Multi-scale and multi-system perspectives of zooplankton structure and function in Canadian freshwaters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Pinel-Alloul ◽  
Alain Patoine ◽  
Jérôme Marty
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Freshwater Zooplankton ◽  
Anthropogenic Stressors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Function

This review provides a Canadian perspective on freshwater zooplankton diversity and ecology across scales and systems. It aims at describing how zooplankton is a source of biodiversity in forms and functions, a key component of plankton food web, a model for ecological theories and a sentinel for monitoring lake ecological integrity and function facing environmental changes and anthropogenic stressors. These objectives are addressed across a continuum of spatial scales and ecosystem types. Zooplankton communities demonstrated a wide range of responses to anthropogenic disturbances across scales and systems due to interactions with watershed biogeochemistry and climate. This review supports the Multiple Forces hypothesis where forcing by abiotic factors have a primordial role at global scale over Canadian ecoregions, and at regional scale in the Boreal ecozones. In contrast, forcing by biotic factors is more influential at local scale, in resort and urban regions. Future research challenge will be to combine all new concepts and approaches in a holistic perspective to examine the response of freshwater zooplankton to multiple environmental changes and anthropogenic stressors.

scholarly journals Using Tertiary Sulci to Map the “Cognitive Globe” of Prefrontal Cortex

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Jacob A. Miller ◽  
Mark D'Esposito ◽  
Kevin S. Weiner
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Individual Participant ◽  
And Function

Stuss considered the human prefrontal cortex (pFC) as a “cognitive globe” [Stuss, D. T., & Benson, D. F. Neuropsychological studies of the frontal lobes. Psychological Bulletin, 95, 3–28, 1984] on which functions of the frontal lobe could be mapped. Here, we discuss classic and recent findings regarding the evolution, development, function, and cognitive role of shallow indentations or tertiary sulci in pFC, with the goal of using tertiary sulci to map the “cognitive globe” of pFC. First, we discuss lateral pFC (LPFC) tertiary sulci in classical anatomy and modern neuroimaging, as well as their development, with a focus on those within the middle frontal gyrus. Second, we discuss tertiary sulci in comparative neuroanatomy, focusing on primates. Third, we summarize recent findings showing the utility of tertiary sulci for understanding structural–functional relationships with functional network insights in ventromedial pFC and LPFC. Fourth, we revisit and update unresolved theoretical perspectives considered by C. Vogt and O. Vogt (Allgemeinere ergebnisse unserer hirnforschung. Journal für Psychologie und Neurologie, 25, 279–462, 1919) and F. Sanides (Structure and function of the human frontal lobe. Neuropsychologia, 2, 209–219, 1964) that tertiary sulci serve as landmarks for cortical gradients. Together, the consideration of these classic and recent findings indicate that tertiary sulci are situated in a unique position within the complexity of the “cognitive globe” of pFC: They are the smallest and shallowest of sulci in pFC, yet can offer insights that bridge spatial scales (microns to networks), modalities (functional connectivity to behavior), and species. As such, the map of tertiary sulci within each individual participant serves as a coordinate system specific to that individual on which functions may be further mapped. We conclude with new theoretical and methodological questions that, if answered in future research, will likely lead to mechanistic insight regarding the structure and function of human LPFC.

THE INTERACTIONS OF VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES IN PEATLANDS AND MARSHES

1987 ◽  
Vol 119 (S140) ◽  
pp. 15-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry R. Murkin ◽  
Bruce D.J. Batt
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Avian Community ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dead Plant ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
And Function

