This thesis deals with the dynamics of tundra living voles with emphasis on the most common one, the grey-sided vole (Clethrionomys rufocanus). The tundra area chosen for the study was Finnmarksvidda, a vast flatland in northernmost Norway. All small mammal herbivores in the area showed dramatic fluctuations, and field experiment were conducted in order to elucidate these density fluctuations. The specific subjects addressed included: 1/ Temporal and spatial appearance of density fluctuations of voles and lemmings in the area, 2/ The generality of the density patterns observed, 3/ The impact of predation by vole predators during summertime, 4/ The impact of grey-sided vole grazing on food plants of different preference in a predator free environment, in the presence and absence of extra food, and 5/ The impact of food availability on density and demography of grey-sided voles in a predator free environment. The results achieved showed that voles in the slope and lowland had cyclic density fluctuations with 5 years duration. The cycles consisted of four phases: an increase phase, a peak phase, a decline phase and a crash phase. In the unproductive lowland and on the moderately productive slope, small pockets of productive habitats seemed to work as “triggers” for the cycles. The lemming fluctuations in the upper plateau (separated from the slope by a steep zone of boulders) differed markedly from the vole patterns in the lowland. Only two lemming peaks were recorded in twenty years. Both peaks had very short increase phases, a knife-sharppeak phase and no decline phase before the crash. A comparison between our results and lemming and vole populations from two other areas in Fennoscandia revealed the same difference in fluctuation pattern between lemmings and voles as seen in our area. This results suggests that lemmings in barren tundra highlands and voles in slightly more productive tundra lowlands are regulated by different mechanisms. The exclusion of vole predators from vole populations during summertime led to increase in overall vole density. Densities of the clumsy field vole (Microtus agrestis) and juveniles of all species showed the strongest positive effects of the exclusion. An experiment analysing the effects of food availability was conducted in islands in a large lake where grey-sided voles were introduced to predator free islands . Supplemental food was given to the voles in two unproductive, and two productive islands. Two unproductive and two productive islands were used as reference islands. The density of voles and the vole weight were higher in both the islands with supplemental food and those with high natural productivity. Increased vole density did not significantly increase grazing damage to plants. The cyclic density pattern of the voles in the nearby mainland (that harboured resident vole specialist predators as stoat and weasel) showed little resemblance to the seasonal fluctuations found in the islands (devoid of resident vole specialist predators). This result suggested that predation by stoat and weasel on grey-sided vole populations may cause the cyclic vole fluctuations seen in the area.

Meiofauna, and especially marine nematodes are common in sediments around the world. Despite very wide ranging distributions in many nematode species, little is presently known about their dispersal mechanisms shaping these patterns. Rafting, and perhaps ballast water transport has been suggested as viable means for nematode long-range transport. On a much smaller scale other processes have been suggested for their dispersal. They generally include some form of passive suspension into the water column and later on a passive, haphazard settling back towards the bottom. Small-scale phenomena in nematode dispersal were studied by conducting a series of studies at Askö field station, Trosa Archipelago, Baltic proper. Studied aspects were one case of macrofaunal influence on nematode dispersal rate, using an amphipod, Monoporeia affinis as disturbing agent, and three different studies on mechanisms related to settling. The experiments were conducted both in laboratory and field settings. The amphipod Monoporeia affinis did not exert any influence on the dispersal rate in the nematodes. The nematode dispersal was only an effect of time, in the aspect that the more time that past, the more nematodes dispersed from their place of origin. The settling experiments revealed that nematodes do have an active component in their settling behaviour, as they were able to exert influence on the spot where they were to settle. They were able to choose settling spot in response to the food quality of the sediment. It also became evident that contrary to common belief, nematodes are able to extend their presence in the water column far beyond the times that would be predicted considering settling velocities and hydrodynamic conditions alone.

