Colony Biomass Research Articles

Multiple global change factors cause declines of a temperate bryophyte

ABSTRACT Background Climate change, nutrient enrichment and land use have been predicted to alter bryophyte abundance and performance; we expect these factors to interact, yet experiments addressing their joint effects are missing. Aims We tested the responses of Brachythecium rutabulum, a common temperate moss species, to single and combined effects of future climatic conditions, grazing, light limitation and nutrient enrichment. We predicted that future climatic conditions, intense grazing, light limitation and nutrient enrichment have all negative effects on the survival and photosynthetic condition of B. rutabulum, and their joint effects become strong even if individual factors have only weak effects (multiple stress hypothesis). Methods We measured after two growing seasons biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence of transplanted moss colonies in full-factorial treatments of fertilisation, exclusion of sheep grazing and light amendment by LED lamps, replicated in ambient and future climatic conditions. Results Future climate and fertilisation had negligible effects on colony biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence of bryophyte colonies, whereas light amendment had positive effect on chlorophyll fluorescence and grazing exclusion had positive effect on colony biomass. Colony biomass and chlorophyll fluorescence decreased with increasing number of global change factors. Conclusion Supporting the multiple stress hypothesis, individually weak global change factors can combine to strong joint effects.

Colonial Microcystis' biomass affects its shift to diatom aggregates under aeration mixing.

The effect of hydrodynamic mixing on controlling Microcystis blooms or changing the algal community to diatom dominance has been widely studied; however, the effects of colonial Microcystis biomass on the development of the algal community are poorly known. Here, in order to study the changes in Microcystis blooms under continuous aeration mixing, an experiment was carried out in a greenhouse with factors of varying biomass of Microcystis and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus enrichment in summer. There were three chlorophyll a (Chl-a) levels in six treatments: low Chl-a level of 68.4μgL-1 (treatments L, L-E), medium Chl-a level of 468.7μgL-1 (treatments M, M-E), and high Chl-a level of 924.1μgL-1 (treatments H, H-E). Treatments L-E, M-E and H-E were enriched with the same inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients. During the experiment of 30days, the concentration of Microcystis and Chl-a decreased, and diatom Nitzschia palea cells appeared in all the treatments, which became dominant in treatments M, M-E, H and H-E, with the highest biomass of 9.41 ± 1.96mgL-1 Nitzschia in treatment H-E on day 30. The rank order of the biomass of Nitzschia from low to high was (L = L-E) < (M = M-E) < H < H-E (P < 0.05). In addition, Nitzschia cells were aggregates attached to Microcystis colonies in all the treatments. The results showed that the initial biomass of colonial Microcystis affected the algal shift from Microcystis dominance to Nitzschia dominance. However, the enriched inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus was beneficial for the Nitzschia increase in the high biomass treatment alone. The shift from Microcystis dominance to diatom dominance under continuous aeration mixing may be caused by low light conditions as well as the nutrients released from Microcystis decay. Moreover, the aerobic condition caused by aeration mixing maintained the colonial mucilaginous sheath to support the growth of Nitzschia cells in aggregation. This study found for the first time that Microcystis blooms could shift to diatom Nitzschia dominance in aggregates. It provided a method to control and manipulate Microcystis blooms to diatom dominance through continuous aeration mixing to proper biomass of Microcystis colonies. The shift to diatoms dominance would provide more high quality food organisms for aquaculture and be beneficial to the materialcycling and energy flowing in food web dynamics.

Antifungal effectiveness of some essential oils and their mixtures against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp cubense that causes fusarium wilt disease of banana plants

