Functional traits predict species co-occurrence patterns in a North American Odonata metacommunity

The probability of occurrence of a given species in a target locality and assemblage is conditioned not only by environmental/climatic variables but also by the presence of other species (i.e., species co-occurrence). This framework, already complex in nature, becomes even more complicated if one considers the functional traits of species that, in turn, might influence the structure of metacommunities in various ways. Depending on the ecological and environmental setting, functional similarity (i.e., convergence in morphological and ecological traits) between species might either reduce their co-occurrence due to high niche overlap driving negative interactions or promote it if the similar traits are associated with local habitat suitability. Similarly, functional divergence might either promote species co-occurrence by limiting negative interactions through niche separation or reduce it through trait mediated environmental filtering. Therefore, discriminating between these alternative scenarios—predicting whether two species will tend to co-occur or not based on their traits—is extremely challenging. Here, we develop a novel protocol to tackle the challenge, and we demonstrate its effectiveness by showing that ecological species traits can predict species co-occurrence in a large dataset of North American Odonata. To this end, we first used the Hierarchical Modeling of Species Communities framework to quantify the pairwise species co-occurrence after controlling for environmental and climatic factors. Then, we used machine learning to generate models which proved capable of predict accurately the observed co-occurrence patterns from species functional traits. Our approach offers a generalizable analytical framework with the potential to clarify long-standing ecological questions

Mutual Avoidance in the Spectacled Salamander and Centipede: A Discrepancy between Exploratory Field and Laboratory Data

Interactions between amphibians and arthropods encompass a wide range of ecological relationships, predominantly characterized by predator–prey dynamics, with adult amphibians as the predators. In some instances, the roles are reversed. This study focuses on the potential predator-prey relationship between the spectacled salamander (Salamandrina perspicillata) and the centipede Scolopendra cingulata in Central Italy. Building upon previous research on chemical cue perception in amphibians, we investigated potential olfactory cue-mediated avoidance behaviours exhibited by S. perspicillata towards the potential predator S. cingulata through field observations and manipulative experiments. In a natural site, we estimated the degree of negative co-occurrence between the study species under shelters and found an avoidance pattern between S. perspicillata and S. cingulata in refuges. However, when the study species were forced to choose between sharing or not sharing a given shelter, through a manipulative experiment, the avoidance pattern was not confirmed. Potential determinants contributing to the avoidance pattern observed in nature are discussed. Our exploratory results represent a good example of how what often appears to be a strong observation-based pattern in natural settings needs to be carefully scrutinized. Hypotheses testing through experiments in controlled environments remains a valuable approach to exclude potentially misleading processes

Lixiviação e volatilização de nitrogênio em um Argissolo cultivado com videira submetida à adubação nitrogenada.

O nitrogênio (N) aplicado na superfície do solo em vinhedos pode ser perdido por volatilização ou lixiviação, sendo uma das possíveis explicações para o baixo aproveitamento de N pelas videiras. O trabalho objetivou avaliar as perdas de N por volatilização e lixiviação do N mineral em solo cultivado com videira submetida à adubação nitrogenada. Foram instalados dois experimentos em um vinhedo de Cabernet Sauvignon, em Rosário do Sul (RS), Brasil. No experimento 1, foram instalados lisímetros no solo que recebeu a aplicação de 0, 40, 80 e 120kg de N ha-1 ano-1 na forma de ureia e, durante o período de agosto a dezembro de 2009, foi coletada a solução do solo para a análise de N mineral. No experimento 2, foram instaladas câmaras coletoras no solo que recebeu, em agosto de 2010, a aplicação de 0, 20, 40, e 80kg de N ha-1 ano-1 na forma de ureia, 40kg de N ha-1 ano-1 de composto orgânico e 40kg de N ha-1 ano-1 de ureia revestida com polímeros, para avaliar a volatilização de N-NH3 do momento da aplicação até 80 horas depois da aplicação. As maiores concentrações de nitrogênio mineral na solução lixiviada foram encontradas nas doses mais elevadas de fertilizante mineral aplicado e ao longo da brotação e florescimento das videiras, o que pode diminuir o aproveitamento do nutriente pelas plantas. Os maiores fluxos e perdas de amônia do solo cultivado com videira para a atmosfera aconteceram nas doses mais elevadas de nitrogênio mineral aplicado, especialmente, depois de 44 horas da sua aplicação sobre a superfície do solo. A aplicação de ureia revestida com polímeros e composto orgânico promoveram as menores perdas de amônia por volatilização, o que pode estimular o aproveitamento de nitrogênio pelas videiras

Graves' ophthalmopathy evolution studied by MRI during childhood and adolescence.

The positive outcome of Graves' ophthalmopathy correlated with low TRAb (autoantibodies to thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor) titers at diagnosis and during follow-up and with prepubertal condition at diagnosis

Validity and worth in the science curriculum: learning school science outside the laboratory

It is widely acknowledged that there are problems with school science in many developed countries of the world. Such problems manifest themselves in a progressive decline in pupil enthusiasm for school science across the secondary age range and the fact that fewer students are choosing to study the physical sciences at higher levels and as careers. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy and the nature of pupil discussion in science lessons. We support such changes but argue from a consideration of the aims of science education that secondary school science is too rooted in the science laboratory; substantially greater use needs to be made of out-of-school sites for the teaching of science. Such usage should result in a school science education that is more valid and more motivating and is better at fulfilling defensible aims of school science education. Our contention is that laboratory-based school science teaching needs to be complemented by out-of-school science learning that draws on the actual world (e.g. through fieldtrips), the presented world (e.g. in science centres, botanic gardens, zoos and science museums) and the virtual worlds that are increasingly available through information and communications technologies (ICT)

First Measurement of the Transverse Spin Asymmetries of the Deuteron in Semi-Inclusive Deep Inelastic Scattering

First measurements of the Collins and Sivers asymmetries of charged hadrons produced in deep-inelastic scattering of muons on a transversely polarized 6-LiD target are presented. The data were taken in 2002 with the COMPASS spectrometer using the muon beam of the CERN SPS at 160 GeV/c. The Collins asymmetry turns out to be compatible with zero, as does the measured Sivers asymmetry within the present statistical errors.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure