Acidic Pools Research Articles

Microhabitat Selection and Population Density of Nehalennia Speciosa Charpentier, 1840 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) in a Peripheral Microrefugium

Peripheral populations of boreal tyrphophilic animals and plants often occupy relict Alpine peatlands, which act as microrefugia. Ecological conditions within local peatlands can lead to uncommon adaptations, highly valuable for the long-term conservation of species and habitats. The pigmy damselfly (Nehalennia speciosa) is an endangered Odonata distributed in Central and Eastern Europe with peripheral populations in the Alps. We investigated the microscale species-habitat association and the conservation status of one of these populations in a relict raised bog. We applied dynamic N-mixture models to assess population ecology and density, while disentangling predictors’ effect on ecological and observation process. We counted N. speciosa individuals in spring 2018 along with vegetation, water, soil and weather conditions during surveys. Final model resulted reliable according to performance measures. Spatial variation in N. speciosa abundance was driven by vegetation type, with a strong selection for flooded hollows where C. rostrata, R. alba and S. palustris vegetation occupy acidic and oligotrophic shallow pools. Population density showed a peak in the first decade of June and increased with accumulation of superficial water. Detection probability was generally low and decreased further when wind blew. The reduced ecological plasticity of the species imperil the species to habitat and climate changes, which will be particularly threatening for its peripheral Alpine populations in the near future, causing water imbalance and rapid vegetation turnover within the peatlands’ fragile microhabitat. The studied peat bog could thus be retained a key future microrefugium for the long-term conservation of tyrphopilous wildlife and habitats.

Diversity patterns of plankton communities in Tierra del Fuego peat bog pools as sentinels of climate change

Although they contribute a significant proportion of peatlands diversity, peat bog pools are poorly surveyed and understood. In this review, the Rancho Hambre peat bog is taken as a study case to investigate the role of climate-related features in setting the environment of pools and in shaping the structure and dynamics of plankton communities. An interpretation model is proposed in which the interaction of pool morphometry and hydrological connectivity with temperature and precipitation lead to distinct pool types according to their size and trophic status. Molecular diversity spatial patterns for small-sized eukaryotes and prokaryotes coincide with those detected for larger planktonic communities studied by traditional morphology-based taxonomy, all of them supporting this environmental characterisation together with distinct trophic web compositions. Small, acidic ombrotrophic pools showed significantly poorer communities and bacterial phylogenetic clustering, suggesting a stronger environmental filtering that could be enhanced by a lowering water table depth driven by local climate change.

The Kallisti Limnes, carbon dioxide-accumulating subsea pools.

Natural CO2 releases from shallow marine hydrothermal vents are assumed to mix into the water column, and not accumulate into stratified seafloor pools. We present newly discovered shallow subsea pools located within the Santorini volcanic caldera of the Southern Aegean Sea, Greece, that accumulate CO2 emissions from geologic reservoirs. This type of hydrothermal seafloor pool, containing highly concentrated CO2, provides direct evidence of shallow benthic CO2 accumulations originating from sub-seafloor releases. Samples taken from within these acidic pools are devoid of calcifying organisms, and channel structures among the pools indicate gravity driven flow, suggesting that seafloor release of CO2 at this site may preferentially impact benthic ecosystems. These naturally occurring seafloor pools may provide a diagnostic indicator of incipient volcanic activity and can serve as an analog for studying CO2 leakage and benthic accumulations from subsea carbon capture and storage sites.

Evolutionary diversity of social amoebae N-glycomes may support interspecific autonomy.

