Divergent Temperature Tolerances between two populations of the Splash-pool Copepod, Tigriopus californicus, on San Juan Island, WA

Species living over large geographical ranges often have populations that are better adapted their local conditions (Helmuth et al. 2002). For example, populations of the splash-pool copepod, Tigriopus californicus, can tolerate higher temperatures as latitude decreases (Willett 2010). Studies on many organisms, including copepods, tend to look at a large geographical range and make generalizations about the thermal tolerance homogeneity of populations in specific latitude. By doing this we ignore possible effects of changing climate on some populations of copepods in areas that geographically are considered more tolerant. This study demonstrates a significant difference in the lethal temperature tolerance between two populations 30 kilometers apart on San Juan Island, WA. These sites are relatively close together compared to other studies. If we know that geographically close populations may be affected differently by climate change, then we may be more specific and cautious with our predictive modeling, not treating all populations the same

Impact of prescribed burning on vegetation and bird abundance at Matagorda Island, Texas

We measured the impact of prescribed summer and winter burns on vegetation characteristics and spring abundance of birds in a Spartina/Paspalum grassland at Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge and State Natural Area, Texas, 1993-94. We burned 8 (4 summer burn, 4 winter burn), 122-ha plots. We estimated bird abundance by surveying once a week from March through May at 12-16 fixed-radius point count stations in each plot. We measured forb and grass foliar cover, litter depth, visual obstruction, and woody and residual stem density at each point count station 6-10 months after burning and 18-22 months after burning and found few differences in vegetation between summer and winter burns. Litter depth, visual obstruction, and woody stem density values were greater on control plots 6 to 10 months post-burn. By 18 to 22 months post-burn, only litter depth and visual obstruction remained higher on control plots than on either burn treatment. At 6 to 10 months after burning, wrens were more abundant on control plots and sparrows were more abundant on the burned plots. By 18 to 22 months post-burn, wren abundance had increased on the burned plots, but was still highest on control plots. Sparrow abundance remained highest on burned plots 18-22 months after burning. Precipitation was higher in 1993 than 1994; we believe blackbirds responded more to annual precipitation differences than to burning treatment. In this coastal island grassland, wren abundance was highest on unburned plots and sparrow abundance was highest on burned plots. We suggest that land managers could burn at > 2 year intervals in this grassland without negatively impacting most resident bird species.The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform August 202

The clinical utility of the GOLD classification of COPD disease severity in pulmonary rehabilitation

SummaryThe Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) has introduced a four-stage classification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severity. The present study investigated the discriminatory capacity of the GOLD classification for health status outcomes in patients with COPD. An additional analysis was performed to investigate the discriminatory capacity of a multidimensional staging system, i.e. the Body-Mass Index, Degree of Airflow Obstruction and Dyspnea, and Exercise Capacity Index (BODE index) for the outcome of quality of life.Retrospective analysis was performed on 253 COPD patients (30% stage II, 48% stage III, 22% stage IV), referred for outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary function, exercise capacity, dyspnoea and quality of life were evaluated. Analyses of variance were used to detect differences between GOLD stages and BODE index quartiles, and scatterplots of individual responses were produced as well.The GOLD classification discriminated between stages for pulmonary function (p<0.001), exercise capacity (p<0.001), dyspnoea (p<0.001) and the activities section (p=0.001) of the St. George Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). The BODE index discriminated between quartiles for the activities section (p<0.001), impacts section (p=0.04) and the total score (p=0.01) of the SGRQ. Scatterplots revealed marked inter-individual variation within each GOLD stage or BODE index quartile, and considerable overlap between stages for all health status outcomes.These findings show that the GOLD classification indeed can be used to discern groups of COPD patients, but due to large inter-individual variability it does not seem adequate as a basis for individual management plans in rehabilitation. The BODE index appeared to discriminate slightly better for quality of life, however, it still leaves a significant part of the variance unexplained