Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Gypsy Moth and Its Parasites in North America: A Community in Equilibrium?

Tallamy (1983) presented data suggesting that the parasite community of the gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar, (GM) in North America had reached an equilibrium of about 10 native and introduced species. Tallamy's data conform to the equilibrium predictions of island biogeography (MacArthur and Wilson 1967), and in his analysis North American populations of GM are the island, and dipteran and hymenopteran parasites that attack the immature stages of the moth are the island colonists. Unfortunately, because portions of Tallamy's data set are incomplete and inaccurate, the notion that the parasites of the GM island are in a dynamic equilibrium remains unsubstantiated. Tallamy's analysis is based on parasite records from North American GM populations from three time periods (1905-1914, 1921-1932, and 1968-1974), intervals during which major efforts were made to establish foreign parasites (Hoy 1976; Sabrosky and Reardon 1976). The concordance with the dynamic equilibrium state of island biogeography theory comes from two features of the curve relating the number of established parasites with time. First, Tallamy notes that most successful introductions (6 of 10) occurred during the first episode of biological control introductions (1905-1914). Despite one of the largest biological control efforts in history, few subsequent introductions involving more than 60 parasite species have been successful (USDA 1981). Only three additional species were established between 1921 and 1932, and none have been established since then. Tallamy's curve (fig. 1, p. 246 of his paper), combined with three early records of native parasites (Howard and Fiske 1911), is strikingly similar to the colonization curve of MacArthur and Wilson (1967, p. 40, fig. 20b). Second, Tallamy generates colonization and extinction curves (p. 248, fig. 2), again reminiscent of those in MacArthur and Wilson's equilibrium model of the biota of a single island (MacArthur and Wilson 1967, p. 21, fig. 7). These curves intersect at an equilibrium of about 10 species, comparable to the entire parasite community reported by Tallamy.
Gastrulation in the mouse: Growth and regionalization of the epiblast

Histological determination of cell numbers in the mouse embryo between 4½ and 7½ days post coitum show that growth during this period, in which gastrulation occurs, is not uniform. Prior to primitive streak formation mean cell generation time is about 9 h. Co-incidental with the appearance of the primitive streak the embryo enters a period of rapid growth, lasting about 24 h, during which the mean cell generation time must be about 5 h in order to account for the increase in cell numbers. A more detailed study, in which variations in mitotic activity in different regions of the embryo have been analysed, has identified a small region, the so-called ‘proliferative zone’, constituting about 10% of the whole epiblast, in which cell generation time may average as little as 2–3 h over a 24 h period. The cell generation time for other epiblast regions is estimated at about 6·5 h. It is calculated that the proliferative zone, in the 24 h period commencing with primitive streak formation, could generate about half the cells in the 7½-day embryo. The topographical consequences of such a rapidly expanding region in the embryo are discussed in the light of other, circumstantial evidence, and it is postulated that the cells generated in the PZ may constitute the ectoderm of later stage embryos.
Uptake, accumulation and translocation of arsenate in arsenate-tolerant and non-tolerant Holcus lanatus L.

summary Uptake, translocation and accumulation of arsenate was determined in arsenate-tolerant and non-tolerant genotypes of Holcus lanatus L. Over a 6 h period of growth in 005 mol m−3arsenate, non-tolerant genotypes accumulated arsenate to a much greater extent than tolerant plants. Tolerant plants transported a much greater proportion of As to their shoots compared with non-tolerant plants. Phosphate at a concentration of either 0.05 or 0.5 mol m−3decreased arsenate uptake in both tolerant and non-tolerant genotypes. When arsenate uptake was determined over 3 d at the same arsenate concentration, non-tolerant plants grown in the presence of 0 and 0.05 mol m−3phosphate died, while those growing in 0.5 mol m−3phosphate survived and continued to take up arsenate. At all three phosphate levels tolerant plants survived. Over the 3 d period transport of arsenate to the shoots decreased. With increasing phosphate levels in solution transport of arsenate to the shoots increased in tolerant plants. The results from these experiments are discussed in terms of strategies for metal tolerance in this species.
Morphological ontogeny of Melanozetes azoricus with comments on Melanozetes (Acari: Oribatida: Ceratozetidae)

