Pollinators communities differ across years and crops

Insect pollination is one of the most important ecosystem services. Pollinator communities are rarely studied across years and crops in the same location. The aim of this study was to investigate the pollinator community structure on five different fruit crops, as well as the activity of different pollinator groups during the day and their temperature preferences. Pollinator activity was observed across two years on apple trees and blueberry, strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry bushes. Pollinator community structure varied by plant and year. Honeybees were the most numerous pollinators on all plants except blueberry bushes (39–95% of visits). Bumblebee numbers were high on blackcurrant (up to 28%) and blueberry bushes (up to 61%). Solitary bees visited all plants except blueberries. Honeybees, solitary bees, and hoverflies were most active in the middle of the day, while bumblebees became active earlier in the morning and remained active later in the evening. Pollinators also differed greatly in their temperature preferences. This knowledge gained is necessary for less harmful pesticide application management and the development of more sustainable agriculture to maintain pollinator diversity and thus reliable pollination in extreme weather conditions.

Responses to Temperatures of Different Drosophila Species

Temperature is a critical environmental variable that affects the distribution, survival, and reproduction of most animals. Although temperature receptors have been identified in different animals, how these receptors respond to temperatures is largely unknown. Here we use modified single-fly thermotactic assays to analyze movements and temperature preferences of nine Drosophila species. The ability/inclination to move varies among these species and at different temperatures. Importantly, different species prefer various ranges of temperatures. While wild-type D. melanogaster flies avoid the warm temperature in the warm avoidance assay and the cool temperature in the cool avoidance assay, D. bipectinata and D. yakuba avoid neither warm nor cool temperatures and D. biarmipes and D. mojavensis do not avoid the warm temperature in the warm avoidance assay. These results demonstrate that Drosophila species have different mobilities and temperature preferences, thereby benefiting the research on molecular mechanisms of temperature responsiveness.Summary statementThe ability to move and the preference for temperatures vary among fly species when flies are exposed to steep temperature gradients.

Shifts in Lichen Species and Functional Diversity in a Primeval Forest Ecosystem as a Response to Environmental Changes

Research highlights: shifts in the composition and functional diversity of lichen biota reflect changes in the environment caused by climate warming and eutrophication. Background and objectives: studies on lichen functional diversity and refinement in the functional traits of lichen biota under the pressure of changing environmental factors are currently of great scientific interest. The obtained results are interpreted in relation to specific habitat properties and their modifications due to the potential effects of climate change and atmospheric pollution. The aim of the work was to investigate changes in lichen species composition and functional diversity, as well as to identify factors responsible for them at different forest ecosystem scales. Materials and Methods: we identified factors responsible for changes in lichen biota in a unique Białowieża Forest ecosystem by analyzing shifts in species optima and functional diversity at the forest community, tree phorophyte, and substrate levels. We examined individual lichen species’ responses and temporal shifts in the species composition for each historical and resampled dataset using a community-weighted means of functional lichen traits and Wirth ecological indicator values. Results: the most evident change took place at the level of individual species, which shifted their realized optima: 25 species demonstrated a shift to co-occur with lichens of higher nitrogen demands, 15 demonstrated higher light demands, 14 demonstrated higher temperature preferences, and six demonstrated lower moisture preferences. At the level of forest communities, biota shifted towards the higher proportion of nitrogen-demanding and the lower proportion of moisture-demanding species. At the level of phorophyte species, biota changed towards an increased proportion of lichens of higher temperature preferences. For the substrate level, no directional shifts in lichen species composition were found. Conclusions: climate change has influenced lichen biota in Białowieża Forest, but the main driver of lichen species composition was found to be eutrophication. We suppose that other overlapping factors may contribute to biota shifts, e.g., the extinction and expansion of phorophyte tree species.

Evaluating tank acclimation and trial length for dynamic shuttle box temperature preference assays in aquatic animals

Characterizing the thermal preference of fish is important in conservation, environmental and evolutionary physiology and can be determined using a shuttle box system. Initial tank acclimation and trial lengths are important considerations in experimental design, yet systematic studies of these factors are missing. Three different behavioral assay experimental designs were tested to determine the effect of tank acclimation and trial length (12:12, 0:12, 2:2; hours of tank acclimation: behavioral trial) on the temperature preference of juvenile lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), using a shuttle box. Average temperature preferences for the 12:12, 0:12, and 2:2 experimental designs were 16.10±1.07°C, 16.02±1.56°C, 16.12±1.59°C respectively, with no significant differences between experimental designs (p= 0.9337). Ultimately, length of acclimation time and trial length had no significant effect on thermal preference.