During the last few decades, coral reefs have become a disappearing feature of tropical marine environments, and those reefs that do remain are severely threatened. It is understood that humans have greately altered the environment under which these ecosystems previously have thrived and evoloved. Overharvesting of fish stocks, global warming and pollution are some of the most prominent threats, acting on coral reefs at several spatial and temporal scales. Presently, it is common that coral reefs have been degraded into alternative ecosystem regimes, such as macroalgae-dominated or sea urchin-barren. Although these ecosystems could potentially return to coral dominance in a long-term perspective, when considdering current conditions, it seems likely that they will persist in their degraded states. Thus, recovery of coral reefs cannot be taken for granted on a human timescale. Multiple stressors and disturbances, which are increasingly characteristic of coral reef environments today, are believed to act synergistically and produce ecological surprises. However, current knowledge of effects of compounded disturbances and stress is limited. Based on five papers, this thesis investigates the sublethal response of multiple stressors on coral physiology, as well as the effects of compounded stress and disturbance on coral reef structure and function. Adaptive responses to stress and disturbance in relation to prior experience are highlighted. The thesis further explores how inherent characteristics (traits) of corals and macroalgae may influence regime expression when faced with altered disturbance regimes, in particular overfishing, eutrophication, elevated temperature, and enhanced substrate availability. Finally, possibilities of affecting the resilience of macroalgae-dominaed reefs and shifting the community composition towards a coral-dominated regime are explored.

Chemical signals are the most widely used form of sexual communication throughout the living world. However, there is in general little knowledge about what these signals actually communicate. The role of chemical signals, i.e. pheromones, in sexual behaviour has traditionally been seen as restricted to mate attraction and species recognition. This thesis reviews the evidence for pheromones as indicators of mate quality, and then investigates three important factors for mate quality signals – individual variation, heritability and cost – by using the male pheromone of the lekking fruit fly Drosophila grimshawi as a model. The experiments presented indicate that the pheromone of D. grimshawi has multiple functions, and that these functions vary with social context. Thus, with regard to females, the pheromone seems to act mainly as a species/mate recognition signal, since females show little preference for the amount of pheromone deposited by a male. Moreover, males invest less in pheromone production when subjected to females as compared to when subjected to rival males. However, the pheromone seems to be costly in production since males that invest much in pheromone deposition has a shorter lifespan. This suggests a function for the pheromone in male-male interactions. Males can distinguish their own pheromone depositions from those of a strange male, and also discriminate between pheromone depositions from one and two strange males. This might give them the ability to assess the size of a lek and the competitive capacities of rivals, information that should be useful when optimizing sexual behaviour. In conclusion, the pheromone seems to act as an honest mate/competitor quality signal in some social contexts, and as a non-costly species/mate recognition signal in other. In addition, I show for the first time that a chemical signal has differential fitness costs, and that an insect is able to distinguish between individual odour signatures.

The aim of this work is to analyze if a change in the benthic community can be detected two years after a restoration of a small stream. The samples were taken in a small stream at Tinnerö Eklandskap just south of Linköping. In addition to the restored area, two reference sites upstream and downstream of the restored area were sampled to compare to the restored site. The method used for sampling of benthic fauna in the stream was kick sampling. ASPT, Berger-Parker and Renkonen-indices were used to find out if there was any difference between the reference areas and the restored area. In addition to indices, rank-abundance curves and species lists were made to see if there was any trend difference between the different areas. The only index that showed a difference between the different areas was Berger-Parker diversity index. The reason why there were no greater differences between the areas may be due to the fact that two years is too short to allow time for the benthos to re-colonize the restored area.

For many years, the importance of microorganisms attached to surfaces in littoral zones and wetlands has been disregarded when describing aquatic ecosystem dynamics. Supporting evidence is scarce but convincing that these microbial communities are not only very productive but can often serve as major regulators of nutrient and carbon dynamics in many freshwaters. In order to determine the quantitative importance of epiphytic bacteria for the overall carbon turnover, I compared the relative contribution of epiphytic bacteria on the submerged macrophyte Ranunculus circinatus, sediment and free-living bacteria to the total bacterial production. Sediment bacteria generally dominated total bacterial biomass in the littoral zone. Although the epiphytic biomass on R. circinatus was ten times lower than the biomass of sediment bacteria, it often contributed at least equally to the total bacterial production. Thus, the results presented in this thesis confirm that most bacterial biomass and production in shallow lakes is associated with surfaces, and that in littoral zones with dense macrophyte stands, epiphytic bacteria can contribute significantly to the overall carbon turnover. There is increasing evidence that not all cells in natural bacterial communities are metabolically active. In Lake Erken, there were large differences in the fraction of active bacteria between different habitats, while the within-habitat differences were small. The sediments had the largest bacterial fraction, followed by epiphytic bacteria, while in the water column only a few percent of the bacteria were active. In this thesis the fraction of active bacteria is connected to environmental fluctuations. I hypothesize that smaller fluctuations in chemical, biological or physical factors result in large active bacterial fractions. Thus, small environmental fluctuations within a habitat allow large active bacterial fractions, while the active fraction is constrained when the environmental fluctuations are large.

