Urbanization and plant pathogen infection interact to affect the outcome of ecological interactions in an experimental multitrophic system

Urbanization can change interactions in insect communities, and the few studies of tritrophic interactions in urban settings focus on interactions between plants, herbivorous insects and their mutualists and natural enemies. Plant pathogen infection is also widespread and common, and infection may also alter such interactions, but we have no understanding of whether the ecological consequences of pathogen infection vary with urbanization. Using replicated aphid colonies on experimental plants, we investigated how infection by the plant pathogen Botrytis cinerea influences interactions between plants, aphids and the aphid natural enemies and ant mutualists in highly urbanized, suburban and rural study sites. Aphid and natural enemy abundance were highest in the suburban site, while mutualist ants were most abundant in the urban site, reversing the usual positive density-dependent relationship between natural enemies and aphids. The effect of pathogen infection varied with trait and site, mediated by natural enemy preference for hosts or prey on uninfected plants. The effect of infection on aphid abundance was only seen in the suburban site, where natural enemies were most abundant on uninfected plants and aphid numbers were greatest on infected plants. In the urban site, there was no effect of infection, while in the rural site, aphid numbers were lower on infected plants. Uninfected plants were smaller than infected plants and differed between locations. This study suggests that the effects of urbanization on ecological interactions may become more complex and difficult to predict as we study ecological assemblages and communities at greater levels of structural complexity.

Population dynamics of aphid and coexisting predators in tomato agroecosystem

Aphids generally attack vegetative plant parts, preferably leaves, and devitalize the plant by sucking the cell sap. Thorough knowledge of pest-predator ecology and their interaction is requisite to initiate timely pest management strategies. Therefore, we aimed to study the population dynamics of aphids and their predators on tomato in Hisar, Haryana during Rabi, 2016-17 and 2017-18. We observed two dominant aphid species viz., Aphis gossypii and Myzus persicae and three aphidophagous predator groups viz., coccinellids, spiders and syrphid fly maggots in the tomato agroecosystem. Aphid infestation started during the 9th standard meteorological week (SMW) and attained a peak during the 12th SMW (22.65 aphids per three leaves per plant). Aphid population exhibited highly significant negative correlation with minimum temperature (r= -0.917**), maximum temperature (r= -0.895**) and wind speed (r= -0.809**). However, it was positively correlated with morning relative humidity (r= 0.933**) and evening relative humidity (r= 0.856**). We used Principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensions of data and variables were transformed into principal components (PC) to explain the nature and extent of the relationships among different variables. PC1 and PC2 capture 57.6 and 20.3% of the variability in the data, respectively. Aphid predators exhibited a significant positive correlation with the prey population suggesting a positive density-dependent response.

Widespread density dependence of bacterial growth under acid stress

Benefits of cooperation intrinsically depend on density because biological interaction requires organismal proximity. Microbial cooperative traits are common, yet systematic tests for a shared cooperative phenotype across diverse species are rare, as are direct tests for the Allee effect - positive density dependence of fitness. Here we test for positive density dependence of growth under acid stress in five phylogenetically widespread bacterial species - three Gram-negative and two Gram-positive - and find the Allee effect in all five. However, social protection from acid stress appears to have evolved by different mechanisms across species. In Myxococcus xanthus, the acid-stress Allee effect is found to be mediated by pH-regulated secretion of a diffusible molecule present in supernatants of high-density cultures. In contrast, growth from low density under acid stress by the other species was not enhanced by high-density supernatant. Additionally, density dependence of Myxococcus fruiting-body formation during starvation is found to increase with acid stress, suggesting that abiotic stresses other than starvation shape the evolution of aggregative development. Our findings suggest that high cell density may protect against acid stress in most bacterial species and in Myxococcus may promote predation on microbes that acidify their local environment by secretion of metabolic byproducts.

Dissecting a Zombie: Joint Analysis of Density and Resistivity Models Reveals Shallow Structure and Possible Sulfide Deposition at Uturuncu Volcano, Bolivia