AbstractThis paper reviews the interactions of vertebrates and invertebrates in peatlands and marshes to assess current knowledge and future research needs. Living organisms may interact through a number of direct trophic and nutrient pathways and a variety of non-trophic, habitat-dependent relationships. Freshwater marshes and peatlands are dynamic aquatic environments and organisms that occupy these areas must be adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. The avian community illustrates the main interactions of invertebrates and vertebrates in peatlands and marshes. Waterfowl, along with fish and furbearers, are the most economically important vertebrates using these habitats. Each of these groups has important trophic and habitat links to the invertebrates within wetlands.The most common interaction between vertebrates and invertebrates is the use of invertebrates as food by vertebrates. Few studies, however, have dealt with trophic dynamics or secondary production within wetlands. Waterfowl, fish, and many other wetland vertebrates, during all or part of their life cycles, regularly feed on invertebrates. Some invertebrates are vectors of disease and parasites to vertebrates. Vertebrates can directly affect the structural substrate that invertebrates depend on as habitat through consumption of macrophytes or through the use of living and dead plant material in the construction of houses and nests. Conversely, herbivorous invertebrates may directly affect the survival and distribution of macrophytes in wetlands. Macrophyte distribution, in turn, is an important factor in determining vertebrate use of wetlands. The general lack of both taxonomic and ecological information on invertebrates in wetlands is the main hindrance to future elucidation of vertebrate–invertebrate interactions in these environments. Development of invertebrate sampling techniques suitable for wetland habitats also is necessary. More specific research needs must be met to develop a better understanding of the structure and function of these dynamic systems.

Linking temporal changes in crayfish communities to environmental changes in boreal Shield lakes in south-central Ontario

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brie A. Edwards ◽  
Donald A. Jackson ◽  
Keith M. Somers
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Shoreline Development ◽  
South Central ◽  
Freshwater Biota ◽  
And Function ◽  
Abiotic Interactions ◽  
Shield Lakes

When aquatic ecosystems are among those most intensely affected by local and regional environmental change, it is crucial that stressors are identified to set priorities for future research and mitigation. Studies relating changes in important or sensitive assemblages to environmental changes provide a means to quantify potential stress on aquatic biota. Crayfish are ideal taxa for this type of study because they influence ecosystem structure and function and are sensitive to biotic and abiotic changes. We used historical and contemporary crayfish abundance and select environmental data for 100 inland lakes in central Ontario, to identify factors that are correlated with community membership and species distributions at each time and to elucidate environmental factors that can be directly linked to changes in relative abundance between the two time periods. Our results show that declines in lake calcium, invasions of warm-water centrarchids, and anthropogenic shoreline development have increased in their relative influence over time. These stressors may be affecting other freshwater biota directly, or indirectly through food web changes or altered abiotic interactions among the environmental changes.

scholarly journals Using tertiary sulci to map the “cognitive globe” of prefrontal cortex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Miller ◽  
Mark D'Esposito ◽  
kevin weiner
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comparative Neuroanatomy ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Mechanistic Insight ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Individual Participant ◽  
And Function

Stuss (1984) considered the human prefrontal cortex (PFC) as a “cognitive globe” on which functions of the frontal lobe could be mapped. Here, we discuss classic and recent findings regarding the evolution, development, function, and cognitive role of shallow indentations, or tertiary sulci, in PFC with the goal of using tertiary sulci to map the “cognitive globe” of PFC. First, we discuss lateral PFC (LPFC) tertiary sulci in classical anatomy and modern neuroimaging, as well as their development, with a focus on those within the middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Second, we discuss tertiary sulci in comparative neuroanatomy, focusing on primates. Third, we summarize recent findings showing the utility of tertiary sulci for understanding structural-functional relationships with functional network insights in ventromedial and LPFC. Fourth, we revisit and update unresolved theoretical perspectives considered by Vogt and Vogt (1919) and Sanides (1964) that tertiary sulci serve as landmarks for cortical gradients. Together, the consideration of these classic and recent findings indicate that tertiary sulci are situated in a unique position within the complexity of the “cognitive globe” of PFC: they are the smallest and shallowest of sulci in PFC, yet can offer insights that bridge spatial scales (microns to networks), modalities (functional connectivity to behavior), and species. As such, the map of tertiary sulci within each individual participant serves as a coordinate system specific to that individual on which functions may be further mapped. We conclude with new theoretical and methodological questions that if answered in future research, will likely lead to mechanistic insight regarding the structure and function of human LPFC.