Antifungal effectiveness of several essential oil botanical pesticides and their mixtures against the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense (Foc) which causes fusarium wilt disease of banana plants in vitro, was conducted from March to July 2023. The aim of the study was to obtain an effective botanical pesticide formulation and the right concentration for controlling the Foc causing Fusarium wilt disease in banana plants. The study was arranged in a completely randomized design in factorials with three replications. The experiment was carried out using two methods: a) Suppressing colony diameter using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium, b). Suppressing colony biomass using Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) medium. The treatment was the formulation of essential oil (F) botanical pesticides as the first factor; F1 (Cymbopogon flexuosus oils), F2 (C. nardus essential oils), F3 (Eugenia aromatica leaf essential oils), F4 (Cinnamomum burmanii leaf oils), F5 (F1+F2), F6 (F1+F3), F7 (F1+F4) and F8 (F2 +F3), F9 (F2+F4) and F10 (F3+F4) The level of concentration (C) as a second factor C1(1000 ppm) and C2(2000 ppm). The results showed that the F3 (E. aromatica leaf oils) treatment had the best antifungal activity against Foc. At a concentration of 2000 ppm inhibition of the diameter growth and colony biomass reached 100%, followed by the F1 treatment (C. flexuosus oils) up to 89.73% and 95.75%, the F2 treatment (C. nardus oils) reach 84.58% and 89.67% and the lowest antifungal activity is F4 (C. burmanii leaf oils) which only 77.08% and 84.50%. The best mixed formulations were F5(F1+ F3) and F8(F2 + F3), at the same concentration suppression of colony growth reaching 100%. In general, mixed essential oils formulation have shown to increase the effectiveness of the antifungal activities.

Effect of various formulations of Piper aduncum botanical pesticide and concentration levels on fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense Vegetative Compatibility Group (VCG) 01213/16 Tropical strain 4 and VCG 01218 strain 1

Pathogen of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubence (Foc) Vegetative Compatibility Group (VCG) 01213/16 (Tropical strain/TR4) and VCG 01218 (strain1) are the cause of wilt disease in banana. Plant-based pesticides are an alternative environmentally friendly substance that can control plant pathogens. This study aims to obtain a formulation of Piper aduncum oil with several essential oils to suppress the growth development of two Foc strains that cause wilt disease in banana plants. This study used a complete randomized design in factorial, where the first factor is the type of formulation: F1 = 25% P. aduncum leaf oil, F2 = P. aduncum leaf oil with lemongrass leaf oil (Cymbopogon flexiosus), F3 = P. aduncum oil with citronella leaves (Andropogon nardus), F4 = P. aduncum oil with Ceylon cinnamon leaf oil (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), F5 = P. aduncum oil with Padang cinnamon leaf oil (C. burmanii), F6 = P. aduncum oil with cloves leaf oil (Eugenia aromatica) F7=P. aduncum oil with wild ginger oil (Elettariopsis slahmong). The second factor is the concentration level: 1000, 2000, and 3000 ppm. The results showed that diameter of mycelium between Foc VCG01213/16 and VCG01218 did not differ significantly. However, there were significant differences in the botanical pesticide formulations used. P. aduncum oil formulation mixed with cloves leaf oil and ceylon cinnamon oil at a concentration level of 3000 ppm had better inhibition of colony diameter, namely for Foc VCG01213/16 (90.55% and 88.08%) and on Foc VCG 01218 (90.72% and 89.85%). Likewise, for the inhibition of colony biomass, the best formulation is the P. aduncum oil mixed with cloves leaf oil and with ceylon cinnamon oil, the concentration level at 3000 ppm for Foc VCG 01213/16 were 96.64 and 95.80%, respectively. In contrast, for Foc VCG 01218 were 96.00% for both.

Similarities in biomass and energy reserves among coral colonies from contrasting reef environments

Coral reefs are declining worldwide, yet some coral populations are better adapted to withstand reductions in pH and the rising frequency of marine heatwaves. The nearshore reef habitats of Palau, Micronesia are a proxy for a future of warmer, more acidic oceans. Coral populations in these habitats can resist, and recover from, episodes of thermal stress better than offshore conspecifics. To explore the physiological basis of this tolerance, we compared tissue biomass (ash-free dry weight cm−2), energy reserves (i.e., protein, total lipid, carbohydrate content), and several important lipid classes in six coral species living in both offshore and nearshore environments. In contrast to expectations, a trend emerged of many nearshore colonies exhibiting lower biomass and energy reserves than colonies from offshore sites, which may be explained by the increased metabolic demand of living in a warmer, acidic, environment. Despite hosting different dinoflagellate symbiont species and having access to contrasting prey abundances, total lipid and lipid class compositions were similar in colonies from each habitat. Ultimately, while the regulation of colony biomass and energy reserves may be influenced by factors, including the identity of the resident symbiont, kind of food consumed, and host genetic attributes, these independent processes converged to a similar homeostatic set point under different environmental conditions.

The effect of various essential oil and solvent additives on the botanical pesticide of Piper Aduncum essential oil on formulation antifungal activity

This study aims to obtain a formulation of the botanical pesticide P aduncum with additives and the right type of solvent. The research was arranged in a completely randomized design in factorial, the first factor being essential oil additives; citronellagrass oils (Andropogon nardus), lemongrass oils (Cimbopogon flexiosus), Ceylon cinnamon leaf oils (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), Padang cinnamon leaf oils (Cinnamomum burmanii), clove leaf oils (Eugenia aromatica) and wild ginger leaf oils (Elettariopsis slahmong), both types of solvent (ethanol, methanol and turpentine). The experiment was carried out at the Laing Solok IPPTP parasitology laboratory. The results showed that all additive materials had a positive effect in increasing the antifungal activity of the botanical pesticide P aduncum essential oil with different effectiveness against the test fungi. Citronella oil showed the highest antifungal effectiveness compared to other additives, especially against S. rolfsii and Pestalotia sp, with diameter and biomass inhibition of fungal colonies tested S rolfsii 92.15% and 92.70%, Pestalotia sp 84.82% and 86,34% and F. oxysporum 43.87 and 47.17%. All solvents can be used for the formulation of the botanical pesticide P aduncum, ethanol solvent is better than methanol and turpentine with the highest inhibition capacity of the diameter and biomass of the fungus colonies tested S rolfsii 91.28% and 92.05%, Pestalotia sp 83.56% and 86.02% and for F. oxysporum 40.31 and 48.36%, respectively.

Jengkol Peel Extract (Pithecellobium jiringa (Jack) Prain) as a Biofungicide Against Fungus Curvularia sp., the Cause of Leaf Spot Disease on Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) Seedlings

Leaf spot disease of oil palm caused by fungus Curvularia sp. is a major disease in Oil Palm Seedlings (Elaeis guineensis Jacq). Implementation of best nursery practices is the key to prevent it. This study aims to determine the antifungal activity of Jengkol peel (Pithecellobium jiringa (Jack) Prain) extract against the fungus Curvularia sp. which is the cause of leaf spot disease in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) seedlings. This study was carried out for five months at the Plantation Plant Protection Center (Balai Proteksi Tanaman Perkebunan, BPTP) in Pontianak. Jengkol peel extract was screened for its ability to inhibit Curvularia sp. growth by in vitro technique. The research method used a completely randomized design (CRD) with a single factor, namely the concentration of Jengkol peel extract, P0: as a control (without extract), P1: extract with a concentration of 10%, P2: extract with a concentration of 20%, P3: extract with a concentration of 30%, P4: extract with a concentration of 40%, and P5: extract with a concentration of 50%. Parameters observed were suppression of colony diameter and suppression of colony biomass. The results of the study showed that the administration of Jengkol peel extract in P5 treatment (50% extract concentration) had a major effect on suppressing the diameter of fungal colonies (36.44%) and showed a significant difference between each concentration (p &lt; 0.05), while the P3 treatment (30% extract concentration) was able to suppress colony biomass up to 100%. The use of Jengkol peel (Pithecellobium jiringa (Jack) Prain) extract has potential as bio fungicide based on the effect found on the suppression of growth both from the diameter and biomass of the fungal colony of Curvularia sp.

Evaluating the strength of western honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies fed pollen substitutes over winter

AbstractWestern honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) need good nutrition to combat multiple stressors. Beekeepers often feed artificial protein diets (i.e. pollen substitutes) when their colonies lack natural pollen resources. However, it is unclear whether pollen substitutes improve honey bee colony strength and health during pollen dearths and when no pollen stores are available, as can occur during late fall and winter. We fed 56 managed honey bee colonies one of two commercially available pollen substitutes (AP23® and MegaBee®) or no diet (control) over the late fall and winter in north‐central Florida under a simulated pollen dearth and when the colonies lacked pollen stores. We determined the change in adult bee mass and the final brood mass of each colony throughout the feeding period. On average, colonies in each of the three treatment groups experienced a loss in total adult bee mass during the feeding period, which is typical of colonies during winter. Nevertheless, colonies that received AP23 lost significantly less adult bee mass than did control colonies, with colonies that received MegaBee having a loss in adult bee mass intermediate to those of the other two groups. The AP23 and MegaBee colonies had significantly greater brood mass than did control colonies. When accounting for total change in colony biomass (adult bee mass + brood mass), the AP23 group lost significantly less mass than did control colonies, with the MegaBee colonies having a mass loss intermediate to those of the other two groups. Colonies consumed significantly more AP23 than they consumed MegaBee. Collectively, our data suggest that it may be beneficial for beekeepers in warm climates to feed pollen substitutes to stressed honey bee colonies over winter to lessen the loss in total colony biomass.

