Benthic algae of the Xiangxi River, China

From June 2000 to June 2002, four sites on the mainstem of the Xiangxi River and one site on each of its major tributaries were sampled 16 times each for benthic algae. All total, 223 taxa (most to species and variety levels) were found (193 Bacillariophyta, 20 Chlorophyta, nine Cyanophyta and one Xanthophyta). The diatoms Cocconeis placentula, Achnanthes linearis, and Diatoma vulgare dominated the system, with relative abundance of 33.3%, 18.8%, and 6.4%, respectively. The abundances of all the other taxa were under 5%, and 210 taxa collectively contributed less than 1% of the total abundance. Taxa diversity peaked in winter and reached a minimum in summer. Species richness varied considerably but was not significantly different over time. Maximum algal density occurred in later winter/spring (1.4 x 10(9) ind./m(2)) but was not significantly different from the minimum density, which occurred in August. Chlorophyll a showed similar seasonal fluctuation but also was not significantly different over time. Canonical correspondence analysis demonstrated that water hardness, depth, conductivity, and alkalinity had important influences on variation of epilithic algae in the Xiangxi River system.

九寨沟核心景区湖泊硅藻的组成及其密度与环境因子的关系

九寨沟自然保护区地处四川盆地北部岷山山脉南段，属川西高原气候中的暖温带。保护区内分布着118 个串珠状排列的高山湖泊，核心景区共有湖泊20 个（组），集中在海拔2000 米到3000 米之间。水资源是九寨沟的灵魂，保护水生生态系统是九寨沟生态旅游可持续发展的立足之本。本研究以九寨沟湿地生物多样性保护项目为依托，于2007 年5 月～2008 年4 月对九寨沟核心景区湖泊水体硅藻植物进行调查，分析了其密度与环境因子的相互关系，旨在为九寨沟湖泊生态系统保护提供科学依据和基础资料。主要有以下几点结论： （1）九寨沟硅藻植物丰富，调查统计为2 纲6 目10 科35 属159 种（包括变种和变型），水体硅藻中真性浮游种类较少，着生种类多，羽纹纲的脆杆藻属、舟形藻属、桥弯藻属、异极藻属、曲壳藻属的种类最多，常为优势属组成湖泊硅藻群落，只在长海是小环藻属占绝对优势。 （2）九寨沟水体中硅藻细胞密度不大，多在4×104～30×104 个/L，长海最高，五花海最低。在年变化上，不同的湖泊水体中硅藻的生长高峰季节不尽相同，在夏季、秋末和冬末春初均有可能出现高密度。在空间上，整体看来密度与海拔有一定的正相关，但由于水温不是单一主导因素，密度受多种环境因子影响，在海拔梯度上呈现一定的波浪状变化。 （3）影响九寨沟湖泊水体硅藻细胞密度较重要的环境因子是海拔、水温和pH。硅藻细胞密度年变化幅度大的湖泊水体，年平均细胞密度大。因此，环境因素不太稳定的湖泊水体，更可能出现高的硅藻细胞密度。11 月份响应于水量剧烈的减少，细齿菱形藻大量出现在五彩池成为优势种群，造成水体硅藻细胞密度的大幅增加。 （4）九寨沟湖泊水体水质几乎达到国家地表水I 类标准，但是，硅藻商指数以及代表多样性的Cairns 指数计算的结果不能反映水质的情况，这是由于水质状况不是决定九寨沟湖泊水体中硅藻生存的种类和数量的主要因素。因此在用各种指数分析水质的时候，都应该先判断计算该指数的参数是否主要由水质状况决定，然后再综合理化性质等其他指标分析和比较。 （5）人类的活动对九寨沟湖泊水生态系统有一定的影响。一方面，在低海拔景点人类活动的干扰比海拔高处相对要大，干扰引起低海拔景点湖泊硅藻Cairns指数较高；另一方面，旺季的影响比淡季大，水体中出现了典型富营养种类。因此，应加强低海拔景点和旺季的管理，并限制淡季的人类活动以保证九寨沟生态系统的自我恢复。 Jiuzhaigou nature reserve is located in north Sichuan, at the south section of Minshan Mountain, having a warm temperate climate which belongs to West Sichuan plateau climate. It includes 118 mountain lakes, and 20 of them between 2000 and 3000 altitude degree constitute the core area of Jiuzhaigou. The water is Jiuzhaigou's soul, so it is the basis of sustainable tourism development of Jiuzhaigou to protect the water ecological environment. Research depends on Jiuzhaigou wetland biodiversity protection program in this paper, invested the diatom plants in 17 lakes at the core area from May 2007 to April 2008. The composition and the correlation of diatom density and the environment were studied, which could provide scientific and basic information for the protection of the ecological environment of Jiuzhaigou. The main conclusions were: 1 The diatom species were in abundance, investigation showed that there were 159 species belong to 10 families and 35 genera. Most diatoms were benthos, euplankton were less. Genera Fragilaria, Navicula, Cymbella, Gomphonema and Achnanthes had the most species, which always were the dominant genera. Only in The Long Lake genus Cyclotella possessed a predominant status. 2 The diatom cell density was not very high, always between 4×104 cell/L and 30×104 cell/L, highest in The Long Lake and lowest in The Colorful Lake. In one year's time, diatom in different lakes had different growth type. The maximum could be in summer, late autumn and late winter early spring. The cell density showed a positive correlation to altitude in the whole, but fluctuated in details along altitude because of comprehensive influence by many environmental factors. 3 Altitude, water temperature and pH were the more important factors to determine the cell density. There was a positive correlation between the range of cell density in one year and the average cell density. So high annual cell average density probably will appear in lakes which has an unstable environmental condition. The boom of Denticula elegans in The Jade-Colored Lake in November was corresponding to the large decrease in water quantity. 4 The water quality of Jiuzhaigou was near the National Surface Water Standard rank I, but the Diatom Quotient and the Cairns Index didn't reflect the water quality accordingly. It was because the water quality wasn't the most important factor here which determined the species number and species quantity, so the index based on these items would not reflect it. Therefore, it is recommended that, when we use indices to evaluate the water quality, we should know first whether the water quality is the main determinative factor inflects the items used to compute the indices, and then combined with other chemical indices to analyze and do comparison. 5 The tourists' activities had influenced the water ecosystem of Jiuzhaigou. On the one hand, disturbance was relatively high at the lower altitude, it resulted in higher Cairns index; on the other hand, influence in high season was more severe than in low season, some typical species indicating eutrophication were observed in the water. It is suggested that the management at lower altitude and in high season must be strengthen, and less people activity in low season is necessary to fulfill the recovery of the water ecosystem.