Ecological Effects of Environmental Stressors

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bill Freedman
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Physical Damage ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Anthropogenic Stressors ◽  
And Function

Regimes of environmental stress are exceedingly complex. Particular stressors exist within continua of intensity of environmental factors. Those factors interact with each other, and their detrimental effects on organisms are manifest only at relatively high or low strengths of exposure—in fact, many of them are beneficial at intermediate levels of intensity. Although a diversity of environmental factors is manifest at any time and place, only one or a few of them tend to be dominant as stressors. It is useful to distinguish between stressors that occur as severe events (disturbances) and those that are chronic in their exposure, and to aggregate the kinds of stressors into categories (while noting some degree of overlap among them). Climatic stressors are associated with extremes of temperature, solar radiation, wind, moisture, and combinations of these factors. They act as stressors if their condition is either insufficient or excessive, in comparison with the needs and comfort zones of organisms or ecosystem processes. Chemical stressors involve environments in which the availability of certain substances is too low to satisfy biological needs, or high enough to cause toxicity or another physiological detriment to organisms or to higher-level attributes of ecosystems. Wildfire is a disturbance that involves the combustion of much of the biomass of an ecosystem, affecting organisms by heat, physical damage, and toxic substances. Physical stress is a disturbance in which an exposure to kinetic energy is intense enough to damage organisms and ecosystems (such as a volcanic blast, seismic sea wave, ice scouring, or anthropogenic explosion or trampling). Biological stressors are associated with interactions occurring among organisms. They may be directly caused by such trophic interactions as herbivory, predation, and parasitism. They may also indirectly affect the intensity of physical or chemical stressors, as when competition affects the availability of nutrients, moisture, or space. Extreme environments are characterized by severe regimes of stressors, which result in relatively impoverished ecosystem development. This may be a consequence of either natural or anthropogenic stressors. If a regime of environmental stress intensifies, the resulting responses include a degradation of the structure and function of affected ecosystems and of ecological integrity more generally. In contrast, a relaxation of environmental stress allows some degree of ecosystem recovery.

scholarly journals Contribution of Crk Adaptor Proteins to Host Cell and Bacteria Interactions

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narcisa Martinez-Quiles ◽  
Leigh Ann Feuerbacher ◽  
María Benito-León ◽  
Philip R. Hardwidge
Keyword(s):  
Escherichia Coli ◽  
Cell Adhesion ◽  
Host Cell ◽  
Adaptor Proteins ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Alternatively Spliced ◽  
And Function

The Crk adaptor family of proteins comprises the alternatively spliced CrkI and CrkII isoforms, as well as the paralog Crk-like (CrkL) protein, which is encoded by a different gene. Initially thought to be involved in signaling during apoptosis and cell adhesion, this ubiquitously expressed family of proteins is now known to play essential roles in integrating signals from a wide range of stimuli. In this review, we describe the structure and function of the different Crk proteins. We then focus on the emerging roles of Crk adaptors during Enterobacteriaceae pathogenesis, with special emphasis on the important human pathogensSalmonella,Shigella,Yersinia, and enteropathogenicEscherichia coli. Throughout, we remark on opportunities for future research into this intriguing family of proteins.

scholarly journals Analysis of vertebral chemistry to assess stock structure in a deep-sea shark, Etmopterus spinax

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew N. McMillan ◽  
Christopher Izzo ◽  
Claudia Junge ◽  
Ole Thomas Albert ◽  
Armelle Jung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Sea ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
General Pattern ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Stock Structure ◽  
Population Mixing

Deep-sea sharks play a valuable ecological role helping maintain food web balance, yet they are vulnerable to commercial fishing because of slow growth rates and low reproductive capacity. Overfishing of sharks can heavily impact marine ecosystems and the fisheries these support. Knowledge of stock structure is integral to sustainable management of fisheries. The present study analysed vertebral chemistry using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to assay concentrations of 7Li, 23Na, 24Mg, 55Mn, 59Co, 60Ni, 63Cu, 66Zn, 85Rb, 88Sr, 138Ba and 208Pb to assess stock structure in a deep-sea shark, Etmopterus spinax, in Norwegian and French waters. Few studies have applied this technique to elasmobranch vertebrae and the present study represents its first application to a deep-sea shark. Three stocks were identified at the regional scale off western Norway, southern Norway, and France. At finer spatial scales there was evidence of strong population mixing. Overall, the general pattern of stock structure outlined herein provides some indication of the spatial scales at which stocks should be viewed as distinct fisheries management units. The identification of an effective multi-element signature for distinguishing E. spinax stocks utilizing Sr, Ba, Mg, Zn and Pb and the methodological groundwork laid in the present study could also expedite future research into stock structure for E. spinax and deep-sea elasmobranchs more generally.

scholarly journals New methods of spatial analysis in urban gardens inform future vegetation surveying

