Refine
Document Type
- Article (8)
- Doctoral Thesis (1)
Language
- English (9)
Is part of the Bibliography
- yes (9)
Keywords
- Fragmentation (9) (remove)
The six possible isomers of di-N-acetylchitotetraoses [AADD, ADDA, ADAD, DADA, DAAD, and DDAA, where D stands for 2-amino-2-deoxy-3-D-glucose (GlcN) and A for 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucose (GlcNAc)] were analyzed by ESI(+)-MSn. Collision induced dissociation via MSn experiments were performed for the sodiated molecules of m/z 769 [M+Na](+) for each isomer, and fragments were generated mainly by glycosidic bond and cross-ring cleavages. Rules of fragmentation were then established. A reducing end D residue yields the (O.2)A(4) cross-ring [M-59+Na](+) fragment of m/z 710 as the most abundant, whereas isomers containing a reducing end A prefer to lose water to form the [M-18+Na](+) ion of m/z 751, as well as abundant (O.2)A(4) cross-ring [M-101+Na](+) fragments of m/z 668 and B-3 [M-221+Na](+) ions of m/z 548. MS3 of C- and Y-type ions shows analogous fragmentation behaviour that allows identification of the reducing end next-neighbour residue. Due to gas-phase anchimeric assistance, B-type cleavage between the glycosidic oxygen and the anomeric carbon atom is favoured when the glycon is an A residue. Relative ion abundances are generally in the order B >> C > Y, but may vary depending on the next neighbour towards the non-reducing end. These fragmentation rules were used for partial sequence analysis of hetero-chitooligosaccharides of the composition D(2)A(3), D(3)A(3), D(2)A(4), D(4)A(3), and D(3)A(4).
In this study, we report the genetic population structure of the Fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina in Brandenburg (East Germany) in the context of conservation. We analysed 298 samples originating from 11 populations in Brandenburg using mitochondrial control region sequences and six polymorphic microsatellite loci. For comparison, we included one population each from Poland and Ukraine into our analysis. Within Brandenburg, we detected a moderate variability in the mitochondrial control region (19 different haplotypes) and at microsatellite loci (9-12 alleles per locus). These polymorphisms revealed a clear population structure among toads in Brandenburg, despite a relatively high overall population density and the moderate size of single populations (100-2000 individuals). The overall genetic population structure is consistent with a postglacial colonization from South East-Europe and a subsequent population expansion. Based on genetic connectivity, we infer Management Units (MUs) as targets for conservation. Our genetic survey identified MUs, within which human infrastructure is currently preventing any genetic exchange. We also detect an unintentional translocation from South East to North West Brandenburg, presumably in the course of fish stocking activities. Provided suitable conservation measures are taken, Brandenburg should continue to harbor large populations of this critically endangered species.
In European dry grasslands land-use changes affect plant species performance and frequency. Potential driving forces are eutrophication and habitat fragmentation. The importance of these factors is presumably scale dependent. We used a functional trait approach to detect processes that influence species frequency and endangerment on different spatial scales. We tested for associations between functional traits and (1) frequency and (2) degree of endangerment on local, regional and national scales. We focussed on five selected traits that describe the life-history of plant species and that are related to competition, dispersal ability and habitat specificity. Trait data on plant height, SLA, plant coverage, peak of flowering and diaspore mass were measured for 28 perennials from common to rare and endangered to non-endangered on 59 dry grassland sites in north-eastern Germany. Multiple regression models revealed that species frequency is positively and species endangerment negatively related to plant height, plant coverage and SLA on more than one spatial scale. On the local scale, diaspore mass has a negative effect on species frequency. More frequent and less endangered species show a later peak of flowering on nationwide and regional scales. We concluded that competition traits are more important on larger scales, whereas dispersal traits are more important for species frequency on the smaller scale. On national and regional scales, eutrophication and habitat loss may be the main drivers of species threat, whereas on the local scale fragmentation plays a crucial role for the performance of dry grassland species.
Global environmental changes are expected to alter the functional characteristics of understorey herb-layer communities, potentially affecting forest ecosystem functioning. However, little is known about what drives the variability of functional traits in forest understories. Here, we assessed the role of different environmental drivers in shaping the functional trait distribution of understorey herbs in fragmented forests across three spatial scales. We focused on 708 small, deciduous forest patches located in 16 agricultural landscape windows, spanning a 2500-km macroclimatic gradient across the temperate forest biome in Europe. We estimated the relative effect of patch-scale, landscape-scale and macroclimatic variables on the community mean and variation of plant height, specific leaf area and seed mass. Macroclimatic variables (monthly temperature and precipitation extremes) explained the largest proportion of variation in community trait means (on average 77% of the explained variation). In contrast, patch-scale factors dominated in explaining community trait variation (on average 68% of the explained variation). Notably, patch age, size and internal heterogeneity had a positive effect on the community-level variability. Landscape-scale variables explained only a minor part of the variation in both trait distribution properties. The variation explained by shared combinations of the variable groups was generally negligible. These findings highlight the importance of considering multiple spatial scales in predictions of environmental-change effects on the functionality of forest understories. We propose that forest management sustainability could benefit from conserving larger, historically continuous and internally heterogeneous forest patches to maximise ecosystem service diversity in rural landscapes. (C) 2018 Gesellschaft fur Okologie. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Human-driven fragmentation of landscapes leads to the formation of transition zones between ecosystems that are characterised by fluxes of matter, energy and information. These transition zones may offer rather inhospitable habitats that could jeopardise biodiversity. On the other hand, transition zones are also reported to be hotspots for biodiversity and even evolutionary processes. The general mechanisms and influence of processes in transition zones are poorly understood. Although heterogeneity and diversity of land use of fragments and the transition zones between them play an important role, most studies only refer to forested transition zones. Often, only an extrapolation of measurements in the different fragments themselves is reported to determine gradients in transition zones. This paper contributes to a quantitative understanding of agricultural landscapes beyond individual ecotopes, and towards connected ecosystem mosaics that may be beneficial for the provision of ecosystem services.
