List of plant species found on Victoria Island

While engaged in geoecological field work on Victoria Island, 277 new plants could be recorded for the vicinities of Holman, Cambridge Bay, Wellington Bay, Mt. Pelly, Richardson Islands, Hadley Bay, and Minto lnlet; 8 of them were new for Victoria Island, 6 for the western Canadian arctic archipelago.

Vegetation, soil and site characteristics of samples taken along the Yamal Transet in 2007-2008

The overarching goal of the Yamal portion of the Greening of the Arctic project is to examine how the terrain and anthropogenic factors of reindeer herding and resource development combined with the climate variations on the Yamal Peninsula affect the spatial and temporal patterns of vegetation change and how these changes are in turn affecting traditional herding of the indigenous people of the region. The purpose of the expeditions was to collect groundobservations in support of remote sensing studies at four locations along a transect that traverses all the major bioclimate subzones of the Yamal Peninsula. This data report is a summary of information collected during the 2007 and 2008 expeditions. It includes all the information from the 2008 data report (Walker et al. 2008) plus new information collected at Kharasavey in Aug 2008. The locations included in this report are Nadym (northern taiga subzone), Laborovaya (southern tundra = subzone E of the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM), Vaskiny Dachi (southern typical tundra = subzone D), and Kharasavey (northern typical tundra = subzone C). Another expedition is planned for summer 2009 to the northernmost site at Belyy Ostrov (Arctic tundra = subzone B). Data are reported from 10 study sites - 2 at Nadym, 2 at Laborovaya, and 3 at Vaskiny Dachi and 3 at Kharasavey. The sites are representative of the zonal soils and vegetation, but also include variation related to substrate (clayey vs. sandy soils). Most of the information was collected along 5 transects at each sample site, 5 permanent vegetation study plots, and 1-2 soil pits at each site. The expedition also established soil and permafrost monitoring sites at each location. This data report includes: (1) background for the project, (2) general descriptions and photographs of each locality and sample site, (3) maps of the sites, study plots, and transects at each location, (4) summary of sampling methods used, (5) tabular summaries of the vegetation data (species lists, estimates of cover abundance for each species within vegetation plots, measured percent ground cover of species along transects, site factors for each study plot), (6) summaries of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and leaf area index (LAI) along each transect, (7) soil descriptions and photos of the soil pits at each study site, (8) summaries of thaw measurements along each transect, and (9) contact information for each of the participants. One of the primary objectives was to provide the Russian partners with full documentation of the methods so that Russian observers in future years could repeat the observations independently.

Plant species, biomass and environmental characteristics of relevés along the North America Arctic bioclimate gradient

Question: How do interactions between the physical environment and biotic properties of vegetation influence the formation of small patterned-ground features along the Arctic bioclimate gradient? Location: At 68° to 78°N: six locations along the Dalton Highway in arctic Alaska and three in Canada (Banks Island, Prince Patrick Island and Ellef Ringnes Island). Methods: We analysed floristic and structural vegetation, biomass and abiotic data (soil chemical and physical parameters, the n-factor [a soil thermal index] and spectral information [NDVI, LAI]) on 147 microhabitat releves of zonalpatterned-ground features. Using mapping, table analysis (JUICE) and ordination techniques (NMDS). Results: Table analysis using JUICE and the phi-coefficient to identify diagnostic species revealed clear groups of diagnostic plant taxa in four of the five zonal vegetation complexes. Plant communities and zonal complexes were generally well separated in the NMDS ordination. The Alaska and Canada communities were spatially separated in the ordination because of different glacial histories and location in separate floristic provinces, but there was no single controlling environmental gradient. Vegetation structure, particularly that of bryophytes and total biomass, strongly affected thermal properties of the soils. Patterned-ground complexes with the largest thermal differential between the patterned-ground features and the surrounding vegetation exhibited the clearest patterned-ground morphologies.

Présence de Cuon alpinus europaeus BOURGUIGNAT, 1868 (Mammalia, Carnivora) dans le Pléistocène du Portugal

A fragment of the lower jaw of cuon (Cuon alpinus europaeus BOURGUIGNAT, 1868) found at gruta do Escoural is studied. It is the first occurrence recorded for the Pleistocene of Portugal.

How does the body-scale model affect back-calculated growth: the example of arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus (L.) of Lake Geneva (Switzerland)

When back-calculating fish length from scale measurements, the choice of the body-scale relationship is a fundamental step. Using data from the arctic charrSalvelinus alpinus (L.) of Lake Geneva (Switzerland) we show the need for a curvilinear model, on both statistical and biological grounds. From several 2-parameters models, the log-linear relationship appears to provide the best fit. A 3-parameters, Bertalanffy model did not improve the fit. We show moreover that using the proportional model would lead to important misinterpretations of the data.