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 761-778
Author(s):  
Monika H. Egerer ◽  
Benjamin Wagner ◽  
Brenda B. Lin ◽  
Dave Kendal ◽  
Kai Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Scale ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Community Gardens ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Future Application ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
And Function

Abstract Context Land use change requires measuring shifting patterns in biodiversity at various spatial scales to inform landscape management. Assessing vegetation change at different scales is challenging in urban ecosystems managed by many individuals. Thus, we do not know much about the structure and function of green spaces that support biodiversity. Objective We aim to understand how vegetation structure and function indicators in urban community gardens vary with spatial scale, applying new and traditional methods in landscape ecology to inform future research and application. Methods We performed two methods to assess garden vegetation structure (height) and function (species diversity, cover) at the garden- and garden plot scale. First, we used traditional field sampling to estimate garden vegetation at the garden scale (1 m2 quadrats along transects) and at the plot scale (estimated within entire plot) to measure height, diversity and cover. Second, we used UAV aerial imagery to derive measures of garden and plot vegetation using canopy height models (CHMs). We evaluated differences in CHMs at each scale across the gardens, and compared field and UAV-derived measures. Results Garden vegetation characteristics vary with spatial scale. Plant species richness and vegetation cover, but not height, related to UAV-derived imagery. Conclusions New technologies paired with traditional field methods can together inform how vegetation structure and function vary with spatial scale in urban landscapes. Spatial scale is key to accurate and meaningful urban vegetation analyses. New and traditional methods in urban ecology research should develop together to improve and streamline their future application.

scholarly journals Temporal and Vertical Distributions of Bacterioplankton at the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 910-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinxin Lu ◽  
Shulei Sun ◽  
Yu-Qin Zhang ◽  
James T. Hollibaugh ◽  
Xiaozhen Mou
Keyword(s):  
Diurnal Variation ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Bacterial Community Composition ◽  
16S Rrna Genes ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
South Atlantic Bight ◽  
Bacterial Phyla

ABSTRACTLarge spatial scales and long-term shifts of bacterial community composition (BCC) in the open ocean can often be reliably predicted based on the dynamics of physical-chemical variables. The power of abiotic factors in shaping BCC on shorter time scales in shallow estuarine mixing zones is less clear. We examined the diurnal variation in BCC at different water depths in the spring and fall of 2011 at a station in the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). This site is located in the transition zone between the estuarine plume and continental shelf waters of the South Atlantic Bight. A total of 234,516 pyrotag sequences of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were recovered; they were taxonomically affiliated with >200 families of 23 bacterial phyla. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed significant differences in BCC between spring and fall samples, likely due to seasonality in the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrate plus nitrite. Within each diurnal sampling, BCC differed significantly by depth only in the spring and differed significantly between day and night only in the fall. The former variation largely tracked changes in light availability, while the latter was most correlated with concentrations of polyamines and chlorophylla. Our results suggest that at the GRNMS, a coastal mixing zone, diurnal variation in BCC is attributable to the mixing of local and imported bacterioplankton rather than to bacterial growth in response to environmental changes. Our results also indicate that, like members of theRoseobacterclade, SAR11 bacteria may play an important role in processing dissolved organic material in coastal oceans.

scholarly journals Information Technology for Business Sustainability: A Literature Review with Automated Content Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1192
Author(s):  
Doroteja Vidmar ◽  
Marjeta Marolt ◽  
Andreja Pucihar
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Positive Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Automated Content Analysis ◽  
Wide Range

An extremely dynamic and fast-moving environment is pushing enterprises to continuous innovation and change. Managing sustainability in a digitalized environment seems to be of central importance for policy makers, as information technologies (IT), in combination with sustainability objectives, offer a wide range of opportunities for positive change. Through a systematic literature review and the application of automated content analysis, this study aims to provide insights into the latest research in the interdisciplinary field of sustainable business models and information systems. The results of the analysis, combined with a researcher’s perspective, suggest that IT, which can be used to achieve sustainability objectives, are already in place and have an infinite number of potential implications in the future. The results suggest that positive economic, social, and environmental changes can be achieved by using IT as long as they are used to identify unsustainable actions and enable positive change. The analysis of research trends revealed a discrepancy between the research in the European Union and the rest of the world and pointed to several avenues for future research.

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