Ecological communities – groups of interacting species – are subject to a variety of disturbances. Understanding responses to these disturbances is a primary goal of community ecology. The structural complexity of the community and the traits of the community’s constituent species are both known to have a significant impact on a community’s response to a disturbance. In this thesis, we investigated how these two scales – the community level and the species level – interactively affected community responses to both short and long term disturbances. Our first hypothesis was that interaction strength would be weaker in species with many interactions when compared to species with fewer interactions. To test this hypothesis, we used simulated food webs and found that, in locally stable food webs, species with many interactions tended predominantly to have interactions with predators or with prey. While these many predator or prey interactions were weak, they tended to be balanced by a few interactions of the opposite type (with prey or predators) which were stronger than average. The structure of the network, where species had predominantly one type of interaction, was essential for this relationship between the number and strength of interactions to arise. Our second study investigated how food webs of varying size and connectance respond to press and pulse disturbances. Many studies of food web stability only focus on the response to short term or “pulse” disturbances, however, as anthropogenic impacts on food webs increase, it is important to increase our understanding of food web responses to long term or “press” disturbances and determine whether they follow the same pattern as pulse disturbances. We found that more species rich and connected food webs were less stable to both types of disturbance and the more stable a food web was to a pulse disturbance, the more stable it was to a press disturbance as well. We also found that the traits – trophic level and number of interactions – of the disturbed species impacted a food web’s resistance to a press disturbance. Food webs were less resistant to the disturbance of species with many interactions or low trophic level than species with few interactions or high trophic level. The strength of species’ effects on stability was also moderated by the structural complexity of the food web. Together the work that makes up this thesis suggests that, to understand the stability of food webs to any kind of disturbance, we should consider both the structure of the network and the traits of the species embedded within it. While we found that networks were more vulnerable to disturbance of certain species than others, this observation also depended on the structure and complexity of the community they existed in. This has important implications for communities subject to disturbances, especially those disturbances which alter the way in which communities are structured and species interact.

published_or_final_version / Environmental Management / Master / Master of Science in Environmental Management

Atherosclerosis is a complex cardiovascular disease characterized by chronic progressive inflammation of the arteries. The progression of atherosclerosis from fatty streak to advance atherosclerotic plaque involves the development of a necrotic core region consists of cholesterol, lipids, calcium (Ca²⁺), dead cells and other cellular debris. Macrophage infiltrations occurred in all stages of atherosclerotic progression and they are abundantly found in atherosclerotic plaques. Oxidised low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) plays a vital role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis. OxLDL is present within atherosclerotic plaque and has been shown to be cytotoxic to various types of cells including macrophages. This research initially examined the cytotoxic effects of copper oxidised LDL on U937, human monocytes and HMDM cells. As expected oxLDL was cytotoxic; causing rapid, concentration and time dependent cell viability loss in all types of cells examined. Examination of the cell morphology showed that oxLDL caused a necrotic like cell death characterised by cell swelling and lysis. Flow cytometric assay coupled with propidium iodide (PI) staining of necrotic cells was compared to MTT reduction assays of cell viability. The flow cytometric technique had the advantage over the MTT reduction assay of being rapid and showing both the live and dead cell levels at an individual cell level. The progression of oxLDL-induced cell death correlated with the rapid increased in intracellular ROS production in the cytosol and the mitochondria. Immunoblotting results showed that oxLDL induced NADPH oxidase (NOX) activation and increased p47phox expression. This suggests NOX as the generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by oxLDL in these cells. However, apocynin and VAS2870, the two NOX inhibitors used in this study, were unable to inhibit the ROS generation caused by the oxLDL. This suggests that either these inhibitors are unable to inhibit the targeted NOX or other sources of ROS might exist and contributed to the overall increase in oxidative flux. OxLDL caused a rapid increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ level. This was contributed by the extracellular Ca²⁺ source as well as Ca²⁺ mobilisation from the intracellular stores such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER). OxLDL-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ increase also correlated with the increase in intracellular ROS. Nevertheless, blocking of oxLDL-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ elevation by Ca²⁺ chelator, EGTA, did not reduce intracellular ROS generation. Accordingly, this suggests that oxLDL-induced intracellular Ca²⁺ increase is not the cause for oxLDL-induced cell death. Additionally, oxLDL may also initiate a Ca²⁺-independent cell death pathway. The excess cytosolic Ca²⁺ taken up by the mitochondria may be detrimental and could result in mitochondrial Ca²⁺ overload. This will increase mitochondrial ROS production and initiate mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pores opening. Consequently, this could collapse the mitochondrial membrane potential ( m) due to the rupture of outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) and resulted in cell death. Blocking of Ca²⁺ uptake into the mitochondria by ruthenium red protected cells from oxLDL-mediated cell death, possibly by reducing ROS production and preventing MPT activation. This study also demonstrated the protective effect of 7,8-dihydroneopterin (7,8-NP) on oxLDL-induced oxidative stress. 7,8-NP protected cells from oxLDL-induced intracellular ROS generation and cell viability loss. Intracellular Ca²⁺ increase was also reduced by 7,8-NP in particular after 3 hours incubation with oxLDL. The action of 7,8-NP was better than that of apocynin in protecting U937 cells from oxLDL suggests its potential ability to scavenge ROS from various sources. Studies have implicated the involvement of H₂S in various biological processes including atherosclerosis. Thus, the disruption of H₂S homeostasis may contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis. Slow releasing H₂S molecules (H₂S donors) have been developed for a controlled and stable delivery of H₂S to cells. In this study, specific H₂S donors, including one which targets the mitochondria, were found to be protective against oxLDL-induced cell death in U937, human monocytes and HMDM cells. Although the exact mechanism is yet to be elucidated, these H₂S donors were shown to block the elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺ and ROS production mediated by oxLDL. Therefore, these H₂S donors could be the potential candidates for future development of therapeutics in treating atherosclerosis.

