Role of abiotic factors and habitat heterogeneity in the interactions between stream salamanders and crayfish in the southern Appalachians

Abstract. Ancient Lake Ohrid on the Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the oldest ancient lake in Europe with a suggested Plio-/Pleistocene age. Its exact geological age, however, remains unknown. Therefore, molecular clock data of Lake Ohrid biota may serve as an independent constraint of available geological data, and may thus help to refine age estimates. Such evolutionary data may also help unravel potential biotic and abiotic factors that promote speciation events. Here, mitochondrial sequencing data of one of the largest groups of endemic taxa in the Ohrid watershed, the leech genus Dina, is used to test whether it represents an ancient lake species flock, to study the role of potential horizontal and vertical barriers in the watershed for evolutionary events, to estimate the onset of diversification in this group based on molecular clock analyses, and to compare this data with data from other endemic species for providing an approximate time frame for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Based on the criteria speciosity, monophyly and endemicity, it can be concluded that Dina spp. from the Ohrid watershed, indeed, represents an ancient lake species flock. Lineage sorting of its species, however, does not seem to be complete and/or hybridization may occur. Analyses of population structures of Dina spp. in the Ohrid watershed indicate a horizontal zonation of haplotypes from spring and lake populations, corroborating the role of lake-side springs, particularly the southern feeder springs, for evolutionary processes in endemic Ohrid taxa. Vertical differentiation of lake taxa, however, appears to be limited, though differences between populations from the littoral and the profundal are apparent. Molecular clock analyses indicate that the most recent common ancestor of extant species of this flock is approximately 1.99 ± 0.83 million years (Ma) old, whereas the split of the Ohrid Dina flock from a potential sister taxon outside the lake is estimated at 8.30 ± 3.60 Ma. Comparisons with other groups of endemic Ohrid species indicated that in all cases, diversification within the watershed started ≤2 Ma ago. Thus, this estimate may provide information on a minimum age for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Maximum ages are less consistent and generally less reliable. But cautiously, a maximum age of 3 Ma is suggested. Interestingly, this time frame of approximately 2–3 Ma ago for the origin of Lake Ohrid, generated based on genetic data, well fits the time frame most often used in the literature by geologists.

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ROLE OF ABIOTIC FACTORS IN GOVERNING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO INVASION: A TEST WITH ARGENTINE ANTS

Ecology ◽

10.1890/0012-9658(2002)083[1610:roafig]2.0.co;2 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 83 (6) ◽

pp. 1610-1619 ◽

Cited By ~ 150

Author(s):

David A. Holway ◽

Andrew V. Suarez ◽

Ted J. Case

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Factors ◽

Argentine Ants

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The Colorado potato beetle in movement

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/n02-008 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

pp. 1-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

G. Boiteau ◽

A. Alyokhin ◽

D.N. Ferro

Keyword(s):

Colorado Potato Beetle ◽

Leptinotarsa Decemlineata ◽

Recent Literature ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Orientation Process ◽

Potato Beetle ◽

Host Habitat ◽

Subject Areas ◽

Refuge Areas

AbstractThe recent introduction of the concept of refuge areas for the management of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae), on resistant potato highlighted the existence of important gaps in our knowledge and understanding of this pest's movement within and between habitats. The objective of this review is to synthesize the information available for the benefit of crop managers and to identify subject areas in need of additional research. A traditional, somewhat encyclopedic, review of the old and recent literature on research methods, basics of flight and walking, as well as abiotic and biotic conditions for dispersal, revealed a considerable volume of information accumulated since the early 1900s. There is a consensus on the role of abiotic factors on flight and walking, but a better understanding of the biotic factors will be required before the variability of the dispersal response can be fully explained or predicted. Cybernetic models of orientation proposed in the literature were pulled together into a schematic representation of the orientation process in walking L. decemlineata. The model begins the integration of the different conditions and underlying suggested mechanisms responsible for the orientation of the walking beetle. There is remarkably little information on the orientation of potato beetles during flight. Finally, the seasonality of walking and flight dispersal is reviewed in relation to the host habitat and overwintering sites.

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The role of nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and abiotic factors in the etiology of apple replant problems in the Granite Belt of Queensland

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9941177 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 34 (8) ◽

pp. 1177 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

SR Dullahide ◽

GR Stirling ◽

A Nikulin ◽

AM Stirling

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Factors ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Pratylenchus Penetrans ◽