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils of Leaves, Rhizomes Oils and Fraction Wild Ginger Elettariopsis Slahmong Ck Lim Inhibit The Colony Growth of Sclerotium Rolfsii

This study aims to see the effectiveness of essential oils of leaves, rhizomes and fraction of wild ginger Ellettariopsis slahmong CK Lim against the pathogenic fungus Sclerotium rolfsii which causes rot disease of the stem base of peanut plants an in vitro.The study consisted of two sub activities: (a) inhibited of colony diameter using Patato Dextrosa Agar (PDA) medium and (b) inhibited of colony biomass using Potato dextrose Broth (PDB) medium, the treatments tested were leaf essential oil and rhizome of wild ginger and fractions A1, B2, C3 and D4, with concentration levels (0, 100, 250 and 500 ppm). Experiments (a) and (b) were arranged in the form of a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in factorial each with 4 replications. The results showed that the leaf essential oil and rhizome of wild ginger and its fractions had the potential to be used as a vegetable fungicide. The A1 fraction has the best antifungal effectiveness compared to the B2 fraction, leaf oil, rhizomes and other fractions, with the highest inhibition of diameter and biomass of S rolfsii colony the 49.47% and 51.46%. Essential oils of leaves and rhizome oil are not statistically significantly different, but in numerically leaf oil are better than rhizome oil. The C3 fraction showed the lowest colony diameter inhibition and biomass of 34.70% and 36.95%. The best concentration level in inhibition the growth of S rolfsii mushroom is 500 ppm, with inhibition of the diameter and biomass of the colony by 81.74% and 84.25%.

Environmental regulation of individual body size contributes to geographic variation in clonal life cycle expression

Clonal behavior has been hypothesized to provide an escape from allometric metabolic scaling that limits the maximum mass achieved by a single individual. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of a wide-spread, non-native sea anemone to buffer its colony biomass accumulation rate across environments by modulating ramet body size through environmentally dependent growth, fission, and catabolism. In 2015, thermal reaction norms for growth and fission behavior were constructed using clonal lines of the sea anemone Diadumene lineata. In 2018, variation in growth patterns under a factorial cross of temperature level and oxygen availability was examined to test the hypothesis that individual ramet size is regulated by oxygen limitation in accordance with optimal size theory. Across a wide range of temperatures, colonies accumulated a similar amount of biomass despite a radical shift from unitary to clonal growth, supporting fission as a mechanism to buffer growth rates over a range of conditions. Individual body size appears to be regulated by the environment with increased temperature and reduced oxygen modifying fission and mass-specific growth patterns, leading to the production of smaller-bodied ramets in warm conditions. However, whether anemones in common garden conditions reduce individual body size through catabolism or fission depends on the region of origin and may relate to differences in seasonal temperature patterns among coastlines, which influence the energetic benefits of fission rate plasticity.

A Microethnographic and Ethnobotanical Approach to Llayta Consumption Among Andes Feeding Practices.

Llayta is a dietary supplement that has been used by rural communities in Perú and northern Chile since pre-Columbian days. Llayta is the biomass of colonies of a Nostoc cyanobacterium grown in wetlands of the Andean highlands, harvested, sun-dried and sold as an ingredient for human consumption. The biomass has a substantial content of essential amino acids (58% of total amino acids) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (33% total fatty acids). This ancestral practice is being lost and the causes were investigated by an ethnographic approach to register the social representations of Llayta, to document how this Andean feeding practice is perceived and how much the community knows about Llayta. Only 37% of the participants (mostly adults) have had a direct experience with Llayta; other participants (mostly children) did not have any knowledge about it. These social responses reflect anthropological and cultural tensions associated with a lack of knowledge on Andean algae, sites where to find Llayta, where it is commercialized, how it is cooked and on its nutritional benefits. The loss of this ancestral feeding practice, mostly in northern Chile, is probably associated with cultural changes, migration of the rural communities, and very limited access to the available information. We propose that Llayta consumption can be revitalized by developing appropriate educational strategies and investigating potential new food derivatives based on the biomass from the isolated Llayta cyanobacterium.