Wetlands contain both aquatic and terrestrial environments which generates high biodiversity. However, they are commonly associated with mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), and mosquitoes are usually regarded as negative by humans because they can cause nuisance and transmit diseases. This thesis aimed to clarify the association between mosquitoes and wetlands and to achieve a more balanced view of biodiversity in wetlands by including mosquito diversity. Studies on adult mosquito diversity and assemblages were performed in 18 wetlands spread over Sweden. The Swedish mosquito species were organized in ten functional groups based on four life-history characteristics. This classification was used as an additional diversity measurement and as a tool for presentation of mosquito data. Mosquito diversity showed several of the well-established diversity patterns such as a latitudinal gradient, a species-area relationship and a distribution-abundance relationship. In a landscape perspective, diversity of both mosquitoes and dytiscids (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae) were positively influenced by a high proportion of permanent water and a high amount of open areas, indicating co-varying diversity patterns. Mosquito assemblages in the Nedre Dalälven region were mainly structured by the extent of flooded areas and wetland type (wet meadow, swamp and bog). In addition to the influence of the proportion of temporary wetlands at a local scale, the proportion of forest gained importance at larger spatial scales and in relation to dispersal distances of species. In southern Sweden, mosquito faunas differed between natural and constructed wetlands, partly reflecting differences in wetland size. In an experiment, different responses of two co-occurring mosquito species to rapid larval habitat desiccation indicate that weather conditions after a flood could influence mosquito assemblages. The conclusions of this thesis provide suggestions on how to construct and position wetlands for increased insect diversity, and indicate that low abundance of major nuisance species might be crucial for acceptance of wetlands near human settlements.

Coral reefs are suffering unprecedented declines in coral cover and species diversity. These changes are often associated with  substantial shifts in community structure to new dominant organisms. Ultimately, these “phase shifts” can be persistent and very difficult to return from. Building insurance against degradation and decreasing the likelihood of reefs undergoing shifts to undesirable states will require sustainable management practices that uphold coral reef resilience. This thesis consists of five papers that contribute new knowledge useful for managing the resilience of coral reefs, and other marine ecosystems. Paper I shows how the morphology of natural substrate (dead coral colonies) can significantly influence coral recruitment patterns. Paper II focuses on larval lipid levels, a key determinant of coral dispersal potential, in a common Caribbean coral (Favia fragum). It shows that i) lipid levels exhibit a significant, non-linear reduction throughout the larval release period of F. fragum and ii) exposure to a common pollutant (copper) could potentially lead to a more rapid lipid consumption in the larvae. Paper III presents a broader analysis of the different undesirable states a coral reef can shift to as a consequence of reef degradation. It concludes that different states are caused by different driving factors and that management must explicitly acknowledge this. Paper IV proposes a suite of resilience indicators that can help managers assess when a coral-dominated reef might be moving towards a shift to an undesirable state. These indicators capture key-processes occuring on different temporal and spatial scales and signal resilience loss early enough for managers to take appropriate measures. Finally, Paper V reviews the feedback loops that reinforce the undesirable states of five important marine ecosystems and suggests certain strategies that can ease the restoration back to healthier conditions. Managing these critical feedbacks will recquire monitoring the processes underpinning these feedbacks, breaking already established feedbacks loops through large-scale management trials and acknowledging transdisciplinary solutions that move management beyond the discipline of ecology / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 5: In progress.

