Characterisation of Dissolved Organic Matter Fractions Released from Scottish Peatlands.

A high concentration of dissolved organic matter is intimately related to the chemistry and ecology of water environments linked to peatlands. To understand the variations in the chemical characteristics of peat derived dissolved organic matter, those in drainage water from natural vegetation and an area containing Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), surface water (dubh lochans), and stream water associated with a peatland in central Scotland were analyzed after fractionation into two fulvic acids that were desorbed from an XAD-8 column with water (FAs(HO)) and 0.1 M NaOH (FAs(NaOH)), humic acids, and dissolved non-humic substances.

Browsing affects intra-ring carbon allocation in species with contrasting wood anatomy.

Current knowledge on tree carbon (C) allocation to wood is particularly scarce in plants subjected to disturbance factors, such as browsing, which affects forest regeneration worldwide and has an impact on the C balance of trees. Furthermore, quantifying the degree to which tree rings are formed from freshly assimilated vs. stored carbohydrates is highly relevant for our understanding of tree C allocation.

Using local knowledge to model asymmetric preference formation in willingness to pay for environmental services.

This paper describes an approach to account for asymmetric preference formation in discrete choice models used for environmental valuation. The paper draws on data from a case study on preferences for environmental change resulting from a hypothetical rural development and conservation programme in Indonesia. Local knowledge on the current state of the environment was used to define an individual-specific status quo that consistently frames changes in a range of environmental services as gains or losses matching the perceptions of the local population living in the vicinity of a National Park.

Assessing the recovery potential of alpine moss-sedge heath: reciprocal transplants along a nitrogen deposition gradient.

The potential of alpine moss-sedge heath to recover from elevated nitrogen (N) deposition was assessed by transplanting Racomitrium lanuginosum shoots and vegetation turfs between 10 elevated N deposition sites (8.2-32.9 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) and a low N deposition site, Ben Wyvis (7.

The enigma of soil animal species diversity revisited: the role of small-scale heterogeneity.

Background: "The enigma of soil animal species diversity" was the title of a popular article by J. M. Anderson published in 1975.

River phosphorus cycling: separating biotic and abiotic uptake during short-term changes in sewage effluent loading.

Medium to small scale point sources continue to threaten river ecosystems through P loadings. The capacity and timescales of within-river processing and P retention are a major factor in how rivers respond to, and protect downstream ecosystems from, elevated concentrations of soluble reactive P (SRP). In this study, the bio-geochemical response of a small river (approximately 40 km(2) catchment area) was determined before, during and after exposure to a fourteen day pulse of treated sewage effluent using an upstream reach as a control.

Nodulation and nitrogen fixation by Mimosa spp. in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes of Brazil.

*An extensive survey of nodulation in the legume genus Mimosa was undertaken in two major biomes in Brazil, the Cerrado and the Caatinga, in both of which there are high degrees of endemicity of the genus. *Nodules were collected from 67 of the 70 Mimosa spp. found.

Does egg colouration reflect male condition in birds?

How colouration provides information about individuals in birds has been a central issue in recent decades. Although much information has been derived, little is known about the adaptive significance of egg colouration in birds. A recent idea suggests that biliverdin- and porphyrin-pigmented eggs may act as a post-mating sexual signal for males to assess female quality.

Regression analysis of spatial data.

Many of the most interesting questions ecologists ask lead to analyses of spatial data. Yet, perhaps confused by the large number of statistical models and fitting methods available, many ecologists seem to believe this is best left to specialists. Here, we describe the issues that need consideration when analysing spatial data and illustrate these using simulation studies.

Anthropogenic pollutants: a threat to ecosystem sustainability?

Pollutants, including synthetic organic materials and heavy metals, are known to adversely affect physiological systems in all animal species studied to date. While many individual chemicals can perturb normal functions, the combined actions of multiple pollutants are of particular concern because they can exert effects even when each individual chemical is present at concentrations too low to be individually effective. The biological effects of pollutants differ greatly between species reflecting differences in the pattern of exposure, routes of uptake, metabolism following uptake, rates of accumulation and sensitivity of the target organs.