In this study the morphological ontogeny of Melanozetes azoricus Weigmann, 1976 is described and illustrated for the first time and compared with that of other species of Melanozetes Hull, 1916. The juveniles of M. azoricus have a humeral organ and a humeral macrosclerite, with seta c1, that is typical of Melanozetes, and all juvenile stages and adult have broad leg femora, with large ventral carina, which often occur in Melanozetes. The juveniles of M. azoricus differ from those of other species by the shape of most gastronotal setae, whereas the adult differs mainly by the body size, shape of lamellar cusp, presence and shape of the translamella and shape of notogastral setae. The diagnosis of Melanozetes is unclear in literature, but we follow the setal diagnostic character of Melanozetes (14 pairs, including c2 and c3) that is supported by the size of humeral macrosclerite in the juveniles, with seta c1, and the length and location of solenidion ω2 on tarsus I of nymphs and adults; this solenidion is longer than ω1 and is located anterolateral to ω1. In Fuscozetes Sellnick, 1928, which is sometimes mistaken with Melanozetes, solenidion ω2 is shorter than ω1 and is placed posterolateral to ω1. A revised diagnosis of Melanozetes is proposed, systematic status of some species of Melanozetes is discussed and M. azoricus floresianus is proposed as a synonym of M. azoricus.
EFECTO DE LAS MICORRIZAS ARBUSCULARES EN EL CRECIMIENTO, FOTOSÍNTESIS Y ANATOMÍA FOLIAR DE PLANTAS JÓVENES DE AGAVE TEQUILANA

The effect of vesicular arbuscular micorrhizal symbiosis (VAM) in growth, seasonal photosynthesis, and foliar anatomy was evaluated on young plants of Agave tequilana . These were established in pots and inoculated with one of two strains of VAM fungi: Glomus fasciculatum (Gf) or Glomus intraradices (Gi), and compared with control plants without inoculation. To evaluate these treatments a completely randomized experimental design was used with six replications and 18 experimental units. The physiological and morphological variables evaluated were: photosynthetic rate, number of young leaves, length and thickness of mature leaves, and percentage of root colonization by VAM fungi. The inoculation increased photosynthetic rate, which was highest in plants inoculated with the Gi strain than both those inoculated with the Gf and the control plants, and it was related with an increase in mesophyll thickness that was most noticeable in the chlorenchyma tissue. However, the variables related to growth, length and width of leaves were unaffected.
Efecto de las enmiendas líquidas en un Ultisol cultivado con sorgo

Effect of liquid liming on sorghum growth in an Ultisol. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the application of liquid lime on sorghum growth in an Ultisol. This research was conducted between August and November, 2011 at the Agricultural Research Center, San Jose, Costa Rica. In an Ultisol planted with sorghum, in pots of 800 ml, the following treatments where applied: control without lime, calcium carbonate at doses of 10 and 20 l/ ha, magnesium oxide at doses of 10 and 20 l/ha, calcium carbonate + magnesium oxide at doses of 5 + 5 and 10 + 10 l/ha, respectively. Six weeks after planting, sorghum was harvested, measuring leaf area, dry and fresh weight of the aerial and root biomass, nutrient absorption and the soil chemical characteristics. Treatments using calcium carbonate and calcium carbonate + magnesium oxide obtained the best values of leaf area and the higher weight of the aerial and root biomass of sorghum. Even though there were no significant differences between liquid lime treatments, there were regarding control without lime and weight biomass variables. Liquid calcium carbonate significantly increased Ca absorption, and the calcium carbonate + magnesium oxide treatment at doses of 10 l/h showed the highest Mg absorption. All amendment treatments caused an improvement of the soil fertility, the most notable being the application of 20 l/ha of magnesium oxide that dropped the exchangeable acidity from 9.02 to 0.36 cmol(+)/l, acidity saturation dropped from 95 to 3.3%, and pH increased from 5 to 5.7. It was concluded that the liquid liming amendments had a positive effect over the crop and the soil fertility.
The Arctic – an evolutionary freezer?