4 pp. / Mesquite (Prosopis sp.) is a popular tree in landscapes in Arizona because of its drought tolerance and attractive growth habit. Powdery mildew has been observed from late summer until early spring on mesquite leaves. It has been identified as Pleochaeta polychaeta based on morphological descriptions and comparison to herbarium specimens. Surveys were conducted in fall 2008 through winter 2009 at two locations in southern Arizona to determine the susceptibility of different mesquite species to powdery mildew. Twelve mesquite trees representing two species were sampled at Texas Canyon near Willcox, AZ, and 177 trees representing eight species were sampled at the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, AZ. The North American mesquite species P. glandulosa var. glandulosa and P. velutina were infected with powdery mildew at the University of Arizona campus and P. velutina at the Texas Canyon site. No powdery mildew was observed on P. alba, P. cinerea, P. nigra, P. chilensis, P. pubescens and P. chilensis x flexuosa. The powdery mildew affects the aesthetic value of severely infected trees but seems to have little effect on long term tree health.

Mitochondria serve as the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in cells resulting in antioxidant systems and cell signaling pathways that are unique to mitochondria. Thioredoxin-2 (Trx-2) is the mitochondrial member of the thioredoxin superfamily, and acts specifically to reduce the mitochondrial peroxidase, peroxiredoxin-3. It has been proposed that Trx-2 associates with cytochrome c, which functions in mitochondrial respiration and apoptosis. Homozygous Trx-2 deletion in mice is embryonic lethal and it is hypothesized here that Trx-2 lethality is caused by loss of mitochondrial function and oxidative stress. Results of experiments investigating mitochondrial integrity, cell viability, and ROS levels in Trx-2(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), and results from Trx-2 siRNA MEFs, are similar to findings of knockouts in previously reported proteins that function in mitochondrial respiration and support the involvement of Trx-2 in this process. Mitochondrial ROS have also been implicated as major secondary messengers in cell signaling. Results reported here using cancer cells and cancer cells depleted of mitochondrial DNA, which consequently produce few ROS, have indicated that mitochondrial ROS produced in hypoxia are necessary for HRE and ARE activation, and are fundamental in the activation of SP-1 during reoxygenation. However, mitochondrial ROS are not required for HIF-1α protein expression in hypoxia, indicating a unique relationship between HIF-1α, hypoxia, and mitochondrial ROS.