Growth Responses ◽

Granite Belt ◽

Pathogenicity Tests ◽

Phosphorus And Potassium ◽

Orchard Soils ◽

Fusarium Tricinctum

Investigations of apple replant failure in the Granite Belt suggested that the problem had a complex etiology. Soil fertility was an important factor because apple seedlings grew best in replant soils with high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Consistent improvements in the growth of apple seedlings were obtained when typical orchard soils were treated with fenamiphos, confirming that lesion nematode was also an important component of the disease complex. Pratylenchus penetrans had been recognised as a pathogen of apples, and pathogenicity tests showed that P. jordanensis, another species widely distributed in the Granite Belt, had similar effects. Growth responses of apple seedlings were greater when soil was pasteurised than when it was treated with fenamiphos, suggesting that root pathogens other than nematodes were involved in apple replant failure. However, the primary cause probably differed between orchards because soils did not respond in the same manner to pasteurisation and nematicide treatments. Pathogenicity tests with 14 bacteria associated with apple roots showed no effect on the growth of apple seedlings. However, Fusarium tricinctum, Cylindrocarpon destructans, and Pythium sp. were implicated in the problem because they were consistently recovered from discoloured roots. In a factorial experiment involving nematodes and fungi in pots, P. jordanensis, P. penetrans, E. tricinctum, and C. destructans reduced the dry weight of apple roots but there was no interaction between nematodes and fungi.

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Long-term research in Bosque Fray Jorge National Park: Twenty years studying the role of biotic and abiotic factors in a Chilean semiarid scrubland

Revista chilena de historia natural ◽

10.4067/s0716-078x2010000100005 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 83 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

JULIO R GUTIÉRREZ ◽

PETER L MESERVE ◽

DOUGLAS A KELT ◽

ANDREW ENGILIS JR ◽

M. ANDREA PREVITALI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Biotic And Abiotic Factors

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Biogeomorphic feedbacks and the ecosystem engineering of recently deglaciated terrain

Progress in Physical Geography Earth and Environment ◽

10.1177/0309133318816536 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 24-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Hannah R Miller ◽

Stuart N Lane

Keyword(s):

Environmental Stress ◽

Ecosystem Engineer ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Ecosystem Engineering ◽

Soil Development ◽

Water Dynamics ◽

Biotic Factors ◽

Successional Stage ◽

Abiotic And Biotic Factors

Matthews’ 1992 geoecological model of vegetation succession within glacial forefields describes how following deglaciation the landscape evolves over time as the result of both biotic and abiotic factors, with the importance of each depending on the level of environmental stress within the system. We focus in this paper on how new understandings of abiotic factors and the potential for biogeomorphic feedbacks between abiotic and biotic factors makes further development of this model important. Disturbance and water dynamics are two abiotic factors that have been shown to create stress gradients that can drive early ecosystem succession. The subsequent establishment of microbial communities and vegetation can then result in biogeomorphic feedbacks via ecosystem engineering that influence the role of disturbance and water dynamics within the system. Microbes can act as ecosystem engineers by supplying nutrients (via remineralization of organic matter and nitrogen fixation), enhancing soil development, either decreasing (encouraging weathering) or increasing (binding sediment grains) geomorphic stability, and helping retain soil moisture. Vegetation can act as an ecosystem engineer by fixing nitrogen, enhancing soil development, modifying microbial community structure, creating seed banks, and increasing geomorphic stability. The feedbacks between vegetation and water dynamics in glacial forefields are still poorly studied. We propose a synthesized model of ecosystem succession within glacial forefields that combines Matthews’ initial geoecological model and Corenblit's model to illustrate how gradients in environmental stress combined with successional time drive the balance between abiotic and biotic factors and ultimately determine the successional stage and potential for biogeomorphic feedbacks.

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Relative importance of the bacteria Brucella, Salmonella, Staphylococcus and other indicator bacteria in some mountain farm waters in West-Cameroon (Central Africa) and the potential role of some environmental factors

World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews ◽

10.30574/wjarr.2020.8.2.0396 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 081-084

Author(s):

Pierrette Ngo Bahebeck ◽

Mireille Ebiane Nougang ◽

Paul Alain Nana ◽

Claire Stéphane Metsopkeng ◽

Antoine Tamsa Arfao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Surface Waters ◽

Brucella Abortus ◽

Physicochemical Parameters ◽

Potential Role ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Central Africa ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Brucella Suis

A bacteriological and physicochemical study was conducted in the waters of farms in mountainous regions of Cameroon. The different water samples were collected during two campaigns in December 2018 and February 2019. Ten stations representing the drinking water supply points in our study area were identified. The results showed that these waters contained both pathogenic and commensal fecal bacteria. The highest abundances reached 10x103 CFU/100mL for Salmonella sp., 72x103 CFU/100mL for Staphylococcus aureus, 102x103 CFU/100mL for Brucella suis and 40x103 CFU/100mL for Brucella abortus. These abundances were subject to space-time fluctuations. Water contamination by tweezers was not general and was present only in surface waters (rivers and ponds). The water in the ponds, rivers and wells analyzed were all basic, with low mineralization on average. The dissolved oxygen ranged from 37.5 to 70.6%, nitrate from 3.7 to 19.8 mg/L and iron from 0.01 to 3.5 mg/L. Most of the physicochemical parameters were relatively stable during the two campaigns. The degree of correlation between the physicochemical parameters and the abundance dynamics of the isolated bacteria was heterogeneous. This was clearly more pronounced with Salmonella sp. and Brucella suis. This would be due to the fraction of metabolically active cells present when the bacteria are exposed to unfavorable conditions. Correlations with the abiotic factors were less marked with Staphylococcus aureus and Brucella abortus; this would be due to their tolerance to environmental stresses.