Two species of caridean shrimps (Decapoda:Hippolytidae and Nematocarcinidae) newly recorded from hydrothermally vents on the Manus Basin, Southwestern Pacific.

Two species of caridean shrimps are newly recorded from hydrothermal vents on the Manus Basin, southwestern Pacific, at depths of 1540-1577m. Lebbeus manus, new species, is related to L.curvirostris Zarenkov, 1976, L.elegans Komai, Hayashi & Kohtsuka, 2004, L.longipes (Kobjakova, 1936), L.vicinus vicinus (Rathbun, 1902) and L.vicinus motereyensis (Wicksten & Mendez, 1982) because of the lack of strap-like epipods on the second and third pereopods; but characters of the rostrum, carapace and abdomen immediately distinguish the new species from the these five taxa. Subadult and juvenile specimens of Nematocarcinus are referred to N.sp.aff.exilis, but their definite identification is postponed until additional specimens become available for study. There are a few minor differences between the present Manus specimens and European specimens representing N.exilis (Bate, 1888), suggesting that the Manus population may indeed represent a separate species.

Distribución, características y procesamiento de la pesquería de centolla Lithodes panamensis.

El área de trabajo comprendió de 7°S a 16°S, en profundidades de 768 a 1506 m y distancia de la costa entre 19 y 44 mn. Se pescaron cuatro especies de centolla: Paralomis longipes (más representativa), Lithodes wiracocha, L. panamensis y Lopholithodes diomedeae. Las tallas en P. longipes variaron entre 69 y 172 mm, en L. wiracocha entre 39 y 145 mm, L. panamensis presentó un rango de 90 a 138 mm. En todos los ejemplares muestreados las hembras presentaron menores tamaños que los machos. Los desembarques mostraron una tendencia ascendente de diciembre a mayo, con mayores valores en abril (28.989 kg) y mayo (28.865 kg). El esfuerzo varió entre 132 y 377 lances por mes, mostrando los máximos valores en enero y mayo.