Multiple species of cellular slime mold (CSM) amoebae share overlapping subterranean environments near the soil surface. Despite similar life-styles, individual species form independent starvation-induced fruiting bodies whose spores can renew the life cycle. N-glycans associated with the cell surface glycocalyx have been predicted to contribute to interspecific avoidance, resistance to pathogens, and prey preference. N-glycans from five CSM species that diverged 300-600 million years ago and whose genomes have been sequenced were fractionated into neutral and acidic pools and profiled by MALDI-TOF-MS. Glycan structure models were refined using linkage specific antibodies, exoglycosidase digestions, MALDI-MS/MS, and chromatographic studies. Amoebae of the type species Dictyostelium discoideum express modestly trimmed high mannose N-glycans variably modified with core α3-linked Fuc and peripherally decorated with 0-2 residues each of β-GlcNAc, Fuc, methylphosphate and/or sulfate, as reported previously. Comparative analyses of D. purpureum, D. fasciculatum, Polysphondylium pallidum, and Actyostelium subglobosum revealed that each displays a distinctive spectrum of high-mannose species with quantitative variations in the extent of these modifications, and qualitative differences including retention of Glc, mannose methylation, and absence of a peripheral GlcNAc, fucosylation, or sulfation. Starvation-induced development modifies the pattern in all species but, except for universally observed increased mannose-trimming, the N-glycans do not converge to a common profile. Correlations with glycogene repertoires will enable future reverse genetic studies to eliminate N-glycomic differences to test their functions in interspecific relations and pathogen evasion.

Comparison of the microbial communities of hot springs waters and the microbial biofilms in the acidic geothermal area of Copahue (Neuquén, Argentina).

Copahue is a natural geothermal field (Neuquén province, Argentina) dominated by the Copahue volcano. As a consequence of the sustained volcanic activity, Copahue presents many acidic pools, hot springs and solfataras with different temperature and pH conditions that influence their microbial diversity. The occurrence of microbial biofilms was observed on the surrounding rocks and the borders of the ponds, where water movements and thermal activity are less intense. Microbial biofilms are particular ecological niches within geothermal environments; they present different geochemical conditions from that found in the water of the ponds and hot springs which is reflected in different microbial community structure. The aim of this study is to compare microbial community diversity in the water of ponds and hot springs and in microbial biofilms in the Copahue geothermal field, with particular emphasis on Cyanobacteria and other photosynthetic species that have not been detected before in Copahue. In this study, we report the presence of Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi and chloroplasts of eukaryotes in the microbial biofilms not detected in the water of the ponds. On the other hand, acidophilic bacteria, the predominant species in the water of moderate temperature ponds, are almost absent in the microbial biofilms in spite of having in some cases similar temperature conditions. Species affiliated with Sulfolobales in the Archaea domain are the predominant microorganism in high temperature ponds and were also detected in the microbial biofilms.

Cyanobacteria and Photosynthetic Species as Part of the Microbial Community Structure of Biofilms in Copahue Geothermal Springs (Neuquén, Argentina)

Copahue is a geothermal field located in the Northwest corner of Neuquén province in Argentina. It is dominated by the still active Copahue volcano. In the area there are many acidic pools, hot springs and solfataras with different temperature and pH conditions that influence their microbial diversity. On the surrounding rocks and the borders of the pools, where water movements and thermal activity are less intense, many biofilms can be found. They have different aspects and structure, and they present less extreme temperature and pH conditions than the ponds and hot springs. Biofilms are a different ecological niche and they have different microbial community structure. In this study carried out by molecular ecology techniques, mainly 16S and 18S rRNA sequencing, we report a strong presence of cyanobacterias, cloroflexi and eukaryotes, not detected in previous biodiversity studies done on water samples. Almost no acidophilic bacteria were found, with the exception of members of genusThiomonas, also found in the acidic pools. Archaea were detected only in one of the biofilms and the structure of that community seems to be similar to those found in water samples, with many uncultured species mainly related to orderSulfolobales. The aim of this study is to assess microbial community diversity in the biofilms present in this acidic geothermal area, with particular emphasis on detection of cyanobacterias and eukaryotes with potential biotechnological applications like production of alternative energy sources, synthesis and accumulation of biomolecules with antiviral or antibiotic activities or potential ability to bioremediate contaminated areas.