Through the eye of the needle: a review of isotope approaches to quantify microbial processes mediating soil carbon balance.

For soils in carbon balance, losses of soil carbon from biological activity are balanced by organic inputs from vegetation. Perturbations, such as climate or land use change, have the potential to disrupt this balance and alter soil-atmosphere carbon exchanges. As the quantification of soil organic matter stocks is an insensitive means of detecting changes, certainly over short timescales, there is a need to apply methods that facilitate a quantitative understanding of the biological processes underlying soil carbon balance.

Dynamic modelling of the response of UK forest soils to changes in acid deposition using the SAFE model.

Both observed and modelled data have been examined from the ten UN-ECE Level II forest intensive monitoring sites in the UK to determine the changes and potential impact on soil solution chemistry resulting from changes in acid deposition inputs. The sites represent a range of forest tree types, soil sensitivities and pollutant deposition inputs found in the UK. The dynamic biogeochemical SAFE model was used to explore temporal changes in soil and soil solution chemical parameters that have been used as indicators for potential forest ecosystem and tree damage in national and international assessments of critical loads.

Individual personality and the spatial distribution of groups of grazing animals: an example with sheep.

Impacts of individual personality on group distribution were investigated using sheep (Ovis aries) as a model. In an indoor exploration test, individuals who visited <4 (out of 6) objects in a novel environment were classified as 'shy' (n=10), and those who visited 5 or 6 objects were classified as 'bold' (n=10). Nine weeks later, using a series of groups (n=40) of either 5 shy or 5 bold sheep, we measured distribution at pasture and responses to disturbance and the approach of a human handler.

Accumulation of endocrine disrupting compounds in sheep fetal and maternal liver tissue following exposure to pastures treated with sewage sludge.

Fetal tissue concentrations of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), and their relationship to maternal tissue concentrations, are largely unknown, in any species. In particular, the patterns of accumulation in the respective tissues following increased rates of environmental exposure are little known. This study was designed to determine fetal and maternal tissue concentrations of selected EDCs in sheep exposed to background, environmental concentrations of EDCs (pastures treated with inorganic fertiliser; Control; C) or to elevated, environmental concentrations (sludge-treated pastures; Treated; T).

Response of fungal, bacterial and ureolytic communities to synthetic sheep urine deposition in a grassland soil.

In grazed pastures, soil pH is raised in urine patches, causing dissolution of organic carbon and increased ammonium and nitrate concentrations, with potential effects on the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities. Here we examined the effects of synthetic sheep urine (SU) in a field study on dominant soil bacterial and fungal communities associated with bulk soil and plant roots (rhizoplane), using culture-independent methods and a new approach to investigate the ureolytic community. A differential response of bacteria and fungal communities to SU treatment was observed.

Spatial distribution of sporocarps of stipitate hydnoid fungi and their belowground mycelium.

Interest in stipitate hydnoid fungi of the genera Bankera, Hydnellum, Phellodon and Sarcodon has increased due to the decline in numbers of sporocarps in Europe. Conservation of these fungi is hindered by a lack of understanding of their basic ecology. In particular, a better understanding of their belowground ecology is required.

Is the cask of facilitation ready for bottling? A symposium on the connectivity and future directions of positive plant interactions.

The 2009 British Ecological Society's Annual Symposium entitled 'Facilitation in Plant Communities' was held at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, from 20 to 22 April 2009. This was the first ever international meeting dedicated to the rapidly expanding field of facilitation. The aim of the symposium was to assess the current 'state-of-play' by contrasting findings from different systems and by looking outwards in an attempt to integrate this field with other related fields.

Aquatic macrophytes as bioindicators of carbon dioxide in groundwater fed rivers.