Traditionally, the Arctic has been viewed as an ‘evolutionary freezer’ with low evolutionary rates caused by extreme environmental constraints and depauperated by repeated glaciations. This view has been modified in recent years. Here we summarise recent studies demonstrating a very high diversity relative to the age of the arctic ecosystem (2–3 million years). Arctic species' diversity is underestimated in the sense that most arctic plants are polyploids, combining the genomes of several ancestral species and that they may contain considerable hidden diversity as cryptic species. There are now many examples of arctic species that originated in the Pleistocene, via divergent evolution or successively higher-level polyploidizations, following hybridization. Apart from genetic diversity associated with polyploid origin, many arctic plants show considerable variation both within and among populations. Genetic diversity varies with breeding system, frequency of inter- and intraspecific hybridization, and history in terms of refugial isolation and range shifts. Many cold-adapted species probably proliferated in vast tundra populations during most of the Pleistocene, followed by broad-fronted postglacial recolonisation resulting in little loss of genetic diversity. Migration at the beginning and end of warm and cold periods is likely to be an important driver of diversification. Molecular data have now provided ample evidence for extreme long-distant colonisation ability of many arctic plants. Local variants may thus spread over vast distances and create multiple hotspots for evolutionary novelty, and it is possible that even small differences in immigration history may have a considerable effect on the evolutionary emergence of diversity.
Molecular phylogeny and intraspecific differentiation of the Eremias velox complex of the Iranian Plateau and Central Asia (Sauria, Lacertidae)

The Central Asian racerunner, Eremias velox, is a widely distributed lizard of the Eurasian lacertid genus Eremias. Nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial genes, cyt b and 12S rDNA from 13 geographically distant localities in Iran and Central Asia, were analysed. Phylogenetic analyses of the sequence data unambiguously recovered five major clades within the E. velox complex with a high level of genetic divergence, indicating long periods of isolation. The basal position of the Iranian clades in the phylogenetic trees suggests that the E. velox clade originated on the Iranian plateau in the Middle Miocene. According to our calibrations, the northern Iranian clade diverged first some 10–11 Ma and that the Central Asian lineages split from the northeastern Iranian lineage approximately 6 Ma, most likely as a result of uplifting of the Kopet-Dagh Mountains in the northern margin of the Iranian plateau. Topology of the phylogenetic trees, combined with the degree of the genetic distances among the independent lineages recovered in this study, provide a solid foundation for a fundamental revision of the taxonomic status of the major clades within this species complex.
Phylogeography and counter-intuitive inferences in island biogeography: evidence from morphometric markers in the mobile butterfly Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae).

Distribution of mobile organisms on near-continent islands is mainly shaped by factors operating over ecological rather geological time. However, the phylogeography of single species has the potential to expose historical factors at work. In the present study, West Mediterranean populations of the butterfly Maniola jurtina are studied using geometric morphometrics. The distribution of the two well established lineages (Maniola jurtina jurtina in the Atlanto–Mediterranean area and Maniola jurtina janira in the Central–Eastern-Mediterranean area) on 12 islands and the adjoining continents are compared. The south-western lineage unexpectedly occurs on islands close to shores occupied by the eastern lineage. We have modelled the distribution of the lineages using three different hypotheses: (1) a contemporary isolation model, which predicts lineage occupancy of islands is linked to relative distances from neighbouring continental areas; (2) a refugial hypothesis, which predicts one lineage to be the ancestral one for the whole region studied, and then successively replaced over part of it; (3) a changing geography hypothesis, which predicts the two lineages to have evolved in their currently occupied areas, continuously sourcing islands subsequent to the Wurm maximum glaciation. Of the three models, the refugial hypothesis is most highly correlated with the observed pattern, suggesting that Mediterranean islands may function as refugia during cold periods, much as the three mainland peninsulas of Iberia, Italy and Greece are known to have done. Thereafter, hybridization on the nearest and smallest islands has occurred, with the entire process supporting the notion of the joint influence of factors in ecological and geological time. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 98, 677–692.
Pre‐ and postcopulatory sexual selection act in concert to determine male reproductive success in Tribolium castaneum