Investigación de crustáceos de profundidad en la zona de Pisco - Callao

Entre el 14 y 27 de diciembre del 2005, se efectuó el crucero de investigación de crustáceos de profundidad a bordo del BIC Imarpe VI. Se realizaron 14 lances entre 12°S y 15°S y en dos estratos de profundidad (A: 700-1000 m, B: 1000-1400 m). Las operaciones de pesca se realizaron durante el día. En los experimentos de captura fueron utilizados diferentes tipos de mallas, carnadas y color de la boca de entrada de la nasa. Se registraron 4 especies: Paralomis longipes, Lithodes wiracocha, Lithodes panamensis y Lopholithodes diomedeae, siendo la de mayor incidencia Paralomis longipes. Se capturaron un total de 327 ejemplares con 305 kg. Los mayores rendimientos se registraron en el estrato B en 14°S y se encontraron los mayores tamaños de P. longipes, sin embargo, Lithodes panamensis alcanzó mayores tamaños que P. longipes. La proporción sexual fue favorable a machos. Las hembras de P. longipes en su mayoría portaban huevos. Se observó y estimó la incidencia de parásitos rizocefalos, epibiontes y la frecuencia de muda.

A systematic revision of Goniosomatinae (Arachnida : Opiliones : Gonyleptidae), with a cladistic analysis and biogeographical notes

Goniosomatine harvestmen have strongly armed pedipalps, generally large bodies and, commonly, very long legs (sometimes more than 20 cm), and are distributed in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, from southern Bahia to Santa Catarina. Since they are conspicuous animals and individuals of some species tend to concentrate in caves (and also under rock boulders), they have been (and still are) the target of several studies, especially those focusing on reproductive and defensive behavior, population ecology, physiology, chromosomes, etc. In spite of their importance for biological studies (some species constitute important and frequently used models for these studies), the taxonomy of Goniosomatinae has faced some problems, including misidentification, a large number of undescribed species and the lack of a phylogenetic hypothesis for the relationships among its species (which would allow evolutionary studies to be made). The last taxonomic changes in the subfamily were made 60 years ago. Considering a taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of the subfamily to be of paramount importance, the main scope of the present paper is to provide a cladistic analysis and taxonomic revision of the species of Goniosomatinae and a new arrangement of genera (and species). The main taxonomic changes are given as follows. Six genera are recognised within the subfamily: Goniosoma; the newly described genus Pyatan; the reestablished genera Serracutisoma, Heteromitobates and Mitogoniella; and Acutisoma. New generic synonyms include: Glyptogoniosoma = Goniosomella = Lyogoniosoma = Metalyogoniosoma = Xulapona = Goniosoma, Acutisomelloides = Pygosomoides = Spelaeosoma = Serracutisoma; and Acutisomella = Heteromitobates. Newly described species include: Goniosoma capixaba; G. apoain; Pyatan insperatum DaSilva, Stefanini-Jim & Gnaspini; Serracutisoma pseudovarium; S. fritzmuelleri; S. guaricana; Heteromitobates anarchus; H. harlequin; H. alienus; Mitogoniella taquara; M. unicornis; and Acutisoma coriaceum. New combinations include: Goniosoma macracanthum (Mello-Leitao, 1922); G. unicolor (Mello-Leitao, 1932); G. carum (Mello-Leitao, 1936); Serracutisoma proximum (Mello-Leitao, 1922); S. banhadoae (Soares & Soares, 1947); S. molle (Mello-Leitao, 1933); S. thalassinum (Simon, 1879); S. catarina (Machado, Pinto-da-Rocha & Ramires, 2002); S. inerme (Mello-Leitao, 1927); S. spelaeum (MelloLeitao, 1933); Heteromitobates inscriptus (Mello-Leitao, 1922); H. albiscriptus (Mello-Leitao, 1932); Mitogoniella modesta (Perty, 1833); and M. badia (Koch, 1839). Reestablished combinations include: Mitogoniella indistincta MelloLeitao, 1936 and Acutisoma longipes Roewer, 1913. New speci. c synonyms include: Acutisomella cryptoleuca = Acutisomella intermedia = Goniosoma junceum = Goniosoma patruele = Goniosoma xanthophthalmum = Metalyogoniosoma unum = Goniosoma varium, Goniosoma geniculatum = Goniosoma venustum; Goniosomella perlata = Progoniosoma minense = Goniosoma vatrax, Glyptogoniosoma perditum = Progoniosoma cruciferum = Progoniosoma tijuca = Goniosoma dentipes; Leitaoius iguapensis = Leitaoius viridifrons = Serracutisoma proximum; Acutisoma marumbicola = Acutisoma patens = Serracutisoma thalassinum; Progoniosoma tetrasetae = Serracutisoma inerme; and Acutisoma monticola = Leitaoius nitidissimus = Leitaoius xanthomus = Mitogoniella mutila = Acutisoma longipes. The following species are considered species inquirenda: Goniosoma lepidum Gervais, 1844; G. monacanthum Gervais, 1844; G. obscurum Perty, 1833; G. versicolor Perty, 1833; and Mitogoniella badia (Koch, 1839). The monotpic genus Goniosomoides Mello-Leitao, 1932 (and its species, G. viridans Mello-Leitao, 1932) is removed from Goniosomatinae and considered incertae sedis.