Ecological niche models (ENMs) are often used to investigate how climatic variables from known occurrence records can estimate potential species range distribution. Although climate-based ENMs provide critical baseline information, the inclusion of non-climatic predictors related to vegetation cover might generate more realistic scenarios. This assumption is particularly relevant for species with life-history traits related to forest habitats and sensitive to habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, we developed ENMs for 36 Atlantic Forest endemic birds considering two sets of predictor variables: (i) climatic variables only and (ii) climatic variables combined with the percentage of remaining native vegetation. We hypothesized that the inclusion of native vegetation data would decrease the potential range distribution of forest-dependent species by limiting their occurrence in regions harboring small areas of native vegetation habitats, despite otherwise favorable climatic conditions. We also expected that habitat restriction in the climate-vegetation models would be more pronounced for highly forest-dependent birds. The inclusion of vegetation data in the modeling procedures restricted the final distribution ranges of 22 out of 36 modeled species, while the 14 remaining presented an expansion of their ranges. We observed that species with high and medium forest dependency showed higher restriction in range size predictions between predictor sets than species with low forest dependency, which showed no alteration or range expansion. Overall, our results suggest that ENMs based on climatic and landscape variables may be a useful tool for conservationists to better understand the dynamic of bird species distributions in threatened and highly fragmented regions such as the Atlantic Forest hotspot.(c) 2021 Associacao Brasileira de Cie circumflex accent ncia Ecol ogica e Conservacao. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ).
Anthropogenic activities such as continuous landscape changes threaten biodiversity at both local and regional scales. Metacommunity models attempt to combine these two scales and continuously contribute to a better mechanistic understanding of how spatial processes and constraints, such as fragmentation, affect biodiversity. There is a strong consensus that such structural changes of the landscape tend to negatively effect the stability of metacommunities. However, in particular the interplay of complex trophic communities and landscape structure is not yet fully understood.
In this present dissertation, a metacommunity approach is used based on a dynamic and spatially explicit model that integrates population dynamics at the local scale and dispersal dynamics at the regional scale. This approach allows the assessment of complex spatial landscape components such as habitat clustering on complex species communities, as well as the analysis of population dynamics of a single species. In addition to the impact of a fixed landscape structure, periodic environmental disturbances are also considered, where a periodical change of habitat availability, temporally alters landscape structure, such as the seasonal drying of a water body.
On the local scale, the model results suggest that large-bodied animal species, such as predator species at high trophic positions, are more prone to extinction in a state of large patch isolation than smaller species at lower trophic levels.
Increased metabolic losses for species with a lower body mass lead to increased energy limitation for species on higher trophic levels and serves as an explanation for a predominant loss of these species. This effect is particularly pronounced for food webs, where species are more sensitive to increased metabolic losses through dispersal and a change in landscape structure.
In addition to the impact of species composition in a food web for diversity, the strength of local foraging interactions likewise affect the synchronization of population dynamics. A reduced predation pressure leads to more asynchronous population dynamics, beneficial for the stability of population dynamics as it reduces the risk of correlated extinction events among habitats. On the regional scale, two landscape aspects, which are the mean patch isolation and the formation of local clusters of two patches, promote an increase in $\beta$-diversity. Yet, the individual composition and robustness of the local species community equally explain a large proportion of the observed diversity patterns.
A combination of periodic environmental disturbance and patch isolation has a particular impact on population dynamics of a species. While the periodic disturbance has a synchronizing effect, it can even superimpose emerging asynchronous dynamics in a state of large patch isolation and unifies trends in synchronization between different species communities.
In summary, the findings underline a large local impact of species composition and interactions on local diversity patterns of a metacommunity. In comparison, landscape structures such as fragmentation have a negligible effect on local diversity patterns, but increase their impact for regional diversity patterns. In contrast, at the level of population dynamics, regional characteristics such as periodic environmental disturbance and patch isolation have a particularly strong impact and contribute substantially to the understanding of the stability of population dynamics in a metacommunity. These studies demonstrate once again the complexity of our ecosystems and the need for further analysis for a better understanding of our surrounding environment and more targeted conservation of biodiversity.
The photochemical fragmentation of N-aroylsulfonamides 9 (ASAP) is a powerful method for the preparation of various biaryls. Compounds 9 are easily accessible in two steps from amines by treatment with arenesulfonyl chlorides and aroyl chlorides. Many of these compounds were prepared for the first time. The irradiation takes place in a previously developed continuous-flow reactor using inexpensive UVB or UVC fluorescent lamps. Isocyanates and sulphur dioxide are formed as the only by-products. The ASAP tolerates a variety of functional groups and is even suited for the preparation of phenylnaphthalenes and terphenyls. The ASAP mechanism was elucidated by interaction of photophysical and quantum chemical (DFT) methods and revealed a spirocyclic biradical as key intermediate.