Habitat Identification for Three California Species ofSanfilippodytesFranciscolo (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)

Three species of the genus Sanfilippodytes Franciscolo, 1979 (Sanfilippodytes adelardi [Rochette, 1983], Sanfilippodytes bidessoides [Leech, 1941], and Sanfilippodytes setifer Roughley and Larson, 2000) have been described from ponds or rain pools in the town of Caspar, California. These species were found to be strongly associated with the pygmy forest of Mendocino, California. The soils of the pygmy forest are strongly podsolized and nearly impenetrable to water. As a result, rain water pools and quickly becomes acidified. All three species were found in these acidic pools, where they are often quite abundant. The small number of specimens collected prior to this study was most likely a result of having an inadequate understanding of the habitat.

The cellular machinery of Ferroplasma acidiphilum is iron-protein-dominated

Ferroplasma is a genus of the Archaea, one of the three branches of the tree of life, and belongs to the order Thermoplasmatales (Euryarchaeota), which contains the most acidophilic microbes yet known. Ferroplasma species live in acid mine drainage, acidic pools and environments containing sulphidic ores such as pyrite and characterized by pH values of 0-2 and high concentrations of ferrous iron and other heavy metals. F. acidiphilum strain Y(T) is a chemoautotroph that grows optimally at pH 1.7 and gains energy by oxidizing ferrous iron and carbon by the fixation of carbon dioxide. Here we show that 86% of 189 investigated cellular proteins of F. acidiphilum are iron-metalloproteins. These include proteins with deduced structural, chaperone and catalytic roles, not described as iron-metalloproteins in any other organism so far investigated. The iron atoms in the proteins seem to organize and stabilize their three-dimensional structures, to act as 'iron rivets'. Analysis of proteins of the phylogenetic neighbour Picrophilus torridus and of the habitat neighbour Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans revealed far fewer and only typical metalloproteins. F. acidiphilum therefore has a currently unique iron-protein-dominated cellular machinery and biochemical phylogeny.

Ferroplasma and relatives, recently discovered cell wall‐lacking archaea making a living in extremely acid, heavy metal‐rich environments

For several decades, the bacterium Acidithiobacillus (previously Thiobacillus) has been considered to be the principal acidophilic sulfur- and iron-oxidizing microbe inhabiting acidic environments rich in ores of iron and other heavy metals, responsible for the metal solubilization and leaching from such ores, and has become the paradigm of such microbes. However, during the last few years, new studies of a number of acidic environments, particularly mining waste waters, acidic pools, etc., in diverse geographical locations have revealed the presence of new cell wall-lacking archaea related to the recently described, acidophilic, ferrous-iron oxidizing Ferroplasma acidiphilum. These mesophilic and moderately thermophilic microbes, representing the family Ferroplasmaceae, were numerically significant members of the microbial consortia of the habitats studied, are able to mobilize metals from sulfide ores, e.g. pyrite, arsenopyrite and copper-containing sulfides, and are more acid-resistant than iron and sulfur oxidizing bacteria exhibiting similar eco-physiological properties. Ferroplasma cell membranes contain novel caldarchaetidylglycerol tetraether lipids, which have extremely low proton permeabilities, as a result of the bulky isoprenoid core, and which are probably a major contributor to the extreme acid tolerance of these cell wall-less microbes. Surprisingly, several intracellular enzymes, including an ATP-dependent DNA ligase have pH optima close to that of the external environment rather than of the cytoplasm. Ferroplasma spp. are probably the major players in the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur and sulfide metals in highly acidic environments, and may have considerable potential for biotechnological applications such as biomining and biocatalysis under extreme conditions.

Complex xylo-oligosaccharides identified from hydrothermally treated Eucalyptus wood and brewery's spent grain