Ecologia da comunidade de diatomáceas epilíticas de um sistema de rio de baixa ordem da região hidrográfica do Guaíba : subsídios ao monitoramento ambiental de ecossistemas aquáticos sul brasileiros

Os sistemas de monitoramento utilizando diatomáceas foram desenvolvidos, em sua maioria, para monitorar os efeitos da poluição orgânica e da eutrofização, adotando como parâmetros de referência a demanda biológica de oxigênio após cinco dias e a concentração de fósforo total. Entretanto, vários fatores naturais têm sido apontados como causadores de variação na composição destas comunidades em rios. Por isso, grandes mudanças estruturais não provam necessariamente a hipótese de que tenha ocorrido algum evento poluidor. Neste contexto, a partir da relação entre a estrutura da comunidade de diatomáceas epilíticas da microbacia do arroio Schmidt, RS, Brasil, mudanças na qualidade da água e alterações físicas do meio, como fluxo, sombreamento ripário, largura e profundidade, objetivou-se colher subsídios para aplicação em programas de manejo e conservação de ecossistemas aquáticos. Durante os meses de janeiro e fevereiro de 2004, foram realizadas quatro excursões científicas a seis estações, totalizando 24 amostragens, para medição das seguintes variáveis: condutividade elétrica, oxigênio dissolvido em saturação, pH, turbidez, demanda biológica de oxigênio em cinco dias (DBO5), demanda química de oxigênio (DQO), fósforo total, nitrato, sólidos totais dissolvidos, sólidos suspensos, sílica, profundidade de submersão do substrato, velocidade da correnteza, diâmetro dos seixos, largura do rio e sombreamento em função da vegetação ripária. Para as análises qualitativas e quantitativas das diatomáceas epilíticas, uma área de 25 cm2 foi raspada de cinco replicatas O material foi oxidado com dicromato de potássio, ácido sulfúrico e clorídrico para confecção de lâminas permanentes. Padrões de distribuição e abundância das espécies foram explorados através da Análise de Espécies Indicadoras e os fatores ambientais responsáveis por esta distribuição foram evidenciados pela Análise de Correspondência Canônica. Os resultados confirmaram a preferência de Cymbella e Encyonema por águas lentas e elevada luminosidade, bem como a adaptabilidade de Cocconeis ao sombreamento. Nitzschia acicularis, Surirella tenera e Planothidium rupestoides revelaram-se indicadoras de ambientes meso-eutróficos. Encyonema perpusilum destacou-se no habitat oligo/β- mesossapróbico, e Sellaphora pupula no sítio de maior concentração de eletrólitos. Pelo cruzamento das respostas das espécies à saturação de oxigênio, DBO5, DQO, condutividade, fósforo total, sólidos totais dissolvidos e turbidez, foi possível estabelecer dois grupos sinalizadores de qualidade: Achnanthes sp. 3, Cocconeis fluviatilis, Navicula angusta, Nitzschia acicularis, Tryblionella victoriae, Pinnularia cf. obscura, Planothidium rupestoides, Sellaphora pupula, Stenopterobia sp. e Surirella tenera, relacionadas com maior impacto antropogênico, e Achnanthes sp. 2, Encyonema perpusilum, Geissleria aikenensis, Luticola goeppertiana, Navicula symmetrica e Nitzschia amphibia, referindo-se a ambientes mais oxigenados, pouco mineralizados e com reduzidos teores de compostos orgânicos. Estas informações também constituem subsídios para estudos paleolimnológicos envolvendo a reconstituição de paleoambientes (e.g. maior abundância de Cymbella indicando ambientes lênticos) e a concentração de paleonutrientes (e.g. Nitzschia acicularis designando períodos de maior eutrofização).