The role of temperature in competition and persistence of an invaded ant assemblage

1. To achieve numerical dominance, an ectotherm consumer requires a sizeable abiotic window in which it can forage. Here we explore how one abiotic factor, temperature, provides opportunity and regulates the impact of the invasive red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, on an urban ant assemblage.2. We first quantified S. invicta's ability to outcompete native species by contrasting its foraging biomass to that of its potential competitors. In doing so, we found that S. invicta deployed more ant biomass at baits than the estimated whole colony biomass of three of the four co‐occurring native species. It did so across c. 75% of the hours in a summer day, those hours below its thermal maximum of 49 °C. Higher thermal maxima allowed two native species to avoid encountering workers of S. invicta.3. Exclosure experiments revealed that a third species, Dorymyrmex flavus, more similar in body size and thermal tolerance to S. invicta, was competitively suppressed by the invasive. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis suggests that D. flavus' persistence is likely due to dietary differences.4. Although thermal and dietary traits help predict how species coexist in this invaded assemblage, one key to S. invicta's success is likely to be its ability to forage in all but 6 h of a summer's day.

The arginase pathway of L-arginine metabolism of peripheral blood lymphocytes in patients with acne vulgaris

The mechanisms of development of the inflammatory process of the pilosebaceous apparatus in patients with acnе vulgaris are not fully understood, and variations in bacterial colonization are one of the key elements of the inflammatory process. Under the pathological conditions caused by pus-forming cocci which induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines, there is an increase in arginase expression. The capacity for film formation in selected strains was determined by the cultural properties (increased viscosity of the colony biomass) and by differential interference contrast microscopy using a dark field condenser and fluorescence microscopy. Arginase activity (μmole urea/min•mg of protein) was determined spectrophotometrically at 520 nm on saponin-perimabilized lymphocytes of peripheral blood by the rate of urea formation. The cultures of film-forming and planktonic forms of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from purulent pustules of 44 patients, aged 18–30. 63.6% of clinical strains of film-forming staphylococci were isolated, out of which 15 strains (53.6%) were S. aureus and 13 strains (46.4%) S. epidermidias. It was found that the arginase activity in patients (film-forming S. aureus) was significantly higher than in practically healthy donors (control) and was equal to 0.262 ± 0.006 and 0.279 ± 0.005 (planktonic form of S. aureus) versus 0.087 ± 0.009 μmole urea / min∙mg of protein in the control. The arginase activity in patients (film-forming S. epidermidis) was significantly higher than in practically healthy donors and was equal to 0.281 ± 0.009 and 0.297 ± 0.006 (planktonic form of S. epidermidis) versus 0.087 ± 0.009 μmol urea / min∙mg of protein in the control. After the auto-vaccine therapy and the administration of the probiotic Lacidofil (Institut Rosell Inc., Canada), enzyme activity decreased significantly in both experiments, however it had not attained control levels. The enzyme activity decreased through the administration of a vaccine, which in turn has an immunomodulating and immunostimulating effect. In addition, comparing the data of the arginase activity after treatment in patients with S. epidermidis, there was a slight decrease in the enzyme activity. This result is probably due to the formed tolerance of the immune system to commensal microorganisms. It was found that all patients had a moderate dysbiosis, which was accompanied by a deficiency of the main normal symbionts of the intestine. After treatment, all patients experienced significant improvementst in the microbiocenosis of the intestine in the direction of normalization of parameters and improvement of the skin condition. Increase in arginase activity in patients with acne vulgaris indicates the competition of this enzyme with NO-synthases for the substrate L-arginine and the alteration of physiological reactions in the organism caused by staphylococci which induce the phagocytic response and the cytokines production of the humoral system.

Isolation of Ethidium Bromide Degrading Bacteria from Jharkhand

Ethidium bromide (EtBr) is a carcinogenic and mutagenic agent which is widely used in research laboratories to probe nucleic acids by gel electrophoresis. It is generally buried underground (for solid waste) or disposed of pouring it down the sink (in case of liquid waste). Soil or drain microbial community may be able to take care of such substance else it will lead to contamination of our underground resources or others through defined and undefined routes. In view of the above assumption and literature reports the present study was undertaken to isolate and evaluate bacteria for removal, by bioaccumulation and /or biotransformation, of EtBr from contaminated sources and wastes, before their disposal to the environment. Two distinct bacteria both motile BR3 and BR4 could be identified from agarose-gel-waste containing 0.5-1.0 µg/ml ethidium bromide. Both bacteria were found to grow on EtBr-NA plate (Nutrient-Agar supplemented with EtBr at a concentration of 30 µg/ml) however only BR3 isolate showed large non-fluorescent-halo zone (characteristic to degradation of EtBr) when exposed to trans-UV light. Other isolate BR4 could accumulate EtBr within the colony biomass but did not showed clear (non-fluorescent) hallow zone around it. However the bacterium is not able to utilize the EtBr as a sole carbon source.Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 5(3): 293-301