Hydrolysates from two hydrothermally treated xylan-rich agrobased materials, Eucalyptus wood and brewery's spent grain were fractionated by anion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. Hereby, several pools were obtained and they were characterised by their sugar composition. Additionally, the oligosaccharides in the pools described were further identified by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and mass spectrometry. The hydrothermally treated brewery's spent grain resulted in three pools of which two contained relatively high molecular weight xylan, singly and doubly branched with arabinose [X n A m ], separated from a pool of xylo-oligosaccharides less branched with arabinose. The fractionation of the hydrothermally treated Eucalyptus wood resulted in a neutral pool, mainly consisting of a series of (acetylated) xylo-oligosaccharides [X n Ac m ], and three acidic pools. Two of these acidic pools contained a series of (acetylated) xylo-oligosaccharides including one 4- O-methylglucuronic acid [X n (GlcA me) 1Ac m ], while the third acidic pool contained (acetylated) xylo-oligosaccharides substituted with two 4- O-methylglucuronic acids [X n (GlcA me) 2Ac m ]. Additionally, a series of xylo-oligosaccharides containing both 4- O-methylglucuronic acid and a hexose, most likely galactose, was detected in the acidic Eucalyptus pools [X n (GlcA me) 1 or 2 Ac m H]. Information was obtained about the number of acetyl-groups linked to the (4- O-methylglucurono-) xylo-oligosaccharides. Finally, it is demonstrated with an example that the different substituents to the xylo-oligosaccharides present are of relevance for the fermentability of the xylo-oligosaccharides by human faecal samples.

ECOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF ANURAN SPECIES RICHNESS IN TEMPORARY POOLS: A FIELD STUDY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

Identifying the factors that limit species distributions and maintain patterns of diversity is a major goal of temporary pond ecologists, and an important pursuit for conservation biologists. We used multiple regression analysis to identify ecological correlates of anuran species richness in twenty-one temporary pools within the Francis Marion National Forest, South Carolina. Analysis of data collected in 1996–1997 revealed that anuran richness was limited by the multiplicative effects of pool acidity, hydroperiod, and fish species richness. Anuran species richness declined with decreasing pH and hydroperiod, and with colonization by more species-rich assemblages of predatory fish. Two species of frog (Hyla cinerea and Rana grylio) and a newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) were excluded from the most acidic pools, and three anurans (Bufo quercicus, Pseudacris ornata, and R. capito) were limited by fish. Two large-bodied frogs with tadpoles that overwinter prior to metamorphosis (R. catesbeiana and R. virgati...

Dynamic properties of an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate- and thapsigargin-insensitive calcium pool in mammalian cell lines.

The functional characteristics of a nonacidic, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate- and thapsigargin-insensitive Ca2+ pool have been characterized in mammalian cells derived from the rat pituitary gland (GH3, GC, and GH3B6), the adrenal tissue (PC12), and mast cells (RBL-1). This Ca2+ pool is released into the cytoplasm by the Ca2+ ionophores ionomycin or A23187 after the discharge of the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive store with an agonist coupled to phospholipase C activation and/or thapsigargin. The amount of Ca2+ trapped within this pool increased significantly after a prolonged elevation of intracellular Ca2+ concentration elicited by activation of Ca2+ influx. This pool was affected neither by caffeine-ryanodine nor by mitochondrial uncouplers. Probing mitochondrial Ca2+ with recombinant aequorin confirmed that this pool did not coincide with mitochondria, whereas its homogeneous distribution across the cytosol, as revealed by confocal microscopy, and its insensitivity to brefeldin A make localization within the Golgi complex unlikely. A proton gradient as the driving mechanism for Ca2+ uptake was excluded since ionomycin is inefficient in releasing Ca2+ from acidic pools and Ca2+ accumulation/release in/from this store was unaffected by monensin or NH4Cl, drugs known to collapse organelle acidic pH gradients. Ca2+ sequestration inside this pool, thus, may occur through a low-affinity, high-capacity Ca2+-ATPase system, which is, however, distinct from classical endosarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPases. The cytological nature and functional role of this Ca2+ storage compartment are discussed.

INSECT COMMUNITIES OF NEWFOUNDLAND BOG POOLS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE ODONATA

AbstractThe arthropod and annelid fauna of a series of small, acidic pools in a domed, ombrotrophic bog on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland, was studied over the ice-free season of 1986. Pools were assigned to four classes on the basis of their surface area (<1; 1.1–10; 10.1–100; >100 m2) and at least two 1-m2 (entire pool if area <1 m2) substrate samples, plankton samples, and moss samples were taken from pools of each size class biweekly. One hundred and thirty-one taxa, most identified to the species level, were collected. Taxa varied in abundance between pools of various size classes and, using Cluster Analysis and TWINSPAN, two principal communities were identified. Oligochaetes, beetles, and mosquitoes dominated small, astatic pools and odonates, chironomids, and several other taxa predominated in large, stable, vegetated pools. Water level stability is postulated to be the principal factor determining this community structure. Within large pools, odonate larvae were the dominant predators and comprised the majority of the standing crop. Odonate larvae have life cycles of 2 or more years; their slow growth is probably due to prey limitation. Odonate larvae potentially exert a powerful predation pressure within the large pool community, and may be the principal biotic factor determining abundance and distribution of prey taxa within the bog pool system.

