A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SEA LAMPREY (PETROMYZON MARINUS L.), RIVER LAMPREY (LAMPETRA FLUVIATILIS (L.)) AND BROOK LAMPREY (LAMPETRA PLANERI (BLOCH)) IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Lampreys are endangered in Europe, and European states are legally required to take measures to ensure their protection. However, there is currently little information on the distribution of the three species present in Northern Ireland. Anecdotal records of adult lampreys were collated from anglers and other sources, and a systematic electrofishing survey was undertaken to establish the distribution of lamprey ammocoetes. Lampreys were found in seven of the nine Northern Irish river catchments. Brook lampreys (Lampetra planeri (Bloch)) were widely distributed, but the two anadromous species, sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L.) and river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis (L.)), were more limited in their distribution, possibly due to barriers restricting migration.

Temporal changes in the distribution of native and introduced freshwater amphipods in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

Studies of invasion scenarios over long time periods are important to refine explanations and predictions of invasion success and impact. We used data from surveys in 1958 and 1999 of the macroinvertebrates of Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland, to assess changes in the distribution of native and introduced amphipods in relation to the wider assemblage. In 1958, the invader G. tigrinus dominated the shoreline fauna, with the native G. d. celticus present in very low numbers, whereas in 1999 the reverse was evident. In both surveys, G. tigrinus was the only amphipod present in the mid-Lough. G. tigrinus thus seems to have become established within L. Neagh, perhaps overshot and then senesced, with the native species re-establishing on the shoreline, with the invader mostly restricted to the deep mid-Lough. The non-amphipod macroinvertebrate assemblage was similar between the two surveys, in terms of Bray-Curtis community similarity, assemblage diversity, dominance and the taxa based ASPT water quality index. However, the mean density of macroinvertebrates (all taxa combined) was lower in 1999 compared to 1958, largely accounted for by a decline in oligochaete numbers. Since Gammarus species may be predators of other macroinvertebrates and influence their distribution and abundance, we investigated this trophic link in staged laboratory encounters. Both G. tigrinus and G. d. celticus preyed on isopods, alderflies, mayflies, chironomids and mysids, however, the native G. d. celticus had a significantly greater predatory impact on isopods and chironomids than did the invader G. tigrinus. While we cannot definitively ascribe cause and effect in the present scenario, we discuss how replacement of one amphipod species by another may have impacts on the wider macroinvertebrate assemblage.

Distribution of the common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) and landscape favourability for the species in Northern Ireland

The common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) is Ireland’s only native reptile, forming a key part of the island’s biodiversity. However, there is a general paucity of distributional and abundance data for the species. In this study, we collated incidental records for common lizard sightings to define the distribution of the species in Northern Ireland. Maximum entropy modelling was employed to describe species-habitat associations. The resulting predicted landscape favourability was used to evaluate the current status of the species based on the distribution of its maximum potential range in relation to the degree of fragmentation of remaining suitable habitat. In common with previous studies in the Republic of Ireland, sightings were highly clustered indicating under-recording, observer bias, and fragmentation of suitable habitat. A total of 98 records were collated from 1905 to 2009. The species was recorded in 63 (ca. 34%) of 186 × 10 km Northern Irish grid squares. Lizard occurrence was strongly and positively associated with landscapes dominated by heathland, bog and coastal habitats. The single best approximating model correctly classified the presence of lizards in 84.2% of cases. Upland heath, lowland raised bog and sand dune systems are all subject to Habitat Action Plans in Northern Ireland and are threatened by conversion to agriculture, afforestation, invasive species encroachment and infrastructural development. Consequently, remaining common lizard populations are likely to be small, isolated and highly fragmented. Establishment of an ecological network to preserve connectivity of remaining heath and bog will not only benefit remaining common lizard populations but biodiversity in general.

The Effect of Volume Shape Factor on the Crystal Size Distribution of Fragments due to Attrition

The effect of volume shape factor on crystal size distribution (CSD) is usually ignored to simplify the analysis of population balance equation. In the present work, the CSD of fragments generated from a mechanically stirred crystallizer as the result of attrition mechanism has been reported when the volume shape factor conforms to normal distribution. The physical model of GAHN and MERSMANN which relates the attrition resistance of a crystalline substances to its mechanical properties has been employed. The simulation of fragment size distribution was performed by Monte Carlo (MC) technique. The results are compared with those reported by GAHN and MERSMANN.

On the Distribution of Signal Phase in Body Area Networks

In this letter, we investigate the distribution of the phase component of the complex received signal observed in practical experiments using body area networks. Two phase distributions, the recently proposed kappa-mu and eta-mu probability densities, which together encompass the most widely used fading models, namely Semi-Gaussian, Rayleigh, Hoyt, Rice, and Nakagami-m, have been compared with measurement data. The kappa-mu distribution has been found to provide the best fit over a range of on-body links, while the user was mobile. The experiments were carried out in two dissimilar indoor environments at opposite ends of the multipath spectrum. It has also been found that the uniform phase distribution has not arisen in anyone of the experiments.

The Area Distribution of Solar Magnetic Bright Points

Magnetic bright points (MBPs) are among the smallest observable objects on the solar photosphere. A combination of G-band observations and numerical simulations is used to determine their area distribution. An automatic detection algorithm, employing one-dimensional intensity profiling, is utilized to identify these structures in the observed and simulated data sets. Both distributions peak at an area of approximate to 45,000 km(2), with a sharp decrease toward smaller areas. The distributions conform with log-normal statistics, which suggests that flux fragmentation dominates over flux convergence. Radiative magneto-convection simulations indicate an independence in the MBP area distribution for differing magnetic flux densities. The most commonly occurring bright point size corresponds to the typical width of inter-granular lanes.