This thesis examines the biology, ecology and anthropogenic threats of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) off Zanzibar, Tanzania, based on research conducted and samples collected between 2000 and 2008. Distribution and occurrence are described based on incidental catches (bycatch) in gillnet fisheries. Biology and ecology are examined by ageing and studying the reproductive biology and stomach contents of collected specimens. The composition of organohalogen compounds is determined in blubber samples, and assessment and mitigation of bycatch are conducted using observers onboard fishing vessels. Fisheries bycatch data showed that Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins occur year round in all areas around Zanzibar. Sexual maturity was attained between 7 and 8 years and body length 190-200 cm in females and at 16 years and body length 213 cm in males. The gestation period was estimated to be 12.3 months, with calving occurring throughout the year, peaking November-March and with an interval of 2.7 years. The estimated pregnancy rate was between 0.10 and 0.58 depending on methods used. Stomach contents revealed a relatively large number of prey species, but that only a few small- and medium-sized neritic fish and cephalopods contribute substantially to the diet. Estimates of total annual bycatch were >9% which is not considered sustainable. An experiment showed that pingers can be a short term mitigation measure to reduce bycatch of dolphins in both drift- and bottom set gillnets. Methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (Meo-BDEs) were found at higher concentrations than anthropogenic organic pesticides (OCPs), with only traces of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) detected. This study reveals the magnitude and apparent susceptibility of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins off Zanzibar to anthropogenic threats, especially fisheries bycatch, and it is clear that immediate conservation and management measures are needed to reduce bycatch. / At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Submitted.

In the scope of future population support, agricultural productivity, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, has to increase drastically to meet the UN’s millennium development goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Water availability in the root-zone limits crop production in large parts of the developing world. As competition for fresh water increases, water of lower quality, for example saline or polluted water, is often used for irrigation. Low-cost drip systems are suitable for saline water irrigation because they effectuate a minimisation of salt accumulation, leaf burn and peaks in salt concentration. Nonetheless, all types of saline water irrigation contain the risk for causing soil salinisation. Thus, in order to achieve long-term sustainability of these systems, appropriate management strategies are needed. The choice of management practices may be influenced by local conditions such as climate, soil and irrigation water salinity. A litera-ture review showed that there is a potential for saline water irrigation in sub-Saharan Africa in water scarce areas. Low-cost drip irrigation with saline water (6 dS m-1) was successfully used to irrigate two consecutive crops of tomato in semi-arid South Africa. An integrated ecosystems model was developed to simulate long-term yield and salt accumulation in a drip-irrigated agricultural system for a range of salinities, climates and management techniques. Crop, salt and water balance data from two field experiments conducted in Israel and South Africa, respectively, were used to parameterise and test the model. Emphasis was placed on testing the usability of the model as a tool for evaluating the importance of certain plausible management options of low-cost, drip-irrigation systems. Therefore, particular focus was directed towards correctly describing soil salinity stress on plant growth and soil evaporation from a distributed (wetted and dry) surface. In addition, the model was developed to function for different climates without having to change any other parameters or variables except for the actual climatic data. Simulations were subsequently run over a 30-year period to study long-term yield and salt accumulation in the soil profile for two sites in South Africa, demonstrating the applicability of the model. Model simulations showed that high soil salinities reduced crop growth and thus increased both drainage and soil evaporation. Further, covering the soil with a plastic sheet led to a reduction of soil evaporation and a subsequent increase in both transpiration and drainage. Rainfall was crucial for the leaching of salts from the soil, and thus in regions with low levels of rainfall, a higher leaching fraction of supplied saline irrigation water has to compensate for the lack of rain. However, a high leaching fraction also causes large amounts of salt leaching, which could potentially pollute underlying groundwater and downstream ecosystems. This risk can be mitigated using mulching, which minimises non-productive water losses, thereby lowering irrigation water needs. The choice of irrigation water salinity, frequency of irrigation and soil coverage may differ between the farmer and the regional water manager due to different preferences. Furthermore, the study highlighted how environmental variables such as water use efficiency and radiation use efficiency can be used as indicators of system performance. Whereas the latter is first and foremost a general stress indicator, water use efficiency more precisely describes specific factors such as plant size, allocation patterns and evaporative demand, which will affect the exchange of carbon dioxide and water through the stomata. / QC 20101102