scholarly journals Three Simple Experiments to Examine the Effect of Sediment Pollution on Algae-Based Food Webs in Streams

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-61
Author(s):  
Patrick M. Edwards ◽  
Rodney Shroufe
Keyword(s):  
Food Webs ◽  
Sediment Pollution ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Stream Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Ecological Inquiry

Streams and stream macroinvertebrates are ideal natural systems for ecological inquiry. We present three simple experiments that students can use to conduct field-based investigations which illustrate the importance of algae-based food webs in streams and measure the effects of sediment pollution (scour and deposition) on stream ecological processes. Over the past 5 years, we have conducted these experiments 19 times with our students. We report on the results and reliability of these experiments and make suggestions for other educators who may want to conduct them.

Conclusion

2019 ◽  
pp. 219-232
Author(s):  
Emily W. B. Russell Southgate
Keyword(s):  
Historical Ecology ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Hunting And Gathering ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ecosystem Structure And Function

This extensive revision of the first edition of People and the Land Through Time incorporates research over the last two decades to bring the field of historical ecology from an ecological perspective up to date. It emphasizes the use of new sources of data and interdisciplinary data analysis to interpret ecological processes in the past and their impacts on the present. It describes a diversity of past ecosystems and processes, with an emphasis on their effects on affect current ecosystem structure and function. This historical perspective highlights the varied and complex roles of indigenous people in historic ecosystems as well as the importance of past and present climatic fluctuations. The book begins with an introduction to the importance of history for ecological studies. The next three chapters explain methods and approaches to reconstructing the past, using both traditional and novel sources of data and analysis. The following five chapters discuss ways people have influenced natural systems, starting with the most primitive, manipulating fire, and proceeding through altering species ranges, hunting and gathering, agriculture and finally structuring landscapes through land surveys, trade and urbanization. Two chapters then deal with diversity, extinction and sustainability in a changing world. The final chapter specifically focuses on the importance of history in basic ecological studies, in conservation and in understanding the consequences of global change, using a variety of examples. Throughout, the emphasis is on the potential for evidence-based research in historical ecology, and the new frontiers in this exciting field.

People and the Land through Time

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily W. B. Russell Southgate
Keyword(s):  
Historical Ecology ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Exciting Field ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Climatic Fluctuations ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
And Function ◽  
Ecosystem Structure And Function

This extensive revision of the first edition of People and the Land Through Time incorporates research over the last two decades to bring the field of historical ecology from an ecological perspective up to date. It emphasizes the use of new sources of data and interdisciplinary data analysis to interpret ecological processes in the past. It describes a diversity of past ecosystems, and how they affect current ecosystem structure and function as well as offering insight into current structure and process, and assisting in predicting the future. This historical perspective highlights the varied and complex roles of indigenous people in historic ecosystems and as well as the importance of past and present climatic fluctuations. The book begins with an introduction to the importance of history for ecological studies, and then has three chapters which explain methods and approaches to reconstructing the past, using both traditional and novel sources of data and analysis. The following five chapters discuss ways people have influenced natural systems, starting with the most primitive, manipulating fire, and proceeding through altering species ranges, hunting and gathering, agriculture and finally structuring landscapes through land surveys, trade and urbanization. Two chapters then deal with diversity, extinction and sustainability in a changing world. The final chapter integrates the rest of the book especially in terms of the importance of history in basic ecological studies, global change and understanding conservation. Throughout, the emphasis is on the potential for evidence-based research in historical ecology, and the new frontiers in this exciting field.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Variability in Extreme Precipitation in China from Observations and Projections

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifeng Peng ◽  
Xiang Zhao ◽  
Donghai Wu ◽  
Bijian Tang ◽  
Peipei Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Tibet Plateau ◽  
Cmip5 Models ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
The Past ◽  
Spatiotemporal Characteristics ◽  
Extreme Precipitation Events ◽  
Precipitation Events

Extreme precipitation events, which have intensified with global warming over the past several decades, will become more intense in the future according to model projections. Although many studies have been performed, the occurrence patterns for extreme precipitation events in past and future periods in China remain unresolved. Additionally, few studies have explained how extreme precipitation events developed over the past 58 years and how they will evolve in the next 90 years as global warming becomes much more serious. In this paper, we evaluated the spatiotemporal characteristics of extreme precipitation events using indices for the frequency, quantity, intensity, and proportion of extreme precipitation, which were proposed by the World Meteorological Organization. We simultaneously analyzed the spatiotemporal characteristics of extreme precipitation in China from 2011 to 2100 using data obtained from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models. Despite the fixed threshold, 95th percentile precipitation values were also used as the extreme precipitation threshold to reduce the influence of various rainfall events caused by different geographic locations; then, eight extreme precipitation indices (EPIs) were calculated to evaluate extreme precipitation in China. We found that the spatial characteristics of the eight EPIs exhibited downward trends from south to north. In the periods 1960–2017 and 2011–2100, trends in the EPIs were positive, but there were differences between different regions. In the past 58 years, the extreme precipitation increased in the northwest, southeast, and the Tibet Plateau of China, while decreased in northern China. Almost all the trends of EPIs are positive in the next two periods (2011–2055 and 2056–2100) except for some EPIs, such as intensity of extreme precipitation, which decrease in southeastern China in the second period (2056–2100). This study suggests that the frequency of extreme precipitation events in China will progressively increase, which implies that a substantial burden will be placed on social economies and terrestrial ecological processes.