Use of ion-exchange sep-pak cartridges in the batch fractionation of pituitary peptides

Silica-based ion-exchange Sep-Pak cartridges, packed with either carboxymethyl (CM) cation-exchanger or a quaternary methyl ammonium (QMA) anion exchanger, are now available. The feasibility of using ion-exchange Sep-Pak cartridges for the fractionation of pituitary peptides was investigated. Extracts of bovine posterior pituitaries were fractionated at either pH 5 or pH 7 by pairs of cation and anion exchangers, connected in series. The capacity to bind peptides was well correlated with the theoretical charge calculated for a variety of peptides. At pH 5 the entire tissue extract could be fractionated into either basic or acidic pools. In contrast, at pH 7 only the more basic or acidic peptides were retained by the respective ion exchangers. The rest of the peptides passed through both ion exchangers and were recovered in the neutral pool. The ion-exchange fractionation principle was used to facilitate the purification of 35S-labelled intermediate pituitary glycopeptides, prepared by incubating mouse intermediate lobes in explant culture with 35S-labelled sulphate. 35S-labelled glycosylated forms of Lys 1γ 3MSH, corticotropin-like intermediate lobe peptide, and the amino terminal or 16K fragment of pro-opiomelanocortin ( i.e. 16K 1–74) were fractionated into separate pools such that they could be purified to homogeneity in a single step by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Purification by conventional means would require at least two RP-HPLC steps. Thus, radiolabelled peptides can be purified with the minimum of chromatographic manipulation, thereby ensuring maximal recoveries.

Use of reversed-phase and ion-exchange batch extraction in the purification of bovine pituitary peptides

Bovine posterior pituitaries were extracted with an acidic medium designed to maximize solubilization of peptides while precipitating high-molecular-weight protein. The supernatant was then extracted with C 18 reversed-phase cartridges to generate a peptide-enriched fraction. Cartridge eluates were subjected to ion-exchange extraction, using a batch procedure which fractionated the peptides into basic, acidic, and neutral pools. Amino-terminal fragments of bovine pro-opiomelanocortin were found to be resolved into separate pools by this method. The 1 to 49 fragment was eluted in the acidic pool while the 1 to 77 fragment was eluted in the basic pool. The 1 to 77 fragment was purified by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Amino acid analysis of the fragments, generated from trypsin and V 8 protease digestion of the 1 to 77 fragment, permitted assignment of cystine bridges between residues 2 and 24 and between residues 8 and 20. Results from amino sugar analysis were consistent with the presence of an O-linked oligosaccharide at threonine 45 and an N-linked oligosaccharide at asparagine 65.

Studies on the Taxonomy and Distribution of Sphagnum I. Sphagnum pylaesii and Sphagnum angermanicum in Quebec and Some Phytogeographic Considerations

