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Tree Trunks (tree + trunks)
Selected AbstractsGround Water Chlorinated Ethenes in Tree Trunks: Case Studies, Influence of Recharge, and Potential Degradation MechanismGROUND WATER MONITORING & REMEDIATION, Issue 3 2004Don A. Vroblesky Trichloroethene (TCE) was detected in cores of trees growing above TCE-contaminated ground at three sites: the Carswell Golf Course in Texas, Air Force Plant PJKS in Colorado, and Naval Weapons Station Charleston in South Carolina. This was true even when the depth to water was 7.9 m or when the contaminated aquifer was confined beneath ,3 m of clay. Additional ground water contaminants detected in the tree cores were cis,1,2-dichloroethene at two sites and tetrachloroethene at one site. Thus, tree coring can be a rapid and effective means of locating shallow subsurface chlorinated ethenes and possibly identifying zones of active TCE dechlorination. Tree cores collected over time were useful in identifying the onset of ground water contamination. Several factors affecting chlorinated ethene concentrations in tree cores were identified in this investigation. The factors include ground water chlorinated ethene concentrations and depth to ground water contamination. In addition, differing TCE concentrations around the trunk of some trees appear to be related to the roots deriving water from differing areas. Opportunistic uptake of infiltrating rainfall can dilute prerain TCE concentrations in the trunk. TCE concentrations in core headspace may differ among some tree species. In some trees, infestation of bacteria in decaying heartwood may provide a TCE dechlorination mechanism within the trunk. [source] Corticolous arthropods under climatic fluctuations: compensation is more important than migrationECOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2005Andreas Prinzing Animals can cope with fluctuating climates by physiological tolerance, tracking of climatic fluctuations (migration) and compensatory redistribution among (micro)habitats (compensation). Compensation is less demanding and thus more important than migration at large geographic scales. It is not clear however which strategy is more important at the small scale of a microhabitat landscape. I investigated how six arthropod species (Collembola, Oribatei, Psocoptera, Isopoda) respond to microclimatic fluctuations at the surface of exposed tree trunks. Across a nine-month period I characterized the microclimatic zonation of 299 trunks, and focally sampled the arthropods from different microhabitat types (different cryptogam species and bark crevices) within different microclimatic zones. I found that compensatory microhabitat-use was a general phenomenon. The distribution of all species across microhabitats was influenced significantly by ambient microclimate. Also, the arthropods' microhabitat use changed throughout their ontogeny, and microhabitats were used even if they were rare. Most interestingly, the arthropods responded to microclimatic fluctuations primarily by redistribution among microhabitats and less by fluctuations of overall abundances across all microhabitats. Hence compensation was more important than migration. The animals moved for centimeters to decimeters rather than for decimeters to meters; they perceived and utilized their environment primarily at the finest, but also most complex scale. This has implications for the resilience of arthropod populations, their interactions with cryptogams and the turnover of species between macrohabitats. [source] Arboreal substrates influence foraging in tropical antsECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2010NATALIE A. CLAY 1. Physically complex substrates impart significant costs on cursorial central-place foragers in terms of time spent outside the nest and total distance travelled. Ants foraging in trees navigate varied surfaces to access patchy resources, thus providing an appropriate model system for examining interactions between foraging efficiency and substrates. 2. We expected that the speed of recruitment, body size distribution and species richness of foraging arboreal ants would differ predictably among common substrate types occurring on tropical tree trunks. We measured changes in ant abundance and species composition over time at baits placed on bare tree bark, moss-covered bark, and vine-like vegetation appressed to bark. We also measured average body size and body size frequency on the three substrate types. Ants discovered baits sooner and accumulated at baits relatively faster when using vine substrates as the primary foraging trail. Average body size was smaller on vine substrates than on bark. Experimental removal of vine and moss substrates nullified these differences. Contrary to our predictions, species richness and body size distributions did not differ among the three substrate types, due in part to the frequent presence of a few common ground-nesting species at baits on bare bark. 3. Our results collectively indicate that linear substrates facilitate access of foraging ants to patchy resources. Ant use of vine-like substrates appears to be opportunistic; vine use is not confined to certain species nor constrained by body size. [source] Context Dependent Territory Defense: The Importance of Habitat Structure in Anolis sagreiETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2006Ryan Calsbeek Territoriality is a potentially costly endeavor, and several mechanisms for mitigating the costs of territoriality have been investigated in the wild. For example, territory owners can reduce the costs of defending territory boundaries by prioritizing defense of the most valuable areas within territories, investing less energy in low quality areas. We staged pairwise encounters