To capture how sexual selection shapes male reproductive success across different stages of reproduction in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), we combined sequential sperm defence (P1) and sperm offence (P2) trials with additional trials where both males were added simultaneously to the female. We found a positive correlation between the relative paternity share in simultaneous male–male competition trials and the P2 trial. This suggests that males preferred by females as sires achieve superior fertilization success during sperm competition in the second male position. In simultaneous male–male competition trials, where pre-, peri- and postcopulatory sexual selection were all allowed to act, the relative paternity share of preferred males was more than 20% higher than in P2 sperm competition trials where precopulatory female choice was disabled. Additional behavioural observations revealed that mating with more attractive males resulted significantly more frequently in offspring production than mating with less attractive males. Thus, by comparing male fertilization success in trials where precopulatory choice was turned off with more inclusive estimates of fertilization success where pre- and pericopulatory choice could occur, we show that female mate choice may effectively inhibit sperm competition. Female mate choice and sperm competition (P2) are positively correlated, which is consistent with directional sexual selection in this species. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112, 67–75.
In vitro regeneration and induction of multiple shooting in Cicer arietinum L. using cotyledonary nodal explants

Chickpea, a temperate crop, is the world’s third most important pulse crop and India produces 75% of world’s supply. The two most common types of Chickpea are the white-seeded " Kabuli " and the " Desi "variety. In vitro regeneration was achieved using cotyledonary nodal explants using desi variety seeds of cultivar K850 of Cicer arietinum . The multiple shoot induction was observed with various concentrations of auxins and cytokinins. The maximum proliferation was found at 0.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). The effectiveness was observed at various combinations. Maximum efficiency of multiple shooting was obtained at 0.5 mg/L BAP and 0.05 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4D). For root induction, well developed shoots were transferred into rooting medium supplemented with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA); maximum response was found at concentrations 0.10 and 0.50 mg/L, respectively. Successful rooting was recorded on media supplemented with 0.1 mg/L IBA. The well rooted plants were transferred into the soil. Key words: Explants, multiple shooting, phytohormones and acclimatization. Abbreviation: BAP , 6- Benzylaminopurine; KIN, kinetin; 2,4-D, 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid; NAA, 1-naphthaleneacetic acid; IBA, indole-3-butyric acid; IAA, indole-3-acetic acid
Role of Olfaction in the Behavioral and Neuronal Responses of Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar, to Hydrographic Stratification

The behavior of sham-operated and anosmic Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, was studied in a fjord system with close reference to the fine-scale hydrographic features. Control fish made small-amplitude vertical movements, with sudden large-amplitude excursions. The anosmic fish made large continuous searches up and down in the water column, descended below the sill depth of the fjord, and followed the bottom contours. None of these three behaviors was seen in the control fish. The trauma caused by the surgical incision did not prevent the fish from active swimming, and a fish with unilateral sectioning of the olfactory nerve returned to the river of release. Activity of single olfactory bulb neurons was recorded during stimulation of salmon olfactory epithelium with water samples taken from different depths of the fjord. These water samples had been taken from regions that showed layering and to which migrating salmon demonstrated behavioral preferences in ultrasonic tracking experiments. Ninety percent of re.
Olifantiella mascarenica gen. & sp. nov., a new genus of pennate diatom from Réunion Island, exhibiting a remarkable internal process