The recent identification of unrest at multiple volcanoes that have not erupted in over 10 kyr presents an intriguing scientific problem. How can we distinguish between unrest signaling impending eruption after kyr of repose and non-magmatic unrest at a waning volcanic system? After ca. 250 kyr without a known eruption, in recent decades Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia has exhibited multiple signs of unrest, making the classification of this system as “active”, “dormant”, or “extinct” a complex question. Previous work identified anomalous low resistivity zones at <10 km depth with ambiguous interpretations. We investigate subsurface structure at Uturuncu with new gravity data and analysis, and compare these data with existing geophysical data sets. We collected new gravity data on the edifice in November 2018 with 1.5 km spacing, ±15 μGal precision, and ±5 cm positioning precision, improving the resolution of existing gravity data at Uturuncu. This high quality data set permitted both gradient analysis and full 3-D geophysical inversion, revealing a 5 km diameter, positive density anomaly beneath the summit of Uturuncu (1.5–3.5 km depth) and a 20 km diameter arc-shaped negative density anomaly around the volcano (0.5–7.5 depth). These structures often align with resistivity anomalies previously detected beneath Uturuncu, although the relationship is complex, with the two models highlighting different components of a common structure. Based on a joint analysis of the density and resistivity models, we interpret the positive density anomaly as a zone of sulfide deposition with connected brines, and the negative density arc as a surrounding zone of hydrothermal alteration. Based on this analysis we suggest that the unrest at Uturuncu is unlikely to be pre-eruptive. This study shows the value of joint analysis of multiple types of geophysical data in evaluating volcanic subsurface structure at a waning volcanic center.

Cementing Irregular Horizontal Wellbores

In this work, we study the effect of borehole irregularities during primary cementing of a horizontal section of well. We use a simplified 2D gap-averaged model to compute the displacement of a drilling mud by a spacer within an elliptical annulus that represents an oval irregularity. We also present a series of 3D numerical simulations using a Volume of Fluid method to capture the interface between the fluids. The 3D model allows us to study the effects of more local irregularities such as wall roughness that can be imported from a caliper log. The dynamics of the displacement of two fluids in a horizontal uniform circular annulus is governed by buoyancy, eccentricity and the rheology of the fluids. A positive density difference combined with a slow mean pumping speed promotes slumping of the second fluid towards the bottom of the annulus. Nevertheless, high eccentricity values (e = 1-standoff) are common due to the weight of the casing pulling downwards, opposing the buoyancy force. Finally, the rheology of the fluids is relevant to determine the presence of un-displaced layers of mud, e.g. at the walls. The same competition described above holds true in the elliptical annulus. Results from the 2D gap-averaged model suggest that the elliptical shape incorporates an additional way of altering the velocity field around it. The effect is more evident when orienting the largest radius of the elliptical annulus at different angles. Results from 3D simulations show that the interface follows irregularities and the local roughness can improve the displacement by inducing secondary flows. However, enlargements result in poor displacement.

Dispersal Mechanism Assessment for Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae) Secondary Outbreaks

Secondary population outbreaks of Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Acari: Tetranychidae) are triggered by synthetic chemical applications (dose and method), which also elicited a change in mites’ behavioral responses. This study aimed to understand the dispersal pattern of P. citri and how changes in dispersal behavior may influence secondary pest outbreaks in the field with or without chemicals. We found positive density and time-dependent dispersal within the inoculated leaflet. Dispersion from inoculated leaflets to the last leaflet depends on initial density and time. A significant difference was observed in the composite dispersal index data and preferred midrib region. The minimum dispersal was observed by P. citri in no direct contact with treated surfaces, whereas attraction was observed on treated surfaces (right). All chemicals gave different dispersal and feed disruption responses depending on the treatment application pattern. The maximum number of mites dispersed and avoid surfaces treated with abamectin and vegetable oil, respectively. Vegetable and EnSpray 99 had a positive impact on toxicity, repellency, and irritancy. The fecundity rate of P. citri boosted with a high dose and direct exposure. Panonychus citri colonization as a single individual or gregarious distribution resulted in a rapid fecundity rate, which may explain why citrus orchards were severely damaged and how suddenly a whole citrus plantation can be highly infested. This study concluded that change in treatment application patterns leads to a change in the behavioral responses in P. citri.

Rapid Induction of Dopaminergic Neuron Loss Accompanied by Lewy Body-Like Inclusions in A53T BAC-SNCA Transgenic Mice

BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Pathological features of PD include dopaminergic neuron loss in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and intraneuronal α-Synuclein (α-Syn) inclusions called Lewy bodies (LBs). Since there is no treatment to either halt or slow the progression of PD, it is highly demanded to establish a rodent model that recapitulates the clinicopathological features of PD within a short period to efficiently investigate the pathological mechanisms and test disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).MethodsWe injected human and mouse α-Syn-preformed fibrils (hPFFs and mPFFs, respectively) into the hemilateral dorsal striatum of wild-type mice, wild-type human α-Syn bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic (WT BAC-SNCA Tg) mice, and A53T human α-Syn BAC transgenic (A53T BAC-SNCA Tg) mice, and conducted pathological and behavioral analyses.ResultsWT BAC-SNCA Tg and A53T BAC-SNCA Tg mice expressed a comparable amount of α-Syn (2.9 and 2.7-fold more α-Syn, respectively, than wild-type mice) in the brains. mPFF injections induced more severe α-Syn pathology in most brain regions, including the ipsilateral SNpc, than hPFF injections in all genotypes at 1 month post-injection. Among the mPFF-injected mice, the A53T BAC-SNCA Tg mice exhibited the most severe α-Syn pathology as early as 0.5 month (2 weeks) post-injection. Consistent with these observations, in vitro fibrillization assay revealed that a mixture of A53T human α-Syn and mouse α-Syn seeded with mPFFs aggregated most rapidly among the conditions tested. The mPFF-injected A53T BAC-SNCA Tg mice showed a 38% reduction in tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons in the ipsilateral SNpc, apomorphine-induced rotational behavior, and motor dysfunction at 2 months post-injection. Notably, the reduction in TH-positive density in the striatum and microglial activation preceded the obvious TH-positive neuron loss in the SNpc.ConclusionsOur data indicate that the extent of α-Syn pathology induced by α-Syn PFF injection depends on the types of α-Syn PFFs and exogenously expressed α-Syn in Tg mice. The mPFF-injected A53T BAC-SNCA Tg mice recapitulate the pathological processes of PD more rapidly than previously reported mouse models, suggesting their usefulness for testing DMTs as well as analyzing the pathological mechanisms.

The preserved plume conduits of the Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau and their relation with the Galápagos hotspot back to 90 Ma

<p>Remnants of the Caribbean Large Igneous Plateau (C-LIP) are found as thickened zones of oceanic crust in the Caribbean Sea, that formed during strong pulses of magmatic activity around 90 Ma. Previous studies have proposed the Galápagos hotspot as the origin of the thermal anomaly responsible for the development of this igneous province. Particularly, geochemical signature relates accreted C-LIP fragments along northern South America with the well-known hotspot material.</p><p>In this research, we use 3D lithospheric-scale structural and density models of the Caribbean region, in which up-to-date geophysical datasets (i.e.: tomographic data, Moho depths, sedimentary thickness, and bathymetry) have been integrated. Based on the gravity residuals (modelled minus observed EIGEN6C-4 dataset), we reconstruct density heterogeneities both in the crust and the uppermost oceanic mantle (< 50km).</p><p>Our results suggest the presence of two positive mantle density anomalies in the Colombian and the Venezuelan basins, interpreted as the preserved plume material which migrated together with the Proto-Caribbean plate from the east Pacific. Such bodies have never been identified before, but a positive density trend is also observed in the mantle tomography, at least down to 75 km depth.</p><p>Using recently published regional plate kinematic models and absolute reference frames, we test the hypothesis of the C-LIP origin in the Galápagos hotspot. However, misfits of up to ~3000 km between the present hotspot location and the mantle anomalies, reconstructed back to 90 Ma, is observed, as other authors reported in the past.</p><p>Therefore, we discuss possible sources of error responsible for this offset and pose two possible interpretations: 1. The Galápagos hotspot migrated (~1200-3000 km) westward while the Proto-Caribbean moved to the northeast, or 2. The C-LIP was formed by a different plume, which – if considered fixed - would be nowadays located below the South American continent.</p>

Landscape connectivity alters the evolution of density-dependent dispersal during pushed range expansions

As human influence reshapes communities worldwide, many species expand or shift their ranges as a result, with extensive consequences across levels of biological organization. Range expansions can be ranked on a continuum going from pulled dynamics, in which low-density edge populations provide the "fuel" for the advance, to pushed dynamics in which high-density rear populations "push" the expansion forward. While theory suggests that evolution by spatial sorting, a common feature of range expansions, could lead pushed expansions to become pulled with time, empirical comparisons of phenotypic divergence in pushed vs. pulled contexts are lacking. In a previous experiment using Trichogramma brassicae wasps as a model, we showed that expansions were more pushed when connectivity was lower. Here we used descendants from these experimental landscapes to look at how the range expansion process and connectivity interact to shape phenotypic evolution. Interestingly, we found no clear and consistent phenotypic shifts, whether along expansion gradients or between treatments, when we focused on low-density trait expression. However, we found evidence of changes in density-dependence, in particular regarding dispersal: populations went from positive to negative density-dependent dispersal at the expansion edge, but only when connectivity was high. As positive density-dependent dispersal leads to pushed expansions, our results confirm predictions that evolution during range expansions may lead pushed expansions to become pulled, but add nuance by showing environmental context may slow down or cancel this process. This shows we need to jointly consider evolution and ecological context to accurately predict range expansion dynamics and their consequences.