is an important grazer and prey for intertidal and subtidal foraging predators; hence, the potential refuge role of barnacle tests for juvenile M. neritoides may be important in the dynamics of intertidal communities.     

Shell‐shape and morphometric variability in Mytilus galloprovincialis from micro‐tidal environments: responses to different hydrodynamic drivers

Tidal conditions differently influence inter‐tidal organisms in terms of general physiological and metabolic responses. In this study we investigated the morphological response in shells of Mytilus galloprovincialis native to different micro‐tidal coastal environments in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Our purpose was to highlight the ecophenotypic variability across tidal levels and to elucidate how tidal currents and waves produced by anthropogenic activities may play a part in modulating shell morphology. Three sampling sites were selected: an open‐sea area 15 km off‐shore and two sites within the lagoon of Venice, the first near one of its three inlets, and the other one in the proximity of Venice city centre. At each sampling site, organisms were seasonally collected at different depths within their vertical zonation, either in the inter‐tidal zone – i.e. at both the highest and lowest tide zonation limits, and subtidally. The mussel shells were analysed by investigation of their morphometric relationships (height/length and width/length ratios) and by elliptic Fourier analysis of the shell contours. Shell thickness and condition index were also evaluated for a better comprehension of energy allocation/partitioning. Estimates based on long‐term measurements, visual observation, wind statistics and wave growth laws allowed an evaluation of the forces acting on shells. At the open‐sea site, the observed phenotypic variability of both shell shape and thickness was clearly related to the tidal vertical zonation. At the two lagoon sites, the currents generated by tidal flow through the inlet and the waves caused by the frequent passage of boats influenced both shell shape and thickness. A trade‐off between protection and growth was apparent along the tide gradient, as emphasized by the differences in the partitioning and allocation of energy between shell and flesh production.     

BIB-SEM characterization of pore space morphology and distribution in postmature to overmature samples from the Haynesville and Bossier Shales

Four Haynesville Shale and four Bossier Shale samples were investigated using a combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Broad Ion Beam (BIB) polishing. This approach enables the microstructure and porosity to be studied down to the mesopore size (<50 nm) in representative areas at the scale of the BIB cross-sections. The samples vary in mineralogy, grain size and TOC and the maturity ranges from 2.42 to 2.58 VR_r in the Haynesville Shale to 1.79–2.26 VR_r in the Bossier Shale. This variety within the samples enabled us to study controls on the porosity distribution in these shales. Visible pores exist as intraparticle pores mainly in carbonate grains and pyrite framboids and as interparticle pores, mainly in the clay-rich matrix. Pores in organic matter show a characteristic porosity with respect to the type of organic matter, which mainly consists of mixtures of amorphous organic matter and minerals, organic laminae and discrete macerals. A clear positive trend of organic-matter porosity with maturity was found. Pore sizes are power law distributed in the range of 4.4 μm to at least 36 nm in equivalent diameter. The differences in power law exponents suggest that a more grain supported, coarse-grained matrix may prevent pores from mechanical compaction. Porosities measured in the BIB cross-sections were significantly lower in comparison to porosities obtained by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP). This difference is mainly attributed to the different resolution achieved with BIB-SEM and MIP and type of pore network. Extrapolation of pore size distributions (PSDs) enables the BIB-SEM porosity to be estimated down to the resolution of the MIP and thus to upscale microstructural observation at the confined space of the BIB-SEM method to bulk porosity measurement. These inferred porosities are in good agreement with the MIP determined porosities, which underpins the assumption that pores segmented in BIB-SEM mosaics are representative of the MIP methodology.     

基于壳板和齿舌形态对中国沿岸几种常见多板纲软体动物的分类研究

多板纲软体动物统称石鳖,是软体动物门较为低等的一个类群,在软体动物的系统进化中占有重要的地位。但有关我国沿海多板纲软体动物的调查研究十分欠缺,而且对中国沿海多板纲的分布状况和区系特点尚不明确,并存在着一些鉴定错误和分类混乱现象。本研究利用10%Na OH溶液处理齿舌部获取齿舌带和壳板的方法,通过扫描电镜和显微镜观察拍照,对我国沿岸常见多板纲软体动物中5科7属13种的齿舌和壳板形态结构进行了描述,并进行了比较研究。     

Using SPOT 5 fusion-ready imagery to detect Chinese tamarisk (saltcedar) with mathematical morphological method

Chinese tamarisk (saltcedar) is a deciduous shrub that occurs widely across the Yellow River Delta in China. The spatial structure of Chinese tamarisk is believed to have an influence on the landscape and habitats of rare birds. In this study, first, Chinese tamarisk is detected using Canny edge detector and mathematical morphological operators based on SPOT 5 fusion-ready imagery. Then the numbers, areas, locations, and patch spacing of Chinese tamarisk patches are calculated. The experiments show that the detection accuracy of Chinese tamarisk patches is about 93.4% after the disconnection of connected patches. The distribution orientation of about 70% of the patches is approximately south–north. About 91% of the minimum distances among the patches are between 12.5 and 57.5 m. The rose graph indicates that the main azimuth between patches is north–northwest, and the second is northeast and southeast. The present study indicates that the integrating Canny edge detector with the algorithms for extracting circular and elliptical objects based on mathematical morphology is simple and effective for detecting Chinese tamarisk patches and is easy to identify the spatial structure of Chinese tamarisk patches, which reduces the time and labor for the visual interpretation of Chinese tamarisk patches.     