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Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) density and environmental gradients at their biogeographical range edge

10.1101/2020.07.14.202499 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Erin G. Wessling ◽

Paula Dieguez ◽

Manuel Llana ◽

Liliana Pacheco ◽

Jill D. Pruetz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pan Troglodytes ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Environmental Gradients ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Pan Troglodytes Verus ◽

Range Limit ◽

Range Edge ◽

Food Species ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

ABSTRACTIdentifying ecological gradients at the range edge of a species is an essential step in revealing the underlying mechanisms and constraints that limit the species’ geographic range. We aimed to describe the patterns of variation in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes verus) density and habitat characteristics perpendicular to the northern edge of their range and to investigate potential environmental mechanisms underlying chimpanzee distribution in a savanna-mosaic habitat. We estimated chimpanzee densities at six sites forming a 126 km latitudinal gradient at the biogeographical range edge of the western chimpanzee in the savanna-mosaic habitats of southeastern Senegal. To accompany these data, we used systematically placed vegetation plots to characterize the habitats at each site for habitat heterogeneity, tree density and size, floral assemblages, among other variables. We found that both biotic and abiotic factors are potential determinants of the chimpanzee range limit in this ecoregion. Specifically, chimpanzee-occupied landscapes at the limit had smaller available floral assemblages, less habitat heterogeneity, and contained fewer closed canopy habitats in which chimpanzees could seek refuge from high temperatures than landscapes farther from the range limit. This pattern was accompanied by a decline in chimpanzee density with increasing proximity to the range limit. Our results provide several indications of the potential limits of food species diversity, thermal refuge, and water availability to the chimpanzee niche and the implications of these limits for chimpanzee biogeography, especially in the face of climate change predictions, as well as to species distributional modeling more generally.

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Testing the spatial and temporal framework of speciation in an ancient lake species flock: the leech genus <i>Dina</i> (Hirudinea: Erpobdellidae) in Lake Ohrid

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-7-5011-2010 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 5011-5045 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

S. Trajanovski ◽

C. Albrecht ◽

K. Schreiber ◽

R. Schultheiß ◽

T. Stadler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Clock ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Time Frame ◽

Recent Common Ancestor ◽

Species Flock ◽

Ancient Lake ◽

Lake Ohrid ◽

Most Recent Common Ancestor ◽

Extant Species

Abstract. Ancient Lake Ohrid on the Balkan Peninsula is considered to be the oldest ancient lake in Europe with a suggested Plio-Pleistocene age. Its exact geological age, however, remains unknown. Therefore, molecular clock data of Lake Ohrid biota may serve as an independent constraint of available geological data, and may thus also help to refine age estimates. Such evolutionary data may also help unravel potential biotic and abiotic factors that promote speciation events. Here, mitochondrial sequencing data of one of the largest groups of endemic taxa in Lake Ohrid, the leech genus Dina, is used to test whether it represents an ancient lake species flock, to study the role of horizontal and vertical barriers in Lake Ohrid for evolutionary events, to estimate the onset of intralacustrine diversification in this group based on molecular clock analyses, and to compare this data with data from other endemic species for providing an approximate time frame for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Based on the criteria speciosity, monophyly and endemicity, it can be concluded that Lake Ohrid Dina, indeed, represents an ancient lake species flock. Lineage sorting of its species, however, does not seem to be complete. Analyses of population structures of Dina spp. in the Ohrid watershed indicate a horizontal zonation of haplotypes from spring and lake populations, corroborating the role of lake-side springs, particularly the southern feeder springs, for evolutionary processes in endemic Ohrid taxa. Vertical differentiation of lake taxa, however, appears to be limited, though differences between populations from the littoral and the profundal are apparent. Molecular clock analyses indicate that the most recent common ancestor of extant species of this flock is approximately 1.99±0.83 Ma old, whereas the split of the Lake Ohrid Dina flock from a potential sister taxon outside the lake is estimated at 8.30±3.60 Ma. Comparisons with other groups of endemic Ohrid species indicated that in all cases, intralacustrine diversification started ≤2 Ma ago. Thus, this estimate may provide information on a minimum age for the origin of Lake Ohrid. Maximum ages are less consistent and generally less reliable. But cautiously, a maximum age of 3 Ma is suggested. Interestingly, this time frame of approximately 2–3 Ma for the origin of Lake Ohrid, generated based solely on evolutionary data, well fits the time frame most often used in the literature by geologists. Future studies must show whether this concurrence holds true.

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