Food webs and simple graphics.

2021 ◽  
pp. 326-331
Author(s):  
Donald L. J. Quicke ◽  
Buntika A. Butcher ◽  
Rachel A. Kruft Welton
Keyword(s):  
Food Web ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Molecular Methods ◽  
Steady Increase ◽  
Parasitoid Wasps ◽  
Logical Thinking ◽  
Structure And Properties ◽  
The Past ◽  
Programming Skill

Abstract Food webs are fundamental in much of ecology and there has been a steady increase in studying their structure and properties over the past 50 years, nowadays often utilizing molecular methods too. First, this chapter will create code to draw a food web, then it will introduce the package cheddar. The reason for learning how to produce your own is not just to improve programming skill and logical thinking, it also means you are in a position to customize your diagrams in ways that perhaps are not available in pre-written packages. A parasitoid foodweb example is given. In this example from Thailand, 22 braconid parasitoid wasps, representing a total of 9 species were associated with 22 lepidopteran hosts representing a total of 11 species using DNA barcoding.

scholarly journals Cell-Free Synthetic Biology Platform for Engineering Synthetic Biological Circuits and Systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dohyun Jeong ◽  
Melissa Klocke ◽  
Siddharth Agarwal ◽  
Jeongwon Kim ◽  
Seungdo Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Free Expression ◽  
Dna Nanostructures ◽  
Expression Systems ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Current Cell ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Biological Circuits

Synthetic biology integrates diverse engineering disciplines to create novel biological systems for biomedical and technological applications. The substantial growth of the synthetic biology field in the past decade is poised to transform biotechnology and medicine. To streamline design processes and facilitate debugging of complex synthetic circuits, cell-free synthetic biology approaches has reached broad research communities both in academia and industry. By recapitulating gene expression systems in vitro, cell-free expression systems offer flexibility to explore beyond the confines of living cells and allow networking of synthetic and natural systems. Here, we review the capabilities of the current cell-free platforms, focusing on nucleic acid-based molecular programs and circuit construction. We survey the recent developments including cell-free transcription–translation platforms, DNA nanostructures and circuits, and novel classes of riboregulators. The links to mathematical models and the prospects of cell-free synthetic biology platforms will also be discussed.

scholarly journals Longer and Less Overlapping Food Webs in Anthropogenically Disturbed Marine Ecosystems: Confirmations from the Past

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e103132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabiana Saporiti ◽  
Stuart Bearhop ◽  
Laura Silva ◽  
Damián G. Vales ◽  
Lisette Zenteno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Webs ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
The Past

Delicate and Noxious Scrub

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
JC Noble
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
The Past ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
New Strategies

Semi-arid woodlands are an important part of the Australian landscape and they have been the focus for scientific research by CSIRO since the 1960s. This book reviews that research and sets it in a historical perspective. It examines the development of pastoral science, with particular reference to the farming frontier in western New South Wales, as well as research conducted by CSIRO over the past thirty years aimed at helping manage increasing shrub densities while improving productivity. The author discusses past, current and future research directions and looks at how management perceptions and approaches continue to change as understanding of ecological processes and new strategies evolve.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Bacterial and Viral Communities in Paddy Soil with Irrigation and Urea Application

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuting Li ◽  
Hao Sun ◽  
Weichao Yang ◽  
Guanxiong Chen ◽  
Hui Xu
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Abundance ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
N Accumulation ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Viral Communities ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

Viruses are ubiquitous in natural systems. By influencing bacterial abundance (BA) and community structure through lysis-lysogenic conversion, viruses are involved in various ecological processes. In agricultural management, nitrogen addition and irrigation should be considered as important factors that can modify soil viral dynamics but have been ignored. In our study, short-term dynamics of autochthonous soil viral and bacterial abundance and diversity after irrigation and urea application were examined in a long-term experimental paddy field. Urea addition delayed the emergence of peak viral abundance for three days, suggesting that viruses are sensitive to N addition. Under short-term eutrophic conditions through urea application, viruses undertake a lysogenic-biased strategy. Moreover, nitrogen-fixing bacteria were most likely specifically lysed in urea-treated soil, which suggests that soil viruses block N accumulation by killing nitrogen-fixing bacteria. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate dynamic changes in autochthonous viruses in paddy fields.

scholarly journals Managing the Digital Future

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 6-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. I. Ageev
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
World Economy ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Real Sector ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Economic Paradigm

In the article, the author considers the problems of economic growth acceleration in the conditions of external environment tightening. Digital transformation sets the vector of structural changes in the Russian and world economy. Currently, the most and least likely elements of digital transformation at the level of the real sector have been identified. Against the background of the ongoing spread of a number of important elements of the digital economy, well-defined threats to cybersecurity are identified and natural intelligence is degraded. It is expected that the structure of employment will undergo major changes. Technological changes provoke fundamental changes in the society, — its appearance in the future can not only be presented in the light of techno-optimism. Scenarios that reanimate very dark futuristic prophecies in the past can become a modern reality. The unfolding digitalization assumes the solution of fundamental issues of development management. Successful co-evolution of social, technical and natural systems requires going beyond the entrenched economic paradigm.

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