scholarly journals Long-term culture at elevated atmospheric CO 2 fails to evoke specific adaptation in seven freshwater phytoplankton species

2013 ◽  
Vol 280 (1754) ◽  
pp. 20122598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Etienne Low-Décarie ◽  
Mark D. Jewell ◽  
Gregor F. Fussmann ◽  
Graham Bell
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Medium ◽  
Evolutionary Change ◽  
Carbon Utilization ◽  
Specific Adaptation ◽  
Freshwater Phytoplankton ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Solid Agar ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities

The concentration of CO 2 in the atmosphere is expected to double by the end of the century. Experiments have shown that this will have important effects on the physiology and ecology of photosynthetic organisms, but it is still unclear if elevated CO 2 will elicit an evolutionary response in primary producers that causes changes in physiological and ecological attributes. In this study, we cultured lines of seven species of freshwater phytoplankton from three major groups at current (approx. 380 ppm CO 2 ) and predicted future conditions (1000 ppm CO 2 ) for over 750 generations. We grew the phytoplankton under three culture regimes: nutrient-replete liquid medium, nutrient-poor liquid medium and solid agar medium. We then performed reciprocal transplant assays to test for specific adaptation to elevated CO 2 in these lines. We found no evidence for evolutionary change. We conclude that the physiology of carbon utilization may be conserved in natural freshwater phytoplankton communities experiencing rising atmospheric CO 2 levels, without substantial evolutionary change.

scholarly journals Inferring microevolution from museum collections and resampling: lessons learned from Cepaea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Ożgo ◽  
Thor-Seng Liew ◽  
Nicole B Webster ◽  
Menno Schilthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Land Snail ◽  
Evolutionary Change ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Evolutionary Trends ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Contemporary Sample ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Historical Sample

Studies documenting Human-Induced Rapid Evolutionary Change (HIREC) routinely compare contemporary allele or morph frequency distributions with historical baselines. All too often, this involves the re-sampling of a population that was sampled at a single time point in the past. However, year-to-year fluctuations in magnitude and direction of evolutionary response may make such studies prone to erroneous conclusions, where long-term evolutionary trends are inferred from what in fact are short-term fluctuations. Here, we explore this problem by re-sampling three Dutch populations of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis, whose shell colour polymorphism is known to be under thermal and predatory selection. Each of these three populations was originally sampled in at least two different years in the past. We show that conclusions on evolutionary change are strongly dependent on which of the historical sample dates is used for comparison with the contemporary sample. Our study highlights the fact that year-to-year variation in allele frequencies may often be so strong that a simple two-point comparison is unreliable to detect long-term evolutionary trends.

scholarly journals Inferring microevolution from museum collections and resampling: lessons learned from Cepaea

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Małgorzata Ożgo ◽  
Thor-Seng Liew ◽  
Nicole B Webster ◽  
Menno Schilthuizen
Keyword(s):  
Land Snail ◽  
Evolutionary Change ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Evolutionary Trends ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Contemporary Sample ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Historical Sample

Studies documenting Human-Induced Rapid Evolutionary Change (HIREC) routinely compare contemporary allele or morph frequency distributions with historical baselines. All too often, this involves the re-sampling of a population that was sampled at a single time point in the past. However, year-to-year fluctuations in magnitude and direction of evolutionary response may make such studies prone to erroneous conclusions, where long-term evolutionary trends are inferred from what in fact are short-term fluctuations. Here, we explore this problem by re-sampling three Dutch populations of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis, whose shell colour polymorphism is known to be under thermal and predatory selection. Each of these three populations was originally sampled in at least two different years in the past. We show that conclusions on evolutionary change are strongly dependent on which of the historical sample dates is used for comparison with the contemporary sample. Our study highlights the fact that year-to-year variation in allele frequencies may often be so strong that a simple two-point comparison is unreliable to detect long-term evolutionary trends.

scholarly journals Ecological Degradation of the Yangtze and Nile Delta-Estuaries in Response to Dam Construction with Special Reference to Monsoonal and Arid Climate Settings

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Zhongyuan Chen ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
Yanna Wang
Keyword(s):  
Regime Shift ◽  
Yangtze Estuary ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Arid Climate ◽  
Dam Construction ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
The Yangtze Estuary ◽  
Ecological Degradation ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities

This study reviews the monsoonal Yangtze and the arid Nile deltas with the objective of understanding how the process–response between river-basin modifications and delta-estuary ecological degradation are interrelated under contrasting hydroclimate dynamics. Our analysis shows that the Yangtze River had a long-term stepwise reduction in sediment and silicate fluxes to estuary due to dam construction since the 1960s, especially after the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) closed in 2003. By contrast, the Nile had a drastic reduction of sediment, freshwater, and silicate fluxes immediately after the construction of the Aswan High Dam (AHD) in 1964. Seasonal rainfall in the mid-lower Yangtze basin (below TGD) complemented riverine materials to its estuary, but little was available to the Nile coast below the AHD in the hyper-arid climate setting. Nitrogen (N) and phosphate (P) fluxes in both river basins have increased because of the overuse of N- and P-fertilizer, land-use changes, urbanization, and industrialization. Nutrient ratios (N:P:Si) in both delta-estuaries was greatly altered, i.e., Yangtze case: 75:1:946 (1960s–1970s), 86:1:272 (1980s–1990s) and 102:1:75 (2000s–2010s); and Nile case: 6:1:32 (1960s–1970s), 8:1:9 (1980s–1990s), and 45:1:22 (2013), in the context of the optimum of Redfield ratio (N:P:Si = 16:1:16). This led to an ecological regime shift evidenced by a long-term change in phytoplankton communities in the Yangtze estuary, where silicious algae tended to lose dominance since the end of the 1990s, when more toxic dinoflagellates began to emerge. In the Nile estuary, such a regime shift was indicated by the post-dam dramatic reduction in zooplankton standing crop and fish landings until the early 2000s when biological recovery occurred due to nutrient inputs from anthropogenic sources. Although the Yangtze had higher human impacts than the Nile in terms of population, industrialization, and fertilizer application, N concentrations in the Nile estuarine waters surpassed the Yangtze in recent decades. However, eutrophication in the Yangtze estuary is much more intensive than in the Nile, leading to the likelihood of its estuarine water becoming more acidic than ever before. Therefore, ecological degradation in both delta-estuaries does not follow a linear trajectory, due not only to different climate dynamics but also to human forcings. The comparative insights of this study should be incorporated into future integrated coastal management of these two important systems.

scholarly journals Automated Microscopy: Macro Language Controlling a Confocal Microscope and its External Illumination: Adaptation for Photosynthetic Organisms

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gábor Steinbach ◽  
Radek Kaňa
Keyword(s):  
Light Sources ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Photosynthetic Organisms ◽  
Automated Microscopy ◽  
Photosynthetic Microorganisms ◽  
Arduino Microcontroller ◽  
Microscopy Data ◽  
Kinetics Of ◽  
Photosynthetic Cells

AbstractPhotosynthesis research employs several biophysical methods, including the detection of fluorescence. Even though fluorescence is a key method to detect photosynthetic efficiency, it has not been applied/adapted to single-cell confocal microscopy measurements to examine photosynthetic microorganisms. Experiments with photosynthetic cells may require automation to perform a large number of measurements with different parameters, especially concerning light conditions. However, commercial microscopes support custom protocols (throughTime Controlleroffered by Olympus orExperiment Designeroffered by Zeiss) that are often unable to provide special set-ups and connection to external devices (e.g., for irradiation). Our new system combining an Arduino microcontroller with theCell⊕Findersoftware was developed for controlling Olympus FV1000 and FV1200 confocal microscopes and the attached hardware modules. Our software/hardware solution offers (1) a text file-based macro language to control the imaging functions of the microscope; (2) programmable control of several external hardware devices (light sources, thermal controllers, actuators) during imaging via the Arduino microcontroller; (3) theCell⊕Findersoftware with ergonomic user environment, a fast selection method for the biologically important cells and precise positioning feature that reduces unwanted bleaching of the cells by the scanning laser.Cell⊕Findercan be downloaded fromhttp://www.alga.cz/cellfinder. The system was applied to study changes in fluorescence intensity inSynechocystissp. PCC6803 cells under long-term illumination. Thus, we were able to describe the kinetics of phycobilisome decoupling. Microscopy data showed that phycobilisome decoupling appears slowly after long-term (>1 h) exposure to high light.

scholarly journals CO2 Utilization and Long-Term Storage in Useful Mineral Products by Carbonation of Alkaline Feedstocks

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renato Baciocchi ◽  
Giulia Costa
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Mineral Carbonation ◽  
Carbon Utilization ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Current State ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Term Storage ◽  
Change Mitigation

Accelerated carbonation is a carbon utilization option which allows the manufacturing of useful products, employing CO2-concentrated or -diluted emission sources and waste streams such as industrial or other processing solid residues, in a circular economy perspective. If properly implemented, it may reduce the exploitation of virgin raw materials and their associated environmental footprint and permanently store CO2 in the form of Ca and/or Mg carbonates, thus effectively contributing to climate change mitigation. In this perspective article, we first report an overview of the main mineral carbonation pathways that have been developed up to now, focusing on those which were specifically designed to obtain useful products, starting from different alkaline feedstocks. Based on the current state of the art, we then discuss the main critical issues that still need to be addressed in order to improve the overall feasibility of mineral carbonation as a CCUS option, as well as research needs and opportunities.