Aquatic plants have been used as hydrological tracers in groundwater fed river systems. In nature, patterns in plant distribution have been attributed to ammonium (NH(4)) toxicity and phosphate (PO(4)) limitation, while some laboratory studies have focused on the role of the partial pressure of CO(2) (pCO(2)). The aims of this study were (i) to test whether plant distribution was more related to pCO(2) than NH(4) and PO(4) in nature, (ii) to develop and test the predictive power of new plant indices for pCO(2), NH(4) and PO(4), and (iii) to test the potential causality of the relationships using species eco-physiological traits.

Vegetated buffer strips can lead to increased release of phosphorus to waters: a biogeochemical assessment of the mechanisms.

Establishing vegetated buffer strips (VBS) between cropland and watercourses is currently promoted as a principal control of diffuse pollution transport. However, we lackthe mechanistic understanding to evaluate P retention in VBS and predict risks of P transport to aquatic ecosystems. We observed that VBS establishment led to enhanced rates of soil P cycling, increasing soil P solubility and the potential amount leached to watercourses.

Reciprocal carbon and nitrogen transfer between an ericaceous dwarf shrub and fungi isolated from Piceirhiza bicolorata ectomycorrhizas.

The overstorey coniferous trees and understorey ericaceous dwarf shrubs of northern temperate and boreal forests have previously been considered to form mycorrhizas with taxonomically and functionally distinct groups of fungi. Here, we tested the hypothesis that Meliniomyces variabilis and Meliniomyces bicolor, isolated from Piceirhiza bicolorata ectomycorrhizas of pine, can function as ericoid mycorrhizal symbionts with Vaccinium vitis-idaea. We used split-compartment microcosms to measure the reciprocal exchange of (13)C and (15)N between V.

The potential for use of gastropod molluscs as bioindicators of endocrine disrupting compounds in the terrestrial environment.

Most early studies of endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) investigated the effects of single compounds on vertebrate species but, more recently, the focus has changed to the study of effects of multiple chemicals on many species, including invertebrates. The widening of the range of species studied is critical to understanding the consequences of EDC effects on ecosystem function and sustainability. Much work on invertebrates has focussed on the aquatic environment, where molluscs have been used as effective bioindicators for EDCs.

Between a rock and a hard place: incompatible objectives at the heart of river basin planning?

River Basin Management Planning (RBMP) is a policy that seeks to integrate multiple objectives for water bodies, that is enacted at multiple scales and through the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, using an adaptive management cycle. Insights from spatial planning and community planning literatures illustrate how many challenges are not particular to RBMP but are fundamental to strategic planning in modern society. The literatures draw attention to the institutional arrangements governing these complex collaborations.

Long term repeated prescribed burning increases evenness in the basidiomycete laccase gene pool in forest soils.

Repeated prescribed burning alters the biologically labile fraction of nutrients and carbon of soil organic matter (SOM). Using a long-term (30 years) repeated burning experiment where burning has been carried out at a 2- or 4-year frequency, we analysed the effect of prescribed burning on gross potential C turnover rates and phenol oxidase activity in relation to shifts in SOM composition as observed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In tandem, we assessed the genetic diversity of basidiomycete laccases.

The role of weak selection and high mutation rates in nearly neutral evolution.

Neutral dynamics occur in evolution if all types are 'effectively equal' in their reproductive success, where the definition of 'effectively equal' depends on the population size and the details of mutations. Empirically observed neutral genetic evolution in extremely large clonal populations can only be explained under current models if selection is completely absent. Such models typically consider the case where population dynamics occurs on a different timescale to evolution.

Organophosphorus-degrading bacteria: ecology and industrial applications.

The first organophosphorus (OP) compound-degrading bacterial strain was isolated from a paddy field in the Philippines in 1973. Since then, several phylogenetically distinct bacteria that can degrade OP by co-metabolism, or use OPs as a source of carbon, phosphorus or nitrogen, have been isolated from different parts of the world. There is huge potential for industrial applications of OP-degrading bacteria.