The Use of Cloud Patterns to Outline Areas with Different Climates during Population Studies

1965 ◽  
Vol 97 (6) ◽  
pp. 617-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Wellington
Keyword(s):  
Population Studies ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Clear Sky ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Cloud Patterns ◽  
Convective Weather ◽  
Local Weather ◽  
Different Climates

Abstract>In all but the flattest terrain, differences in relief produce recurrent and consistent patterns of cloudiness during turbulent or convective weather. The basic patterns consist of fixed patches or lines of low clouds that persist in an otherwise clear sky. But their outlines may even appear in the higher layers of cloud that cross the region during the passage of larger weather systems. Consequently, the areas beneath them experience predictably higher frequencies of cloudiness and rainfall than the terrain outside their borders. Thus their outlines can be used to draw boundaries that separate areas with different climates.The information above can be used to develop a system of direct observations of changes in local weather that can be applied in several ways during studies of natural populations. Visual methods of observing the weather are always simpler than methods that involve instruments. Where population phenomena are concerned, they also may be more meaningful; and they leave more time free for biological observations. Instruments are essential, however, in any investigation of the properties or requirements of individuals; e.g., in physiological or behavioral studies.

Chromosomal and Behavioral Studies of Mexican Drosophila. V. Frequencies of Multiple Insemination in Three Natural Populations

1987 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Levine ◽  
O. Olvera ◽  
R. F. Rockwell ◽  
M. E. de la Rosa ◽  
E. Akin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Behavioral Studies

scholarly journals Technical note: A low-cost albedometer for snow and ice measurements – Theoretical results and application on a tropical mountain in Bolivia

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Condom ◽  
Marie Dumont ◽  
Lise Mourre ◽  
Jean Emmanuel Sicart ◽  
Antoine Rabatel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Irradiance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Lateral Moraine ◽  
Clear Sky ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
The Right ◽  
Theoretical Results ◽  
Daily Time

Abstract. This study presents a new instrument called a low-cost albedometer (LCA) composed of two illuminance sensors that are used to measure in-situ incident and reflected illuminance values on a daily timescale. The ratio between reflected vs. incident illuminances is called the albedo index and can be compared with actual albedo values. Due to the shape of the sensor, the direct radiation for zenith angles ranging from 55° to 90° is not measured. The spectral response of the LCA varies with the solar irradiance wavelengths within the range 0.26 to 1.195 µm, and the LCA detects 85 % of the total spectral solar irradiance for clear sky conditions. We first consider the theoretical results obtained for 10 different ice and snow surfaces with clear sky and cloudy sky incident solar irradiance that show that the LCA spectral response may be responsible for an overestimation of the theoretical albedo values by roughly 9 % at most. Then, the LCA values are compared with two classical albedometers over a one-year measurement period (2013) for two sites in a tropical mountainous catchment in Bolivia. One site is located on the Zongo Glacier (i.e. snow and ice surfaces) and the second one is found on the right-hand side lateral moraine (bare soil and snow surfaces). The results, at daily time steps (256 days), given by the LCA are in good agreement with the classic albedo measurements taken with pyranometers with R2 = 0.83 (RMSD = 0.10) and R2 = 0.92 (RMSD = 0.08) for the Zongo Glacier and the right-hand side lateral moraine, respectively. This demonstrates that our system performs well and thus provides relevant opportunities to document spatio-temporal changes in the surface albedo from direct observations at the scale of an entire catchment at a low cost. Finally, during the period from September 2015 to June 2016, direct observations were collected with 15 LCAs on the Zongo Glacier and successfully compared with LANDSAT images showing the surface state of the glacier (i.e. snow or ice). This comparison illustrates the efficiency of this system to monitor the daily time step changes in the snow/ice coverage distributed on the glacier.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Clouds Containing Multiple Layers 7.5–30 m Thick and Surface Weather Conditions

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1616
Author(s):  
Emily M. McCullough ◽  
Robin Wing ◽  
James R. Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Arctic Clouds ◽  
Clear Sky ◽  
Rare Phenomena ◽  
Snow Precipitation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Measurement Record ◽  
Local Weather

Previous studies have identified finely laminated, or layered, features within Arctic clouds. This study focuses on quasi-horizontal layers that are 7.5 to 30 m thick, within clouds from 0 to 5 km altitude. No pre-selection for any particular cloud types was made prior to the identification of laminations. We capitalize on the 4-year measurement record available from Eureka, Nunavut (79.6∘ N, 85.6∘ W), using the Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (CANDAC) Rayleigh–Mie–Raman Lidar (CRL; 1 min, 7.5 m resolution). Laminated features are identified on 18% of all days, from 2016–2019. Their presence is conclusively excluded on 12% of days. March, April, and May have a higher measurement cadence and show laminations on 41% of days. Individual months show laminations on up to 50% of days. Our results suggest that laminations are not rare phenomena at Eureka. To determine laminations’ likely contribution to Arctic weather and climate, local weather reports were obtained from the nearby Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) weather station. Days with laminated clouds are strongly correlated with precipitating snow (r = 0.63), while days with non-laminated clouds (r = −0.40) and clear sky days (r = −0.43) are moderately anti-correlated with snow precipitation.