Achieving Improved Personalization and Energy Efficiency in Cohabited Work-Spaces Through Data-Driven Predictive Control

This paper studies the problem of indoor zone temperature control in shared work-spaces equipped with heterogeneous heating and cooling sources with the goal of increased energy savings and environment personalization. We consider two scenarios to assess the performance of our control strategies. The first scenario requires time-bound pre-cooling/pre-heating of a shared space in preparation for a scheduled activity (Scenario A). The second scenario considers a cohabited work-space where occupants have different temperature preferences (Scenario B). Utilizing an on-campus smart conference room (SCR) as a test-bed, we use data-driven model learning to establish a relationship between the room’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) operations and the zone temperatures. Next, we use a model predictive control (MPC)-based approach to achieve a desired average temperature while minimizing power consumption (for Scenario A) and minimize the thermal discomfort experienced by individuals based on their temperature preferences (for Scenario B). The experimental results show that for Scenario A, the proposed control policy can save a significant amount of energy and achieve the desired mean temperature in the space fairly accurately. We further note that for Scenario B, the control scheme can achieve a significant spatial differentiation in temperature towards satisfying the occupants’ thermal preferences.

Interaction of age and temperature on heat shock protein expression, sperm count, and sperm viability of the adult black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

Information regarding black soldier fly (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) adult biology is vital as this is the life stage that produces eggs and thus drives population size. The goal of this study was to determine key biological characteristics of adult black soldier flies as they age in relation to: (1) the thermal preferences (Tsel) of males and females; (2) the impact of temperature on heat shock protein expression in males and females; as well as (3) the sperm count; and (4) the sperm viability in males. Aging significantly impacted male and female temperature preferences. Young males (<24-h-old) preferred warmer temperatures (median=24.3 °C, range=19.3-28.2 °C) compared to females of the same age (median=20.2 °C, range=15.4-26.2 °C). However, in older adults (i.e. 72-h-old males and 48-h-old females), temperature preferences converged between 21 and 24 °C. Temperatures tested did not impact hsp expression in males or females. However, aging males, but not females, had increased expression of the heat shock proteins (hsp) hsp70 and hsp90. Furthermore, age impacted sperm count but not sperm viability in males. In particular, 48-h-old males had the greatest sperm count (322.5/sample) and sperm viability (60-78%) compared to all other aged males. Thermal data in conjunction with sperm data potentially explain why early thermal segregation behaviour between males and females occurs. Once adult males and females reached 72-h-old and 48-h-old, respectively, they exhibited a common thermal preference, which coincided with the greatest number of viable sperm in males. Forcing adults into environments (i.e. cages) outside these selected preferences could result in premature or delayed mating or low fertilisation rates. Future research exploring cage design and conditions are needed to optimise black soldier fly colony maintenance and fertile egg production, and can leverage information such as the results described here.

Evaluating tank acclimation and trial length for shuttle box temperature preference assays

Thermal preferenda are largely defined by optimal growth temperature for a species and describe the range of temperatures an organism will occupy when given a choice. Assays for thermal preferenda require at least 24 hours, which includes a long acclimation to the tank, limits throughput and thus impacts replication in the study. Three different behavioral assay experimental designs were tested to determine the effect of tank acclimation and trial length (12:12, 0:12, 2:2; hours of tank acclimation: behavioral trial) on the temperature preference of juvenile lake whitefish, using a shuttle box system. Average temperature preferences for the 12:12, 0:12, and 2:2 experimental designs were 16.10 ± 1.07 °C, 16.02 ± 1.56 °C, 16.12 ± 1.59°C respectively, with no significant differences between the experimental designs (p= 0.9337). Ultimately, length of acclimation time and trial length had no significant impact, suggesting that all designs were equally useful for studies of temperature preference.

Presence of a resident species aids invader evolution

Phytoplankton populations are intrinsically large and genetically variable, and interactions between species in these populations shape their physiological and evolutionary responses. Yet, evolutionary responses of microbial organisms in novel environments are investigated almost exclusively through the lens of species colonising new environments on their own, and invasion studies are often of short duration. Although exceptions exist, neither type of study usually measures ecologically relevant traits beyond growth rates. Here, we experimentally evolved populations of fresh- and seawater phytoplankton as monocultures (the green algae Chlamydomonas moewusii and Ostreococcus tauri, each colonising a novel, unoccupied salinity) and co-cultures (invading a novel salinity occupied by a resident species) for 200 generations. Colonisers and invaders differed in extinction risks, phenotypes (e.g. size, primary production rates) and strength of local adaptation: invaders had systematically lower extinction rates and broader salinity and temperature preferences than colonisers – regardless of the environment that the invader originated from. We emphasise that the presence of a locally adapted species has the potential to alter the invading species’ eco-evolutionary trajectories in a replicable way across environments of differing quality, and that the evolution of small cell size and high ROS tolerance may explain high invader fitness. To predict phytoplankton responses in a changing world, such interspecific relationships need to be accounted for.