scholarly journals Dynamics of the cyanobacterial water bloom with focus to Microcystis and its relationship with environmental factors in Brno reservoir

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1383-1390
Author(s):  
Lucie Straková ◽  
Radovan Kopp ◽  
Eliška Maršálková ◽  
Blahoslav Maršálek
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Water Bloom ◽  
Data Set ◽  
New Information ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Management Effort ◽  
Phosphate Loading ◽  
Treatment Facilities

Our paper brings new information about long-term changes of the phytoplankton communities in the Brno reservoir with the focus on the Microcystis abundance using the semi-monthly monitoring data covering the period 2006–2012. The main aim is to extract from this long-term data set differences in number of Microcystis cells depending on environmental factors. The development of cyanobacteria in Brno reservoir is caused by excessive phosphate loading from wastewater treatment facilities upstream and from non–point sources along the Svratka river. It focuses management effort on upstream controls of reservoir condition. High abundance in millions of cyanobacteria cells in 1ml observed in Brno reservoir before was reduced to values in the order of thousands cells in 1ml in last two years through a combination of measures (liming, precipitation of phosphorus on inflow, aeration and destratification). Phytoplankton composition was also changed and at the expense of cyanobacteria promoted the development of green algae and diatoms.

scholarly journals Estimation of the Particulate Organic Carbon to Chlorophyll-a Ratio Using MODIS-Aqua in the East/Japan Sea, South Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dabin Lee ◽  
SeungHyun Son ◽  
HuiTae Joo ◽  
Kwanwoo Kim ◽  
Myung Joon Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Particulate Organic Carbon ◽  
Chlorophyll A ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Seasonal Variability ◽  
Japan Sea ◽  
Global Ocean ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities

In recent years, the change of marine environment due to climate change and declining primary productivity have been big concerns in the East/Japan Sea, Korea. However, the main causes for the recent changes are still not revealed clearly. The particulate organic carbon (POC) to chlorophyll-a (chl-a) ratio (POC:chl-a) could be a useful indicator for ecological and physiological conditions of phytoplankton communities and thus help us to understand the recent reduction of primary productivity in the East/Japan Sea. To derive the POC in the East/Japan Sea from a satellite dataset, the new regional POC algorithm was empirically derived with in-situ measured POC concentrations. A strong positive linear relationship (R2 = 0.6579) was observed between the estimated and in-situ measured POC concentrations. Our new POC algorithm proved a better performance in the East/Japan Sea compared to the previous one for the global ocean. Based on the new algorithm, long-term POC:chl-a ratios were obtained in the entire East/Japan Sea from 2003 to 2018. The POC:chl-a showed a strong seasonal variability in the East/Japan Sea. The spring and fall blooms of phytoplankton mainly driven by the growth of large diatoms seem to be a major factor for the seasonal variability in the POC:chl-a. Our new regional POC algorithm modified for the East/Japan Sea could potentially contribute to long-term monitoring for the climate-associated ecosystem changes in the East/Japan Sea. Although the new regional POC algorithm shows a good correspondence with in-situ observed POC concentrations, the algorithm should be further improved with continuous field surveys.

Long-term changes in summer phytoplankton communities and their influencing factors in Daya Bay, China (1991–2017)

2020 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 111694
Author(s):  
Xi Yang ◽  
Yehui Tan ◽  
Kaizhi Li ◽  
Huangchen Zhang ◽  
Jiaxing Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Daya Bay ◽  
Phytoplankton Communities ◽  
Long Term Changes

scholarly journals Modes of response to environmental change and the elusive empirical evidence for bet hedging

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1712) ◽  
pp. 1601-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Simons
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Bet Hedging ◽  
Fluctuating Selection ◽  
Hedging Strategies ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Human Decision ◽  
Response To Environmental Change

Uncertainty is a problem not only in human decision-making, but is a prevalent quality of natural environments and thus requires evolutionary response. Unpredictable natural selection is expected to result in the evolution of bet-hedging strategies, which are adaptations to long-term fluctuating selection. Despite a recent surge of interest in bet hedging, its study remains mired in conceptual and practical difficulties, compounded by confusion over what constitutes evidence for its existence. Here, I attempt to resolve misunderstandings about bet hedging and its relationship with other modes of response to environmental change, identify the challenges inherent to its study and assess the state of existing empirical evidence. The variety and distribution of plausible bet-hedging traits found across 16 phyla in over 100 studies suggest their ubiquity. Thus, bet hedging should be considered a specific mode of response to environmental change. However, the distribution of bet-hedging studies across evidence categories—defined according to potential strength—is heavily skewed towards weaker categories, underscoring the need for direct appraisals of the adaptive significance of putative bet-hedging traits in nature.

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