Invasive organisms are one of the major threats to the ecological integrity of aquatic systems in the 21st century. Among the most notorious and important aquatic invasive organisms are the dreissenid mussels, Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis, which having originated in the Ponto-Caspian region are now common in many parts of Europe and North America. Dreissenids have large impacts on many aspects of lentic ecosystem functioning, the sum of which is thought to lead to the translocation of biological production from the pelagic to the littoral zones of lakes. In this thesis I explore the effects of dreissenids on the nearshore zones of large lakes, investigate the mechanisms by which dreissenids couple the pelagic and nearshore zones of lakes and attempt to elucidate the factors affecting the strength of the dreissenid-mediated connection between the pelagic and littoral zones. The effects of invasive organisms on an aquatic ecosystem will depend, in part, on the distribution and biomass of the invasive organisms in the system. In chapter 2 I present the results of a lake-wide survey of the distribution of invasive dreissenid mussels in Lake Simcoe, Ontario and discuss some of the factors that shape their distribution pattern in the lake. Dreissenid biomass averaged 27.2 (±24.3 SD) g shell-free dry mass (SFDM)/m2 in the main basin of Lake Simcoe and 12.4 (±16.9 SD) g SFDM/m2 in macrophyte-dominated Cook’s Bay. I argue that water movement is an important determinant of dreissenid distribution, both through catastrophic disturbance in shallow water and through non-catastrophic effects on substrate distribution and possibly food supply rates. In areas of dense macrophyte growth, mussel abundance was shown to be associated with that of preferred macrophyte taxa, in particular with that of Ceratophyllum demersum. I used the results of my survey and the relationships between environmental variables and dreissenid biomass to estimate the total biomass of dreissenids in Lake Simcoe: 12,000 tonnes SFDM. Most of the dreissenid biomass in Lake Simcoe was concentrated in the nearshore zone, where dreissenids would have maximal impacts on littoral biological production. One of the effects of the dreissenid invasion into the Laurentian Great Lakes appears to be a resurgence in the abundance of the nuisance alga Cladophora glomerata which experienced a marked decline following phosphorus abatement in the late 1970s and early 1980s. A subsidy of bioavailable phosphorus excreted by dreissenid mussels could be an important mechanism facilitating the growth of C. glomerata. In chapter 3, I describe a survey of dreissenid distribution and abundance followed by in situ experiments designed to measure dreissenid phosphorus excretion rates. Average dreissenid mussel abundance in our study area was 3674 (±2233 SD) individuals/m2, with an average biomass of 52.2 (±29.0 SD) g of shell free dry mass/m2. The mussels excreted bioavailable soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) at an average rate of 7.0 μg SRP/g shell free dry mass/hour, contributing about 11 tonnes of SRP to the study area over the C. glomerata growing season. Dreissenids appear to be an important source of recycled bioavailable phosphorus to the littoral zone, potentially supplying more soluble reactive phosphorus to the study area than local watercourses and waste water treatment plants, and more phosphorus than is required to sustain local C. glomerata growth. Dreissenid establishment in many systems coincides with increases in the abundance and diversity of littoral benthic invertebrates and with changes to community composition of the benthos. Currently, there is a lack of long-term studies of the impact of dreissenid mussels on hard-substrate inhabiting littoral benthos. In chapter 4 I compare the littoral benthos of Lake Simcoe, Ontario just prior, and 14 years following the establishment of dreissenids in the lake. Densities of non-dreissenid invertebrates on hard substrata increased by nearly 50 times, from an average of 367.9 (±460.8 SD) individuals/m2 in 1993 to an average of 16,706.4 (±10,204.5 SD) individuals/m2 in 2008. The taxonomic diversity of the benthos increased significantly. The distribution of benthic organisms also changed; the numerical abundance of benthos has become more even across depths and sites, as has community composition. I suggest that in addition to increasing resource availability to benthic organisms dreissenids have also caused a homogenization of the littoral habitat by increasing the evenness of the distribution of food and habitat resources. The changes in the littoral benthic community in Lake Simcoe likely have wide-ranging implications to higher trophic levels and the cycling of energy in the lake. In addition to impacting nutrient cycling and the benthic invertebrate communities of littoral zones, dreissenid mussels can have large effects on food webs and energy cycling. In chapter 5 I used stable isotope analysis of pre- and post-dreissenid components of the nearshore food web of Lake Simcoe, Ontario to determine how dreissenids affected food sources and energy flow in the littoral zone of Lake Simcoe. Results suggest that the post-dreissenid food web relies about equally on two energy sources: dreissenid biodeposits (redirected pelagic primary production) and littoral benthic primary producers. Although the relative importance of pelagic and benthic primary production to benthic organisms has not changed much following dreissenid establishment, the absolute importance of both increased considerably in the post-dreissenid littoral zone: the large increase in invertebrate biomass that followed dreissenid establishment means that the amount of both pelagic and benthic primary production needed to sustain post-dreissenid organisms had to increase considerably. The results of this chapter suggest that dreissenids increase the availability to food to littoral organisms by redirecting pelagic primary production to the benthos and by stimulating littoral benthic primary production. The impacts of dreissenids on littoral benthic organisms probably have large effects on littoral and pelagic fish communities of lakes. Dreissenid mussels translocate biological production to the benthos by stimulating benthic primary production through nutrient excretion and increases in water clarity, by increasing habitat availability for benthic organisms and by biodepositing pelagic material that becomes available to benthic organisms and the fish that feed on them. I argue that hydrodynamic factors are important in controlling the strength of the dreissenid-mediated pelagic-littoral connection in lakes. Because hydrodynamics relate to lake size, a relationship between lake size and the ability of dreissenids to translocate production the littoral zone can be postulated, where dreissenid effects are maximal in intermediate-sized lakes.

