@article{EngelsMedeirosAxfordetal.2020, author = {Engels, Stefan and Medeiros, Andrew S. and Axford, Yarrow and Brooks, Steve and Heiri, Oliver and Luoto, Tomi P. and Nazarova, Larisa B. and Porinchu, David F. and Quinlan, Roberto and Self, Angela E.}, title = {Temperature change as a driver of spatial patterns and long-term trends in chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) diversity}, series = {Global change biology}, volume = {26}, journal = {Global change biology}, number = {3}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1354-1013}, doi = {10.1111/gcb.14862}, pages = {1155 -- 1169}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Anthropogenic activities have led to a global decline in biodiversity, and monitoring studies indicate that both insect communities and wetland ecosystems are particularly affected. However, there is a need for long-term data (over centennial or millennial timescales) to better understand natural community dynamics and the processes that govern the observed trends. Chironomids (Insecta: Diptera: Chironomidae) are often the most abundant insects in lake ecosystems, sensitive to environmental change, and, because their larval exoskeleton head capsules preserve well in lake sediments, they provide a unique record of insect community dynamics through time. Here, we provide the results of a metadata analysis of chironomid diversity across a range of spatial and temporal scales. First, we analyse spatial trends in chironomid diversity using Northern Hemispheric data sets overall consisting of 837 lakes. Our results indicate that in most of our data sets, summer temperature (T-jul) is strongly associated with spatial trends in modern-day chironomid diversity. We observe a strong increase in chironomid alpha diversity with increasing T-jul in regions with present-day T-jul between 2.5 and 14 degrees C. In some areas with T-jul > 14 degrees C, chironomid diversity stabilizes or declines. Second, we demonstrate that the direction and amplitude of change in alpha diversity in a compilation of subfossil chironomid records spanning the last glacial-interglacial transition (similar to 15,000-11,000 years ago) are similar to those observed in our modern data. A compilation of Holocene records shows that during phases when the amplitude of temperature change was small, site-specific factors had a greater influence on the chironomid fauna obscuring the chironomid diversity-temperature relationship. Our results imply expected overall chironomid diversity increases in colder regions such as the Arctic under sustained global warming, but with complex and not necessarily predictable responses for individual sites.}, language = {en} } @misc{RainfordHofreiterMayhew2016, author = {Rainford, James L. and Hofreiter, Michael and Mayhew, Peter J.}, title = {Phylogenetic analyses suggest that diversification and body size evolution are independent in insects}, series = {BMC evolutionary biology}, journal = {BMC evolutionary biology}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-407328}, pages = {17}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background: Skewed body size distributions and the high relative richness of small-bodied taxa are a fundamental property of a wide range of animal clades. The evolutionary processes responsible for generating these distributions are well described in vertebrate model systems but have yet to be explored in detail for other major terrestrial clades. In this study, we explore the macro-evolutionary patterns of body size variation across families of Hexapoda (insects and their close relatives), using recent advances in phylogenetic understanding, with an aim to investigate the link between size and diversity within this ancient and highly diverse lineage. Results: The maximum, minimum and mean-log body lengths of hexapod families are all approximately log-normally distributed, consistent with previous studies at lower taxonomic levels, and contrasting with skewed distributions typical of vertebrate groups. After taking phylogeny and within-tip variation into account, we find no evidence for a negative relationship between diversification rate and body size, suggesting decoupling of the forces controlling these two traits. Likelihood-based modeling of the log-mean body size identifies distinct processes operating within Holometabola and Diptera compared with other hexapod groups, consistent with accelerating rates of size evolution within these clades, while as a whole, hexapod body size evolution is found to be dominated by neutral processes including significant phylogenetic conservatism. Conclusions: Based on our findings we suggest that the use of models derived from well-studied but atypical clades, such as vertebrates may lead to misleading conclusions when applied to other major terrestrial lineages. Our results indicate that within hexapods, and within the limits of current systematic and phylogenetic knowledge, insect diversification is generally unfettered by size-biased macro-evolutionary processes, and that these processes over large timescales tend to converge on apparently neutral evolutionary processes. We also identify limitations on available data within the clade and modeling approaches for the resolution of trees of higher taxa, the resolution of which may collectively enhance our understanding of this key component of terrestrial ecosystems.