scholarly journals Adaptation to climate change through genetic accommodation and assimilation of plastic phenotypes

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1768) ◽  
pp. 20180176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Genetic Accommodation ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Climate Change Responses ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Environmentally Responsive

Theory suggests that evolutionary changes in phenotypic plasticity could either hinder or facilitate evolutionary rescue in a changing climate. Nevertheless, the actual role of evolving plasticity in the responses of natural populations to climate change remains unresolved. Direct observations of evolutionary change in nature are rare, making it difficult to assess the relative contributions of changes in trait means versus changes in plasticity to climate change responses. To address this gap, this review explores several proxies that can be used to understand evolving plasticity in the context of climate change, including space for time substitutions, experimental evolution and tests for genomic divergence at environmentally responsive loci. Comparisons among populations indicate a prominent role for divergence in environmentally responsive traits in local adaptation to climatic gradients. Moreover, genomic comparisons among such populations have identified pervasive divergence in the regulatory regions of environmentally responsive loci. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that divergence in plasticity plays a prominent role in adaptation to climatic gradients over space, indicating that evolving plasticity is also likely to play a key role in adaptive responses to climate change through time. This suggests that genetic variation in plastic responses to the environment (G × E) might be an important predictor of species' vulnerabilities to climate-driven decline or extinction.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change’.

scholarly journals Technical note: A low-cost albedometer for snow and ice measurements – theoretical results and application on a tropical mountain in Bolivia

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Condom ◽  
Marie Dumont ◽  
Lise Mourre ◽  
Jean Emmanuel Sicart ◽  
Antoine Rabatel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Irradiance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Spectral Response ◽  
Lateral Moraine ◽  
Clear Sky ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Theoretical Results ◽  
Daily Time ◽  
Snow And Ice

Abstract. This study presents a new instrument called a low-cost albedometer (LCA) composed of two illuminance sensors that are used to measure in situ incident and reflected illuminance values on a daily timescale. The ratio between reflected vs. incident illuminances is called the albedo index and can be compared with actual albedo values. Due to the shape of the sensor, the direct radiation for zenith angles ranging from 55 to 90∘ is not measured. The spectral response of the LCA varies with the solar irradiance wavelengths within the range 0.26 to 1.195 µm, and the LCA detects 85 % of the total spectral solar irradiance for clear sky conditions. We first consider the theoretical results obtained for 10 different ice and snow surfaces with clear sky and cloudy sky incident solar irradiance that show that the LCA spectral response may be responsible for an overestimation of the theoretical albedo values by roughly 9 % at most. Then, the LCA values are compared with two “traditional” albedometers, which are CM3 pyranometers (Kipp & Zonen), in the shortwave domain from 0.305 to 2.800 µm over a 1-year measurement period (2013) for two sites in a tropical mountainous catchment in Bolivia. One site is located on the Zongo Glacier (i.e., snow and ice surfaces) and the second one is found on the crest of the lateral moraine (bare soil and snow surfaces), which present a horizontal surface and a sky view factor of 0.98. The results, at daily time steps (256 days), given by the LCA are in good agreement with the classic albedo measurements taken with pyranometers with R2=0.83 (RMSD = 0.10) and R2=0.92 (RMSD = 0.08) for the Zongo Glacier and the right-hand side lateral moraine, respectively. This demonstrates that our system performs well and thus provides relevant opportunities to document spatiotemporal changes in the surface albedo from direct observations at the scale of an entire catchment at a low cost. Finally, during the period from September 2015 to June 2016, direct observations were collected with 15 LCAs on the Zongo Glacier and successfully compared with LANDSAT images showing the surface conditions of the glacier (i.e., snow or ice). This comparison illustrates the efficiency of this system to monitor the daily time step changes in the snow and ice coverage distributed on the glacier. Despite the limits imposed by the angle view restrictions, the LCA can be used between 45∘ N and 45∘ S during the ablation season (spring and summer) when the melt rate related to the albedo is the most important.

scholarly journals Pursuit for est microsatellites in a tetraploid model from de novo transcriptome sequencing

Genetika ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 687-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tijana Banjanac ◽  
Marijana Skoric ◽  
Mario Belamaric ◽  
Jasmina Nestorovic-Zivkovic ◽  
Danijela Misic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptome Sequencing ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
De Novo Transcriptome ◽  
Genetic Population ◽  
Ploidy Levels ◽  
De Novo Transcriptome Sequencing