Microbial community dynamics in aerated biological fluidized bed (ABFB) with continuously increased p-nitrophenol loads

Biodegradability of PNP has been reported widely in recent years, but the community composition of PNP-degrading microorganisms was still unclear today. In this paper, the biodegradation process with continuously PNP loading from 0 to 6.50 kg m−3 d−1 in 58 days in an aerobic biological fluidized bed (ABFB) reactor has been investigated. The results show that COD and PNP removal stabilized at 95% and 99% during the operation period with a maximum PNP concentration of 1250 mg/L. The high concentration of PNP in substrate led to a significant increase in extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) component of biomass and obvious morphological changes of microbial colonies during the degradation process. In addition, high-throughput sequencing was employed to reveal the highly diverse bacterial and fungal populations in the reactor. At the same time, genera Sphingobium, Penicillum and Debaryomyces belonging to phyla Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were identified to be the dominant species in high concentration PNP degradation process. This work investigated the tolerable degree of aerobic microbes to PNP toxicity as well as the characteristics of microbial communities at different PNP concentration levels. It might add some new insights into bacterial and fungal communities in high p-nitrophenol concentration degradation processes.

Occurrence of Epistylis anastatica (Linnaeus, 1767) (Ciliophora: Peritrichia) on Mesocyclops isabellae Dussart & Fernando (Crustacea: Copepoda: Cyclopoida) in India, with an annotated checklist of species of Epistylis reported as Epibionts of Cyclopoid Copepods and resources for their identification.

The colonial peritrich ciliate Epistylis anastatica (Linnaeus, 1767) was discovered living as an epibiont on Mesocyclops isabellae Dussart & Fernando, 1988 collected from a pond in Andhra Pradesh state, India. This is the first report of Epistylis on this host, and a description of its morphological characteristics is provided. The biomass of colonies of E. anastatica relative to that of their hosts was relatively high, being greater than that of the host in some cases (8.11 mm³ vs. 1.14 mm³ or less), and this epibiotic burden has the potential to have an impact on the host's activities. Relationships between epibiotic peritrichs and microcrustaceans like cyclopoid copepods may be much more complex than previously supposed and merit more thorough investigation. Species of Epistylis are commonly found on cyclopoid copepods, but resources for taxonomic identification are limited and scattered; therefore, an annotated checklist of all species reported from cyclopoid copepods and a summary of the diagnostic characteristics of each one is provided as an aid to investigators. Some records of Epistylis spp. from cyclopoid copepods that are accompanied by documentary evidence are misidentifications, raising the suspicion that many other undocumented records also may be erroneous; therefore, it is suggested that authors provide supplementary descriptions and figures.

Effect of Carbohydrate Supplementation on Investment into Offspring Number, Size, and Condition in a Social Insect.

Resource availability can determine an organism’s investment strategies for growth and reproduction. When nutrients are limited, there are potential tradeoffs between investing into offspring number versus individual offspring size. In social insects, colony investment in offspring size and number may shift in response to colony needs and the availability of food resources. We experimentally manipulated the diet of a polymorphic ant species (Solenopsis invicta) to test how access to the carbohydrate and amino acid components of nectar resources affect colony investment in worker number, body size, size distributions, and individual percent fat mass. We reared field-collected colonies on one of four macronutrient treatment supplements: water, amino acids, carbohydrates, and amino acid and carbohydrates. Having access to carbohydrates nearly doubled colony biomass after 60 days. This increase in biomass resulted from an increase in worker number and mean worker size. Access to carbohydrates also altered worker body size distributions. Finally, we found a negative relationship between worker number and size, suggesting a tradeoff in colony investment strategies. This tradeoff was more pronounced for colonies without access to carbohydrate resources. The monopolization of plant-based resources has been implicated in the ecological success of ants. Our results shed light on a possible mechanism for this success, and also have implications for the success of introduced species. In addition to increases in colony size, our results suggest that having access to plant-based carbohydrates can also result in larger workers that may have better individual fighting ability, and that can withstand greater temperature fluctuations and periods of food deprivation.