Burrowing and burying by the crab Macrophthalmus hirtipes

Macrophthalmus hirtipes (Jacquinot, 1853) excavates burrows under water in soft, muddy sand that remains waterlogged at low tide. The crabs are immersed for at least 4 h in every tide. The burrows are usually single, blind‐ending, slightly curved passages; their openings do not appear to be deliberately closed by the crabs. Excavation is effected by using one set of walking legs as a scoop while the other set provides sideways traction.

Burrow openings are readily obscured by water movement, so that apparent burrow density does not give a true indication of the number of crabs in an area, but only indicates how many have been active recently; the true density may be found by sieving.

The burrowing activity of M. hirtipes is compared with that of other ocypodid crabs, and the functions of burrows are discussed. A distinction is made between excavating a burrow and rapid burying, because the two behaviours are very different, and must involve different adaptations and selection pressures.     

Growth performance of the clam, Meretrix meretrix, breedingselection populations cultured in different conditions

A breeding-selection program for the clam,Meretrix meretrix,was conducted since 2004.Two of the selection populations were generated with the shell color pattern as an additional selection criterion and named as SP(purple stripes)population and SB(black dots)population.The third-generation SP and SB populations(08G3SP and 08G3SB,respectively)were cultured at two commercial clam farms and a nursery pond and their shell lengths were compared.08G3SB clams had significantly larger sizes than 08G3SP clams at commercial clam farms(p<0.05),yet 08G3SB individuals were significantly smaller than 08G3SP individuals at the nursery pond(p<0.05).Then,we examined the growth of the fourth-generation SP and SB populations(10G4SP and 10G4SB,respectively)at a commercial farm,and found that the shell lengths of the 10G4SB clams increased at a significantly higher growth rate than the 10G4SP clams(p<0.05)from May to September,when the water temperature was between 24.2–27.5 C,while 10G4SB lost the growth advantage in the other months.These results indicated that SP and SB populations responded differently to environmental factors,so it is beneficial for the clam farmers to select a suitable population according to the culture environment.Furthermore,a diallel mating of the SB and SP populations was designed to investigate whether their hybrid population would show heterosis.However,the heterosis was not shown in this study,which might result from the slight genetic divergence between SB and SP populations.     

Morphology and Histology of Lattice-like Ossified Epaxial Tendons in Psittacosaurus (Dinosauria: Ceratopsia)

<正>Epaxial tendons play an important role in the study of the musculoskeletal system and locomotory style of dinosaurs.Although the ossified epaxial tendon lattice is fairly well known in Iguanodontoidea,only recently has knowledge of this complex been extended to ceratopsians.This study concerns the gross morphology and microstructure of the tendon lattice in Psittacosaurus,a basal ceratopsian.As in the neoceratopsian Chasmosaurus,the ossified tendons of Psittacosaurus form a three-layered, lattice-like structure.The microstructure of the tendons in large psittacosaur individuals retains an early stage of ossification,as in juvenile birds and nestling hadrosaurs,suggesting a slow developmental rate of ossification of the tendons in psittacosaur ontogeny.Comparative study indicates that a lattice-like arrangement of three-layered epaxial tendons is widely distributed in Cerapoda.This pattern also extends to Ankylosauria,implying a similar pattern of the epaxial muscles through the ornithischian clade.In addition,comparison with crocodiles implies that the different morphology of ossified tendons in dinosaurs may be associated with adaptive aspects of their paleobiology,not simply a side effect of skeletal ossification.In contrast to the short tendons in quadrupedal Chasmosaurus and Protoceratops,the elongated tendons in Psittacosaurus may be related to the bipedal locomotion characteristic of this taxon.     

冀东平原土壤重金属元素的存在形态及有效性分析

通过对冀东平原根系土中8种重金属元素形态含量的统计与分析,总结出其形态组成特征,初步分析了各重金属元素在土壤中的地球化学行为。笔者运用相关性分析方法,对重金属元素有效态含量与全量及土壤pH、TOC的相关性进行分析,从而得出重金属元素有效态含量的高低不仅受其全量的影响,而且与土壤pH、TOC亦有密切关系,这为表层土壤重金属元素污染程度的科学合理评价提供了理论依据。