Estequiometria i metabolòmica d'Alopecurus pratensis i Holcus lanatus en condicions de sequera

La variabilitat de l’estequiometria elemental dels organismes a causa de l’ontogènia i dels canvis en les condicions ambientals està relacionada amb la variabilitat metabolòmica. Això és degut a que els elements operen majoritàriament com a parts de compostos moleculars. Així doncs, la hipòtesi realitzada per Rivas-Ubach et al., (2012), la qual postula que els estudis estequiomètrics i metabolòmics d’un conjunt d’espècies vegetals exposades a condicions ambientals diferents han de mostrar la flexibilitat que posseeix un organisme a l’hora de modular la seva estequiometria i el seu metaboloma per tal de mantenir la forma òptima sota condicions variants, esdevé la base que sustenta l’experiment EVENT II. A partir de l’estudi de les relacions estequiomètriques, -principalment C:N:P- i del metabolisme d’Alopecurus pratensis i Holcus lanatus en situacions simulades de sequera, s’han obtingut resultats que evidencien una clara diferenciació a nivell d’espècie, de part de la planta i de tractament. El metabolisme i l’estequiometria diferencial que presenten ambdues gramínies dóna suport a la hipòtesi del nínxol biogeoquímic. A nivell de parts de la planta, s’observa un clar augment de la relació C:nutrients a la part aèria, mentre que a les arrels, aquesta relació disminueix. La part aèria doncs, necessita més C per invertir en funcions estructurals, mentre que l’elevada concentració de nutrients i metabòlits a les arrels donen indicis de la presència de mecanismes osmòtics per a facilitar l’entrada d’aigua, i de creixement, per a la recerca de noves fonts d’aigua, observant-se una disminució de la relació part aèria:arrels. Un altre factor que demostra aquest creixement radicular són les baixes relacions N:P trobades, fet que dóna suport a la hipòtesi de la velocitat de creixement.

G-banded karyotype of the alpine shrew, Sorex alpinus (Mammalia, Soricidae), from the Sumava Mts

The G-banded karyotype of two individuals of the alpine shrew Sorer alpinus collected from the Sumava Mountains (Czech Republic) is presented. The diploid number of chromosomes was 56 and both the morphology and the G-banding pattern of chromosomes appeared to be very similar Gto those reported from the Alps and the Jura Mountains. This is the first report on the G-banded chromosomes of this species outside Switzerland and eastern France.

Distribution and population genetic variation of cryptic species of the Alpine mayfly Baetis alpinus (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) in the Central Alps.

BACKGROUND: Many species contain evolutionarily distinct groups that are genetically highly differentiated but morphologically difficult to distinguish (i.e., cryptic species). The presence of cryptic species poses significant challenges for the accurate assessment of biodiversity and, if unrecognized, may lead to erroneous inferences in many fields of biological research and conservation. RESULTS: We tested for cryptic genetic variation within the broadly distributed alpine mayfly Baetis alpinus across several major European drainages in the central Alps. Bayesian clustering and multivariate analyses of nuclear microsatellite loci, combined with phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial DNA, were used to assess population genetic structure and diversity. We identified two genetically highly differentiated lineages (A and B) that had no obvious differences in regional distribution patterns, and occurred in local sympatry. Furthermore, the two lineages differed in relative abundance, overall levels of genetic diversity as well as patterns of population structure: lineage A was abundant, widely distributed and had a higher level of genetic variation, whereas lineage B was less abundant, more prevalent in spring-fed tributaries than glacier-fed streams and restricted to high elevations. Subsequent morphological analyses revealed that traits previously acknowledged as intraspecific variation of B. alpinus in fact segregated these two lineages. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings indicate that even common and apparently ecologically well-studied species may consist of reproductively isolated units, with distinct evolutionary histories and likely different ecology and evolutionary potential. These findings emphasize the need to investigate hidden diversity even in well-known species to allow for appropriate assessment of biological diversity and conservation measures.

Outbreaks of an ulcerative and haemorrhagic disease in Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus caused by Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. smithia

Arctic char Salvelinus alpinus farmed in different places in Austria and free of the viral diseases viral haemorrhagic septcaemia (VHS), infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN) and infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) experienced disease and mortality. Diseased fish showed skin ulceration and pathological signs of sepsis. Aeromonas sp. was isolated as pure culture from the kidney of freshly euthanized diseased fish. Three independent isolates from outbreaks that occurred on 2 of the affected farms were analyzed phylogenetically by DNA sequence analysis of the rrs and gyrB genes and phenotypically with biochemical reactions. All 3 isolates were identified as Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. smithia. Analysis of virulence genes in these isolates revealed the presence of a Type III secretion system as well as several related virulence effector genes including aexT, encoding the Aeromonas exotoxin AexT, aopP and aopH. These genes are characteristic for virulent strains of typical and atypical subspecies of A. salmonicida.

Within-Season Homing Movements of Displaced Mature Sunapee Trout (Salvelinus Alpinus) in Floods Pond, Maine

Tagging, displacemenat nd recapture, and ultrasonict racking of displaced mature Sunapee trout (Salvelinusa Ipinus) in Floods Pond, Maine, demonstrated that rapid within-season homing occurs in this relict form of Arctic char. Of the trout displaced about 1.8 km from their spawning ground from 1972 to 1975, 9% to 32% were recaptured one to four times within the same spawning season in trap nets set on the spawning ground. Eight of 14 trout tracked ultrasonically in 1975 homed in 2.5 to 10.0 h. Movements of the homing fish were variable; some trout homed paralleling the shoreline, others homed in open water or used a combination of near-shore and open-water movements. Behavior was similar between the sexes and during day and night, although two fish did begin to move just at sundown. Swimming speeds ranged from 15 to 35 cm s- 1 and averaged about 0 .6 body lengths s -1•. Swimming directions were not influenced by wind and wave direction, nor were swimming speeds within individual tracks influenced by cloud cover, wave height, or water depth. Heavy overcast at night m&y have inhibited movement. Sunapee trout are apparently familiar with the entire lake and travel widely within it. Visual features are postulated as orientational cues, though use of such cues is not clearly demonstrated by our experiments.