Optimizing the productivity of a coral nursery focused on staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis

The rapid decline of the staghorn coral Acropora cervicornis throughout the Carib- bean prompted the development of coral gardening as a management strategy to restore wild stocks. Given that coral gardening relies on propagating corals collected from wild donor colonies, it is imperative to optimize growth within a nursery to reduce dependence on wild collections. This study determined the maximum amount of coral that may be clipped from a colony during propagation without causing mortality or decreased growth. We applied 3 experimental treat- ments to 12 nursery-reared staghorn corals, in which 25, 50, or 75% of the colony's total biomass was removed and fragmented to create additional, smaller fragments. Four additional colonies served as unfragmented controls. Treatment had no effect on colony productivity, defined as the ratio of new tissue growth to initial colony size, over 87 d. Similarly, treatment had no effect on the rate at which colonies developed new branches. Results indicate that 75% of the biomass of staghorn colonies may be removed without affecting their growth. We anticipate that our obser- vations will have practical applications for maximizing propagation of staghorn coral within nurs- eries throughout the wider Caribbean while minimizing the impact of this management measure on remnant wild populations.

The life history and seasonal cycle of the ant, Pheidole morrisi Forel, as revealed by wax casting

The dimorphic ant, Pheidole morrisi Forel, is the most common ant of the longleaf pine flatwoods ecosystem of northern Florida and occurs throughout the eastern USA. Although ecologically significant, its life history, and annual cycle have been little investigated. The effects of colony size and the annual cycle were described by collecting the full range of colony sizes during each of five seasonal phases (n = 40 total). Nests were cast in wax to capture and census all colony members, and to determine their vertical distribution within the nest. Colony sizes ranged from 800 to 49,000 ants, larger than previous literature reports. Colonies invested in worker production during the spring and fall and reduced worker production as they produced alates in the summer. Colonies over 3000 workers were able to produce alates, but the number was not related to colony size. Vertical distribution of nest volume was strongly top heavy, with the greatest proportion of the nest volume near the surface. The mean weight of majors was about four times that of minors. The mean percentage of total workers that were major workers (11 % by number, 30 % by weight) did not change significantly as colonies grew, but varied with season. Production of major pupae was highest in spring, so that the percentage of colony biomass represented by majors increased from about 27 % in spring to 38 % in late summer. The overall density of the ants was highest in medium-sized colonies, lowest in small colonies, and moderate in large colonies. Broadly, the colony moved lower in the nest from summer to winter and higher from winter to summer. The seasonal vertical distribution of ants suggested that the ants responded to temperature, but not crowding. Temperatures in the nest varied from 12 to 17 °C in the winter to 23–33 °C in the late summer. Broods were nearly always found in the warmest regions. The distribution of callow workers was strongly correlated with that of the brood. The results are discussed in light of the utility of the wax-casting method and the nature of the data needed to describe and understand the superorganism.

Non‐destructive biomass estimation of Oecophylla smaragdina colonies: a model species for the ecological impact of ants

Abstract In most ecosystems, ants are a dominant part of the arthropod community. A thorough understanding of their ecological impact, however, has been hampered by limited availability of data on ant abundance. Therefore, we developed a method allowing quick and non‐destructive estimates of the biomass of Oecophylla smaragdina colonies in mango plantations. The method was based on assessments of ant nest volume in relation to ant trail density and biomass content in relation to nest volume. The relationships between these variables were modelled using Bayesian latent variable models. The resulting models predicted ant biomass from ant trail activity with a maximum uncertainty of approximately 75% of the predicted value. Five O. smaragdina colonies assessed in a mango plantation, ranged in size from 0.67 to 2.98 kg total ant biomass (fresh wt) and 84.578–376.635 workers for the smallest and largest colony respectively. Correspondingly, the density of ants in the plantation was 254 workers m−2 and a total biomass of 2.0 g ant fresh wt m−2. With this proposed method, estimates of O. smaragdina abundance can be obtained non‐destructively with a minimum of workload and it enables the scaling up of physiological experiments on per capita rates. Thus, O. smaragdina can serve as a model species providing information on the impact of ants in tropical ecosystems.