Zoogeography and paleozoology of leeches,molluscs, and amphibians in Western Bonneville Basin,Utah, USA

The artesian springs of Tule Valley are similar to those of adjacent Snake Valley and Fish Springs Flat based on conductivity and temperature. All three valleys support Ranidae amphibians and the leechErpobdella punctata. The artesian springs in Snake Valley and Fish Springs Flat contain six and two species of fish and contained up to 18 and 12 species of mollusk respectively, whereas Tule Valley artesian springs contain neither fish nor mollusks. The leechesHelobdella stagnalis, Glossiphonia complanata, andHaemopis grandis were found in Snake Valley whereasHelobdella triserialis, Theromyzon rude, andHaemopis marmorata were found in Tule Valley. These springs which were covered by Lake Bonneville to a depth of several hundred meters, 16 000 BP., became isolated after the paleolake desiccated 13 000 years BP. The marsh snailCatinella is found above the paleolake level in Snake and Tule Valley and has not penetrated to the valley floor habitats once covered by the paleolake, whereas another marsh snailOxyloma has penetrated into these habitats in Snake Valley. The leech and molluscan distributions in Tule, Snake and Fish Springs Valleys suggest that the paleolake did not allow for much movement among the valleys, and successful passive aerial transport has not occurred after the paleolake desiccation 13 000 years BP. Paleozoological models are proposed to explain the presence and absence of these species in Tule Valley. Both lateral movement (along paleolake shorelines) and vertical movement (to new habitats formed after the desiccation of the paleolake) by amphibians, mollusks and leeches is restricted in large terminal lakes and is species dependent in both spatial and temporal scales of the hydrological cycle.     

First-Aid Transportation by Hovercraft in a Disaster

Transportation is one of the most important and urgent tasks in a disaster, e.g., earthquake or flood. Trains, trucks and cars are very restricted by destruction of rail and road, bridges and buildings fall down, flood waters and thick mud, landslides, cracks, level differences, severe traffic jam etc. Sunken objects in the water and damages of quays prevent ships from reaching harbors. The situation remains days, weeks and even months.Hovercraft can run on almost every surface: ground, water surface, mud, sands, grits, weeds etc. The performance is very favorable in the first-aid transportation in a disaster.A middle size hovercraft with payload of 2–3 tons is suitable for first-aid work in a disaster. The amount of load is appropriate for loading and unloading by manpower without using a special loading machine. Small loads with frequent return trip are desirable to fulfill needs that are changing from time to time. A system of first-aid transportation by a number of hovercraft of middle size is proposed in this paper as an additional system of transportation to existing ones. The system is very useful for first-aid transportation in a disaster.A simulation of hovercraft transportation was carried out after the Kobe Earthquake in 1995 as an example. We assume that 20 hovercraft of middle size are operated from 6 bases just outside of the disaster area to 12 destinations in the area. The result shows that they can transport up to 1,200 tons goods in a day in addition to those of conventional transportation means without disturbing them.     

Does wetland watershed land use influence amphibian larval development? A relevant effect of agriculture on biota

Agriculture practices have been widely proposed as the major cause of amphibian population decline. However, the majority of these results have been based on laboratory experiments. The present study was conducted to test the repercussion of wetland sediment provenance on amphibian larval development.Bufo bufo larvae were used in two dif ferent treatments in an outdoor experiment, the ?rst one using sediment from one wetland surrounded by intensive agricultural practices, and the second using sediment with no record of agrochemical uses. A negative ef fect was observed in the agricultural treatment, from subcellular to individual level. The results showed that the sediment from agricultural practices watershed generates a reduction in survival. Furthermore, individuals that developed under this treatment showed a lower total length and a delay in the time necessary to complete metamorphosis; these features are connected with recruitment success. In the same way, biochemical analysis showed high values of lipid peroxidation in metamorphs developing in sediments from an agricultural area. Finally, the results obtained highlight the importance of considering the sediments, not only the water, as origin treatment, allowing us to understand the consequences on amphibian populations that inhabit areas af fected by intensive agriculture.     

桂中盆地岩溶地貌区两栖爬行动物调查

岩溶地区的两栖爬行动物调查相对较少,2000年7月至2009年7月,采用样线调查的方法对桂中盆地岩溶地貌区的两栖爬行动物进行了调查。共在桂中盆地岩溶地貌区记录了两栖爬行动物67种,其中两栖动物3目6科13种,爬行动物3目11科54种。其区系表现出较强的华南区和华中区过渡地带特点,种群数量较多的有黑眶蟾蜍、泽陆蛙、斑腿泛树蛙、变色树蜥、中国石龙子、草腹链蛇、红脖颈槽蛇、渔游蛇和舟山眼镜蛇等。岩溶地貌对两栖爬行动物分布具有较强的影响,除细痣疣螈外,大部分的两栖动物都不适应岩溶地貌,但爬行动物中的壁虎科和百花锦蛇则主要分布于岩溶地区。