Sphagnum pylaesii and S. angermanicum are reported for the first time from Quebec. Their distribution in the maritime provinces of eastern Canada and Newfoundland is similar in spite of their different habitat requirements. Sphagnum pylaesii is able to grow under nearly arctic conditions in northern Labrador although it is a southern species in Europe; S. angermanicum is limited to temperate eastern Canada while it is a northern species in Europe. Sphagnum pylaesii also occurs in South America. VEGETATION AND ECOLOGY Recently a collecting trip was made to explore the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River and its estuary, as far as accessible by road (Highway 15, Saguenay County), for peat mosses. As one might expect, a number of (=euryatlantic) species such as Sphagnum cuspidatum Ehrh. ex Hoffm., S. tenellum Pers., and S. pulchrum (Lindb.) Warnst. were seen, species with a distribution clearly concentrated along the ocean without being entirely restricted to it. In addition, S. pylaesii Brid. and S. angermanicum Melin were discovered in the headlands of Baie Ste. Marguerite (west of Seven Islands). This area resembles a coastal plain covered by a low lying 1 National Research Council Paper No. 8782. 2 Atlantic Regional Laboratory, National Research Council, Halifax, Nova Scotia. This content downloaded from 40.77.167.71 on Sat, 19 Nov 2016 04:34:35 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 96 THE BRYOLOGIST [Volume 69 system of bogs and fens.3 A raised (ombrotrophic) is found 2 miles west of Clarke City. It contains acidic pools with much S. cuspidatum and less S. dusenii C. Jens. and S. tenellum, and is remarkable for the abundance of Dicranum leioneuron Kindb., an amphiatlantic species with a suboceanic type of distribution (Ahti et al. 1965). In contrast, most mires in the area are poor fens or fens of medium acidity, alternating with extensive, burnt-over black spruce stands. Sphagnum pylaesii was encountered in many pools on the east side of Highway 15 about 1.5 miles south of the turnoff to Ste. Marguerite and also in wet sand pans 2 miles east of Clarke City on the north side of Highway 15 (July 8, 1965, Maass CAN, QMP, NY, FH, DUKE, H, UPS, S-PA, O, C, M, PC). In Quebec, S. pylaesii has been found from only a few other places along the Strait of Belle Isle: at Blanc Sablon in wet peat land northeast of the bridge along with S. tenellum, S. pulchrum, and S. lindbergii Schimp. (July 11, 1963, Maass CAN, QMP); in sandy pools (with or without peat) on the Bradore plain (July 11, 1963, Maass CAN, QMP); and in a wet at Bottom of Bradore Bay (July 11, 1963, Maass CAN, QMP). Sphagnum angermanicum was found on the slopes of Sphagnum hummocks which ringed a few S. pulchrum pools (containing also S. pylaesii) and mud shallows about 1.5 miles south of the turnoff to Ste. Marguerite (July 8, 1965, Maass CAN, QMP, NY, DUKE, H, UPS, C, M, PC). The short time spent at the sites did not allow a complete vegetation analysis, but the following will illustrate the unusual vegetation: By Highway 15 between Gallix and the turnoff to Ste. Marguerite there is a long and fairly broad mud shallow which extends from a bend in the road eastward and contains a sparse cover of Eleocharis calva, Eriocaulon parkeri, Dulichium arundinaceum, Juncus stygius var. americanus, Kalmia polifolia, Myrica gale, Utricularia intermedia, Pohlia sp., and Riccardia sp. The shallow is bordered by a dense shrub vegetation with Sphagnum hummocks containing S. papillosum Lindb., S. rubellum Wils., S. recurvum var. mucronatum (Russ.) Warnst., S. pulchrum, and S. angermanicum. The far end of the shallow has an overgrown area with irregular hollows surrounded by Carex exilis, Chamaedaphne calyculata, Drosera rotundifolia, Kalmia polifolia, Ledum groenlandicum, Myrica gale, Scirpus caespitosus ssp. austriacus, Sphagnum compactum DC., S. papillosum, and S. rubellum. The vegetation of the hollows is made up of Drosera intermedia, Lycopodium inundatum, Oxycoccus quadripetalus Sphagnum pylaesii, S. pulchrum, S. platyphyllum Sull., and CladopodiellUa fluitans (Nees) Buch. A little to the east there is an extensive deep 3 The terms mire, bog and fen are used here according to their definition by Sjiirs (1961, 1963). Mire is a general term for any type of peat land. An ombrotrophic is defined as a mire entirely nourished by precipitation (=bog sens. str.). A fen is a mire partly nourished by the inflow of water from the mineral ground (=minerotrophic mire) and may be subdivided according to acidity etc. into poor and rich fens. This content downloaded from 40.77.167.71 on Sat, 19 Nov 2016 04:34:35 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1966] MAASS: SPHAGNA FROM QUEBEC 97