Estudos taxonômicos em Solanaceae lenhosas no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Nas últimas décadas o conhecimento florístico e taxonômico sobre a família Solanaceae no Rio Grande do Sul tem recebido incremento significativo de informações. Dos gêneros com espécies nativas, Bouchetia, Calibrachoa, Nicotiana, Nierembergia, Petunia e Solanum já foram alvo de revisões. Visando complementar o estudo desta família no Estado, foram estudados os gêneros Acnistus, Athenaea, Aureliana, Brunfelsia, Capsicum, Cestrum, Dyssochroma, Grabowskia, Lycianthes, Solandra e Vassobia, além das espécies do gênero Solanum seção Pachyphylla (Cyphomandra sensu lato). Foram catalogadas 22 espécies nativas, sendo três destas, novas citações de ocorrência. Para os onze primeiros gêneros foram identificados 19 espécies, dos quais cinco são de ocorrência restrita (Athenaea picta, Dyssochroma longipes, Grabowskia duplicata, Lycianthes rantonnei e Solandra grandiflora). A seção Pachyphylla do gênero Solanum está representada por três espécies. Dessa forma, foram atualizados os dados quali e quantitativos sobre a participação da família Solanaceae na flora sul-riograndense. Para cada gênero e para cada táxon específico foram elaboradas descrições, e acrescentados dados sobre fenologia, hábitat, comentários pertinentes e mapas de ocorrência. Chaves analíticas para identificação das espécies, quando mais de uma, também foram elaboradas. A revisão de doze herbários regionais possibilitou a elaboração de uma sinopse taxonômica e de uma chave analítica para identificação dos gêneros presentes no Estado. Dos 27 gêneros confirmados, 22 têm espécies nativas. O número de espécies nativas é de 114 e o de introduzidas, cultivadas ou assilvestradas, é até o momento 26.

Floral anatomy of Neotropical species of Mayacaceae

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudos taxonômicos e anatômicos em Mayacaceae kunth

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Ordem Achnanthales (Bacillariophyceae) de águas doces do Estado de São Paulo: levantamento florístico

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diets of Baird’s Beaked Whales, Berardius bairdii, in the Southern Sea Of Okhotsk and Off the Pacific Coast Of Honshu, Japan

Stomach contents were analyzed from 127 Baird’s beaked whales, Berardizls bairdii, taken in coastal waters of Japan. During late July-August of 1985- 1987, 1989, and 1991, 107 samples were collected from off the Pacific coast of Honshu. An additional 20 samples were collected from whales taken in the southern Sea of Okhotsk during late August-September of 1988 and 1989. Prey identification using fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks revealed the whales fed primarily on deep-water gadiform fishes and cephalopods in both regions. Prey species diversity and the percentage of cephalopods and fish differed between the two regions. Off the Pacific coast of Honshu the whales fed primarily on benthopelagic fishes (81.8%) and only 18.0% on cephalopods. Eight species of fish representing two families, the codlings (Moridae) and the grenadiers (Macrouridde), collectively made up 81.3% of the total. Thirty species of cephalopods representing 14 families made up 12.7%. In the southern Sea of Okhotsk, cephalopods accounted for 87.1% of stomach contents. The families Gonatidae and Cranchiidae were the predominant cephalopod prey, accounting for 86.7% of the diet. Gadiform fish accounted for only 12.9% of the diet. Longfin codling, Laernonma longipes, was the dominant fish prey in both regions. Depth distribution of the two commonly consumed fish off the Pacific coast of Honshu indicate the whales in this region fed primarily at depths ranging from 800 to 1,200 m.

Diatoms and Tonsteins as Paleoenvironrnental and Paleodepositional Indicators in a Miocene Coal Bed, Costa Rica

Fresh-water diatoms are present in coal, and tonsteins (altered volcanic ash) are interbedded with the coal, in the Miocene Venado Formation on the southwest margin of the Limon Basin, in Provincia Alajuela, northern Costa Rica. The Venado Formation is composed of more than 300 m of mudstone, siltstone, sandstone, limestone, volcaniclastics, and coal beds. The coal beds are of unknown lateral extent and mainly occur in the middle part of the formation. The Pataste coal bed occurs near the middle of the formation and is divided into three parts by two tonstein layers. The abundance of biogenic opaline material (diatoms) in the coal is believed to be a direct response to an influx of silica from volcanic tuffs that Later altered to the tonsteins. Diatoms are a useful microscopic tool for identifying the depositional environments of the Pataste coal deposit. The diatoms identified include Aulacosira ambigua, Pinnularia sp., Eunotia spp., and Achnanthes exigua, among others. The abundance of Aulacosira arnbigua suggests that an open-water lacustrine environment was present locally. Achnanthes exigua and the remaining diatom species are benthic forms that lived in shallow fresh-water to slightly acidic swamp environments. The different types of diatoms found in the coal indicate that swamp environments were intermixed with lacustrine environments during the formation of the peat deposit or that the coal records environmental changes through time.