}, language = {en} } @misc{Zinke2022, type = {Master Thesis}, author = {Zinke, Jann Felix}, title = {Herstellung von Gießharzpr{\"a}paraten f{\"u}r den Einsatz im Biologieunterricht}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-61502}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-615028}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {101}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Das Ziel des hier beschriebenen Masterprojekts war es, eine Methode zu etablieren, mit der Insekten in Gießharz eingeschlossen werden k{\"o}nnen, damit sie dauerhaft konserviert f{\"u}r mikroskopische Untersuchungen im Biologieunterricht zur Verf{\"u}gung stehen. Die Masterarbeit enth{\"a}lt eine ausf{\"u}hrliche Anleitung zur Herstellung von Gießharzpr{\"a}paraten mit darin eingebetteten Insekten. Sie soll als Handreichung vor allem f{\"u}r Biologie-Lehrkr{\"a}fte dienen, um selbstst{\"a}ndig hochwertige Lehrpr{\"a}parate f{\"u}r ihren Unterricht herstellen zu k{\"o}nnen. Aufgrund der Komplexit{\"a}t des Themas werden Naturschutzbestimmungen und die Beschaffung der Insekten genauso beleuchtet wie deren anschließende Pr{\"a}paration, die Konstruktion einer eigenen Gießform, die Einbettung der Insekten in Gießharz und die Nachbehandlung des Gießlings. Wichtige Einflussfaktoren, die die Qualit{\"a}t der Pr{\"a}parate entscheidend beeinflussen und m{\"o}gliche Fehlerquellen, werden ausf{\"u}hrlich erl{\"a}utert. Mittels dieser detaillierten Eingießanleitung k{\"o}nnen mit relativ einfachen und kosteng{\"u}nstigen Mitteln faszinierende Studienobjekte f{\"u}r einen anschaulichen Biologieunterricht entstehen.}, language = {de} } @phdthesis{Hille2006, author = {Hille, Carsten}, title = {Charakterisierung von Transportmechanismen in der Speicheldr{\"u}se der Schabe Periplaneta americana}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-9422}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, year = {2006}, abstract = {Die Aktivierung der Speichelsekretion erfolgt in der innervierten Speicheldr{\"u}se der Schabe Periplaneta americana durch die biogenen Amine Dopamin (DA) und Serotonin (5-HT). Die Acini der Speicheldr{\"u}se sezernieren einen Prim{\"a}rspeichel, der in den Ausf{\"u}hrg{\"a}ngen modifiziert wird. Die durch DA und 5-HT aktivierten Signalwege sowie die an der Elektrolyt- und Fl{\"u}ssigkeitssekretion bzw. Speichel-modifikation beteiligten Transportmechanismen sind weitgehend unbekannt. Mikrofluorometrische Ca2+-, Na+- und pH-Messungen in Kombination mit pharmakologischen Experimenten, biochemische Messungen der Aktivit{\"a}ten von Ionentransport-ATPasen sowie videomikroskopische Analysen zu transepithelialen Wasserbewegungen wurden in dieser Arbeit durchgef{\"u}hrt. Sie sollten Informationen {\"u}ber die an der Speichelbildung und -modifikation beteiligten Transportmechanismen und die Signalwege liefern, welche durch DA und/oder 5-HT aktiviert werden. Wesentliche Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit waren: Diese Arbeit trug zur Kenntnis der komplexen Funktionsweise von Speicheldr{\"u}sen in Insekten bei und erweiterte das l{\"u}ckenhafte Wissen {\"u}ber die zellul{\"a}ren Wirkungen biogener Amine in Insekten. Zudem wurden in dieser Arbeit viele Parallelen zu Funktionsweisen der Speicheldr{\"u}sen in Vertebraten deutlich.}, subject = {Speicheldr{\"u}se}, language = {de} } @article{Eccard2022, author = {Eccard, Jana}, title = {Can rolling composite wildflower blocks increase biodiversity in agricultural landscapes better than wildflowers strips?}, series = {Journal of applied ecology : an official journal of the British Ecological Society}, volume = {59}, journal = {Journal of applied ecology : an official journal of the British Ecological Society}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0021-8901}, doi = {10.1111/1365-2664.14147}, pages = {1172 -- 1177}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Biodiversity and abundance of wildlife has dramatically declined in agricultural landscapes. Sown, short-lived wildflower (WF) strips along the margins of crop fields are a widespread and often subsidised in agri-environmental schemes, intended to enhance biodiversity, provide refuges for wild plant and arthropod populations and to provide ecosystem services to crops. Meanwhile, WF elements are also criticised, since their functionality decreases with plant succession, the removal of aged WF strip poses an ecological trap for the attracted arthropod populations and only common and mobile species benefit. Further, insects in WF strips are impacted by pesticides from agricultural fields due to shared boundaries with crop fields and by edge effects. The performance of the measure could be improved by combining several WF strips of different successional stages, each harbouring a unique community of plants and arthropods, into persistent, composite WF block, where successional stages exist in parallel. Monitoring data on many taxa in the literature shows, that a third of species are temporarily present in an ageing WF stip, thus offering composite WF blocks should increase cumulative species richness by 28\%-39\% compared to annual richness in WF strips. Persistence of composite WF blocks would offer reliable refuge for animal and plant populations, also supporting their predators and herbivores. Further, WF blocks have less boundaries to crops compared to WF strips of the same area, and are less impacted by edge effects and pesticides. Policy implications. Here I suggest a change of conservation practice changing from successional WF strips to composite WF blocks. By regular removal and replacement of aged WF strips either within the block (rotational) or at its margins (rolling), the habitat heterogeneity in composite WF block could be perpetuated. Rolling composite WF blocks change locations over years, and the original location can be reconverted to arable land while a nearby WF block is still available to wildlife. A change in agricultural schemes would be necessary, since in some European countries clustered WF strips are explicitly not subsidised.}, language = {en} }