Foresters can easily calculate the volume and the specific composition of any stand in Lithuania at the moment. To receive the monetary evaluation of the clear cut we need to do continuous measurement of the clear cut, to calculate the volumes of the individual tree species, and then to apply the prices of not truncated forest. The price is determined by specific composition of the stand, the density, the height of the trees, the average diameter. All these factors are mostly influenced by growing location. The purpose of the research is to sift the profitability of the Ld growing location, fir-woods, birch-woods, aspen-woods and oak-woods, evaluating the costs of planting, supervision of the young-woods and cultivation, and assessing the income, expected to receive from these stands. The tasks: 1. To evaluate the specific composition and the other factors of the reproducible stands in the Ld growing location, in Pakruojis forestry. 2. To calculate the costs, related with the reforesting and supervision of these stands. 3. To evaluate the received income from the stands of single tree species of Ld growing location in Pakruojis forestry. 4. To make an analysis of profitability of the stands for the individual species of the trees, in consideration of felling turnover and administration costs. 5. The research object. The forests of the IV group of Pakruojis forestry. The forest-management project of Pakruojis forestry. Reforestation projects in 2001-2003, the data of the... [to full text]

The larger pelagic crustacean fauna of the Gully submarine canyon is described for the first time, based on three annual summer surveys. The larger Crustacea are a significant part of the Gully fauna, and are dominated by cold temperate species, in particular the northern krill Meganyctiphanes norvegica and the decapod Sergestes arcticus. In all, at least 69 species were collected from the surface to bathypelagic depths, with seventeen being new Canadian records. With the exception of M. norvegica, inter-annual variation in the dominant species was minor. The species assemblage varied primarily with depth surveyed and diel cycle, and not year. Comparing the larger pelagic crustaceans in the Gully and over the adjacent continental slope showed that overall species number, biomass, and abundance were all greater in the canyon, the biomass of S. arcticus particularly showing a positive “Gully effect”.

The mechanisms that allow invasive species to flourish in novel habitats are poorly understood. A. petiolata (Alliaria petiolata) is an invader of North American forest edge and understory communities. A. petiolata’s success may result from high competitive ability due to its suppression of mycorrhizal fungi used by other species. In a greenhouse experiment, I grew 27 target species in the presence and absence of A.petiolata in soil with and without a history of A. petiolata. I found that soil with a history of A. petiolata had depleted plant available nitrogen and reduced mycorrhizal fungal colonization of target species. A. petiolata competition suppressed the growth of target species less in soils with than without A. petiolata history. Furthermore, I found that tall plants with finer roots more effectively suppressed the growth of A. petiolata. My results suggest that soil feedback effects do not improve A. petiolata’s competitive ability and are unlikely to contribute to A. petiolata invasion.

No description available.