Available scientific literature reports very few microsatellite markers derived from tetraploid genomes using de novo transcriptome sequencing, mostly because their gain usually represents a major computational challenge due to complicated combinatorics during assembly of sequence reads. Here we present a novel approach for mining polymorphic microsatellite loci from transcriptome data in a tetraploid species with no reference genome available. Pairs of 114 bp long de novo sequenced transcriptome reads of Centaurium erythraea were merged into short contigs of 170-200 bp each. High accuracy assembly of the pairs of reads was accomplished by a minimum of 14 bp overlap. Sequential bioinformatics operations involved fully free and open-source software and were performed using an average personal computer. Out of the 13 150 candidate contigs harboring SSR motifs obtained in a final output, we randomly chose 16 putative markers for which we designed primers. We tested the effectiveness of the established bioinformatics approach by amplifying them in eight different taxa within the genus Centaurium having various ploidy levels (diploids, tetraploids and hexaploids). Nine markers displayed polymorphism and/or transferability among studied taxa. They provided 54 alleles in total, ranging from 2 to 14 alleles per locus. The highest number of alleles was observed in C. erythraea, C. littorale and a hybridogenic taxon C. pannonicum. The developed markers are qualified to be used in genetic population studies on declining natural populations of Centaurium species, thus providing valuable information to evolutionary and conservation biologists. The developed cost-effective methodology provides abundant de novo assembled short contigs and holds great promise to mine numerous additional EST-SSR-containing markers for possible use in genetics population studies of tetraploid taxa within the genus Centaurium.

scholarly journals Differences in temperature-sensitive expression of PcG-regulated genes among natural populations of Drosophila melanogaster

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Voigt ◽  
Luise Kost
Keyword(s):  
Drosophila Melanogaster ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Polycomb Group ◽  
Temperature Sensitive ◽  
Induced Expression ◽  
Temperate Europe ◽  
Transcriptional Output ◽  
Warm Temperate ◽  
Different Climates

Asbstract Environmental temperature can affect chromatin-based gene regulation, in particular in ectotherms such as insects. Genes regulated by the Polycomb group (PcG) vary in their transcriptional output in response to changes in temperature. Expression of PcG-regulated genes typically increases with decreasing temperatures. Here we examined variations in temperature-sensitive expression of PcG target genes in natural populations from different climates of Drosophila melanogaster, and differences thereof across different fly stages and tissues. Temperature-induced expression plasticity was found to be stage- and sex-specific with differences in the specificity between the examined PcG target genes. Some tissues and stages, however, showed a higher number of PcG target genes with temperature-sensitive expression than others. Overall, we found higher levels of temperature-induced expression plasticity in African tropical flies from the ancestral species range than in flies from temperate Europe. We also observed differences between temperate flies, however, with more reduction of expression plasticity in warm-temperate than in cold-temperate populations. Although, in general, temperature sensitive expression appeared to be detrimental in temperate climates, there were also cases in which plasticity was increased in temperate flies, as well as no changes in expression plasticity between flies from different climates.

Development and characterization of fungal specific microsatellite markers in the lichenLobarina scrobiculata(Lobariaceae, Ascomycota)

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 183-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Prieto ◽  
Lidia Romera ◽  
Sonia Merinero ◽  
Gregorio Aragón ◽  
Isabel Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Microsatellite Markers ◽  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
Population Studies ◽  
Gene Diversity ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Unbiased Gene ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractLobarina scrobiculata(better known asLobaria scrobiculata) is a widespread lichen, threatened and Red-Listed in various European countries. Microsatellite markers for the mycobiont ofL. scrobiculatawere developed in order to investigate its genetic diversity in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe and to design effective conservation strategies. A total of 7 polymorphic markers were isolated and characterized. These microsatellites were tested in natural populations found in the Iberian Peninsula. The number of observed alleles ranged from 3 to 8, and the Nei's unbiased gene diversity from 0·26 to 0·59. These microsatellite markers are the first to be developed forL. scrobiculataand they will be useful for population studies and for the assessment of the conservation status of this species.

scholarly journals Eclosion time and larval behavior of the tomato fruit borer, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 195-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro E. Eiras ◽  
Jacquelyn L. Blackmer
Keyword(s):  
Tomato Fruit ◽  
Video Camera ◽  
Middle Portion ◽  
Larval Behavior ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Behavioral Studies ◽  
Fruit Borer ◽  
Suitable Site ◽  
Time Required ◽  
Host Tissues

In several regions of Brazil, Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) is one of the most serious tomato pests. The moth lays eggs on the calyx or developing fruit, and shortly after eclosion larvae penetrate into the fruit, where they remain until pupation. Once larvae have entered the fruits, insecticides and biological control agents are relatively ineffective. Because N. elegantalis is most susceptible to conventional treatments when the larvae are outside the host tissues (or fruit), it would be advantageous to know the time required for egg development and the length of time that the larvae spend on the surface of the fruit. To answer these questions detailed behavioral studies were untaken. Eggs were collected from the field and maintained in an environmental chamber at 20°C, 75 ± 5% R.H., and a 12L:12D photoperiod. The time of egg eclosion was recorded with a video camera, whereas larval behavior and time required to enter the fruit were determined by direct observations. The majority of eggs (93%) hatched within the first two hours after the beginning of photophase. Larvae spent 51.1 ± 31.1 (mean ± SEM) min on the surface of the fruits. Once a suitable site was identified, larvae required an additional 23.8 ± 19.4 min to completely enter the fruit. Eighty-six percent of the larvae were successful in penetrating the fruit. Of the larvae that bored into the fruit, 42% selected the upper portion, 18% selected the middle portion, and 40% selected the lower portion.

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