A new diatom genus, Olifantiella gen. nov., has been discovered from the coral reefs of Réunion Island (Western Indian Ocean). This monospecific genus belonging to the Biraphidineae, contains a small, marine taxon, Olifantiella mascarenica sp. nov., which shows close structural similarity with the recently described genus Labellicula Van de Vijver & Lange‐Bertalot, but with significant differences: (i) the presence of a remarkable internal tubular process – the buciniportula; (ii) the easily identifiable external funnel‐shaped opening of this process; (iii) the design of the external raphe endings; (iv) the general shape of the frustules; and (v) a lateral void and elevated crest. The buciniportula, associated with the other characters, is apparently new, and allows the establishment of a new genus. The morphology of this genus is compared with that of related genera, such as Luticola, Diadesmis, Labellicula, Brachysira, Neidium and Nupela, with some comments on the contribution of scanning electron microscopy towards distinguishing new genera, and the possible superabundance of these new entities, particularly of small diatoms.
APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC MULCHES AND FLAT COVERS WITH PERFORATED FOIL AND AGROTEXTILE IN ZUCCHINI

The improvement in zucchini growth in climatic conditions of Poland can be achieved by soil mulching and flat covering of plants. In the years 2009-2010, in Re- search - Horticulture Station belonging to Department of Horticulture at Wroc· aw Uni- versity of Environmental and Life Sciences there was conducted two-factorial experiment with the use of synthetic mulches (polyethylene black and white foil, black polypropylene agrotextile), as well as flat covers (polypropylene agrotextile, perforated foil) in cultiva- tion of Astra cultivar of zucchini. The experiment was established according to random- ized split plot design, in three replications. Zucchini was planted on 12th May. There was not recorded any influence of mulches type on total and early yield of zucchini fruits. Ad- ditional application of flat covers made of PP agrotextile and perforated foil resulted in increase in total fruit yield in relation to control treatment by 26.7% and 44%, respectively and to the yield from plots which were only mulched - average by 47.3%. When using covers, early yield was average by 40.7% and by 47.9% higher. The highest total fruit yield (99.85 t ha -1 ) was obtained in cultivation on PP agrotextile mulch with a perforated foil used as cover the plants. Fruits of 8-15 cm length accumulated the most considerable quantities of vitamin C, as well as phosphorus and potassium, while in fruits > 22 cm long there was recorded the highest amount of nitrates and carotenes.
Biomorphodynamics: Physical‐biological feedbacks that shape landscapes

Plants and animals affect morphological evolution in many environments. The term “ecogeomorphology” describes studies that address such effects. In this opinion article we use the term “biomorphodynamics” to characterize a subset of ecogeomorphologic studies: those that investigate not only the effects of organisms on physical processes and morphology but also how the biological processes depend on morphology and physical forcing. The two‐way coupling precipitates feedbacks, leading to interesting modes of behavior, much like the coupling between flow/sediment transport and morphology leads to rich morphodynamic behaviors. Select examples illustrate how even the basic aspects of some systems cannot be understood without considering biomorphodynamic coupling. Prominent examples include the dynamic interactions between vegetation and flow/sediment transport that can determine river channel patterns and the multifaceted biomorphodynamic feedbacks shaping tidal marshes and channel networks. These examples suggest that the effects of morphology and physical processes on biology tend to operate over the timescale of the evolution of the morphological pattern. Thus, in field studies, which represent a snapshot in the pattern evolution, these effects are often not as obvious as the effects of biology on physical processes. However, numerical modeling indicates that the influences on biology from physical processes can play a key role in shaping landscapes and that even local and temporary vegetation disturbances can steer large‐scale, long‐term landscape evolution. The prevalence of biomorphodynamic research is burgeoning in recent years, driven by societal need and a confluence of complex systems–inspired modeling approaches in ecology and geomorphology. To make fundamental progress in understanding the dynamics of many landscapes, our community needs to increasingly learn to look for two‐way, biomorphodynamic feedbacks and to collect new types of data to support the modeling of such emergent interactions.