between adult male lizards on natural territories in the wild, to test whether male brown anoles, Anolis sagrei, would differentially defend certain regions of their territories over others. Based on our observations that male A. sagrei spend most of their time on elevated perches on tree trunks or branches compared with sites on the ground, we predicted that territory residents would respond more aggressively to territory invasions that took place on elevated perches than to invasions on the ground. We measured significant differences in the behavior of residents following invasion on the ground vs. on the elevated perches, and results partially supported our hypothesis. Males performed more displays and approached intruders more often when territory invasion took place on the ground, but were quicker to attack intruders that entered territories on elevated perches. Our hypothesis was only partially supported, potentially indicating that elevated perches are preferred as outposts to monitor valuable sites on the ground. Our study provides evidence that territory defense varies not just among individuals, but also within individuals at different locations in a territory. [source] The contribution of geoarchaeology to understanding the environmental history and archaeological resources of the Trent Valley, U.K.GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2005Andy J. Howard This paper provides a review of the contribution that geoarchaeological research has played in elucidating the landscape history of the Trent Valley, U.K. Ameliorating climate in the immediate postglacial led to the expansion of mixed deciduous woodland across the valley floor and the development of an anastomosing channel. In the Lower Trent, fluvial and vegetation development may have been influenced by sea-level change. Around 4000 B.C., the character of the valley floor changed, demonstrated by the dating of tree trunks interbedded within gravel deposits. Synchronicity of changing geomorphological and hydrological processes is suggested, and, while the causal mechanism of this change are not fully understood, tree trunks which were clearly felled have been identified in the valley and provide significant evidence. The later prehistoric and historic archaeological remains, including fishweirs, bridges, and mill dams, point to increasing human activity, and environmental evidence documents the increasing effects of agriculture on the catchment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Parabiotic associations between tropical ants: equal partnership or parasitic exploitation?JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010F. Menzel Summary 1.,The huge diversity of symbiotic associations among animals and/or plants comprises both mutualisms and parasitisms. Most symbioses between social insect species, however, involve social parasites, while mutual benefits have been only suspected for some parabiotic associations , two colonies that share a nest. 2.,In the rainforest of Borneo, we studied parabiotic associations between the ants Crematogaster modiglianii and Camponotus rufifemur. Parabiotic nests were regularly found inside hollow tree trunks, most likely initiated by Cr. modiglianii. This species frequently nested without its partner, whereas we never found non-parabiotic Ca. rufifemur nests. We experimentally investigated potential benefits, potential interference competition for food (as a probable cost), and foraging niches of both species. 3.,The two species never showed aggressive interactions and amicably shared food resources. However, Cr. modiglianii had a wider temporal and spatial foraging range than Ca. rufifemur, always found baits before Ca. rufifemur and recruited more efficiently. Camponotus rufifemur probably benefited from following pheromone trails of Cr. modiglianii. In turn, Ca. rufifemur was significantly more successful in defending the nest against alien ants. Crematogaster modiglianii hence may profit from its partner's defensive abilities. 4.,In neotropical parabioses, epiphytes grown in ,ant-gardens' play a crucial role in the association, e.g. by stabilization of nests. Hemiepiphytic Poikilospermum cordifolium (Cecropiaceae) seedlings and saplings frequently grew in the entrances of parabiotic nests in Borneo, obviously dispersed by the ants. In cafeteria experiments, both parabiotic ants carried its elaiosome-bearing seeds into the nest. However, P. cordifolium does not provide additional nest space, contrasting with neotropical ant-gardens. 5.,The parabiotic association appears beneficial for both ant species, the main benefits being nest initiation by Cr. modiglianii and interspecific trail-following (for Ca. rufifemur), and, in turn, nest defence by Ca. rufifemur (for Cr. modiglianii). However, Ca. rufifemur seems to be more dependent on its partner than vice versa. [source] The food habits of a Malagasy Giant: Hipposideros commersoni (E. Geoffroy, 1813)AFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Andrinajoro A. Rakotoarivelo Abstract Hipposideros commersoni is a large microchiropteran bat endemic to Madagascar. We analysed fragments of its prey from faeces and from underneath feeding perches to describe its diet from four sites. Diet was similar across sites and Coleoptera was the main prey item by percentage volume (75%), followed by Hemiptera (13%). Carabidae and Scarabidae were the most frequent coleopterans found in the diet. Direct observations (n = 3) were made of bats flying short distances from perches along forest trails to prey on Cicadidae (c. 20 mm in length) located on tree trunks. There were differences in the composition of faecal samples collected form netted bats and pellets collected under feeding perches, with the latter consisting of more Blattoptera (Blattellidae ,cockroaches'). Hipposideros commersoni appears to have a unique foraging behaviour and diet among Malagasy microchiropterans and its preference for certain Coleoptera and other large invertebrates may account for reported seasonal variation in body fattening and activity. Résumé Hipposideros commersoni est une grande chauve-souris microchiroptère endémique de Madagascar. Nous avons analysé des fragments de proies à partir des excréments et sous les perchoirs où elle se nourrit pour décrire son régime alimentaire sur cinq sites. Le régime était semblable sur tous les sites, et les coléoptères constituent les proies principales en pourcentage du volume (75%), suivis par les hémiptères (13%). Les carabidés et les scarabidés sont les coléoptères trouvés le plus fréquemment dans le régime alimentaire. Des observations directes (n = 3) ont été faites de chauves-souris volant sur de courtes distances à partir de leur perchoir le long de pistes forestières pour attraper des cicadidés (env. 20 mm. de long) posés sur des troncs d'arbres. Il y avait des différences dans la composition des échantillons de crottes récoltés à partir de chauves-souris capturées dans des filets et celle des pelotes récoltées sous les perchoirs, ces dernières contenant plus de Blattoptères (Blattellides , cancrelats). Hipposideros commersoni semble avoir un comportement et un régime alimentaires uniques parmi les microchiroptères malgaches, et sa préférence pour certains coléoptères et pour d'autres grands invertébrés pourrait intervenir dans les variations saisonnières rapportées du taux de graisse dans le corps et de l'activité. [source] A bird's eye view of the peppered mothJOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Majerus Industrial melanism in Biston betularia is one of the best known examples of the role of natural selection in evolution and has received considerable scrutiny for many years. The rise in frequency of the dark form of the moth (carbonaria) and a decrease in the pale form (typica) was the result of differential predation by birds, the melanic form being more cyptic than typica in industrial areas where the tree bark was darkened by air pollution. One important aspect of early work evaluating the relative crypsis of the forms of B. betularia on tree trunks with different lichen flora was the reliance on human observers. Humans, however, do not have the same visual capabilities as birds. Birds have well-developed ultraviolet (UV) vision, an important component of their colour processing system that affects many aspects of behaviour, including prey detection. We examined the UV characteristics of the two forms of B. betularia and a number of foliose and crustose lichens. In human visible light the speckled form typica appeared cyptic when seen against a background of foliose lichen, whereas the dark form carbonaria was conspicuous. Under UV light the situation was reversed. The foliose lichens absorbed UV and appeared dark as did carbonaria. Typica, however, reflected UV and was conspicuous. Against crustose lichens, typica was less visible than carbonaria in both visible and UV light. These findings are considered in relation to the distribution and recolonization of trees by lichens and the resting behaviour of B. betularia. [source] Life on a limb: ecology of the tree agama (Acanthocercus a. atricollis) in southern AfricaJOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Leeann T. Reaney Abstract One hundred and sixty-four museum specimens of the tree agama Acanthocercus a. atricollis were measured and dissected to examine sexual size dimorphism, reproduction and diet. Foraging mode and behaviour were also quantified in a wild population to obtain a broader picture of their foraging ecology and to test the hypothesis that tree agamas are ambush foragers. Males and females did not differ significantly in snout,vent length (SVL) or tail length; however, mature males had larger heads than females of the same body size. The smallest female showing sexual maturity was 96 mm SVL and the smallest male was 82 mm SVL. Mean clutch size was 11.3 and was positively correlated with female body size. Reproduction was seasonal and male and female reproductive cycles were synchronous. Testicular volume was greatest during August,September and females contained enlarged follicles during August,December and showed no evidence of multiple clutching. Tree agamas fed on a broad spectrum of arthropods (10 orders), including millipedes, which other lizard taxa have been reported to avoid. Gut contents were dominated numerically by ants (92%), followed by beetles (4%). Volumetrically, orthopterans (26.8%) were most important, followed by beetles (26.3%) and ants (17.9%). Compared to adults, juvenile diet by volume was dominated by ants and consisted of fewer large prey items (e.g. beetles and orthopterans). Seasonal effects in both prey diversity and volume were evident. Tree agamas are classic ambush foragers. They spent only 4% of their time moving and made few movements per minute (mean = 0.4). When stationary, adult tree agamas positioned themselves on tree trunks (34.7%), on lateral branches (41.8%) and occasionally, on the ground (23.4%). No evidence of trophic partitioning (intraspecific niche divergence hypothesis) was found and field observations revealed that males defend territories and engage in combat. This supports the idea that selection may be favouring larger head size in males, as an outcome of male contest competition. [source] Khoratpithecus piriyai, a Late Miocene hominoid of ThailandAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2006Yaowalak Chaimanee Abstract A Khoratpithecus piriyai lower jaw corresponds to a well-preserved Late Miocene hominoid fossil from northeastern Thailand. Its morphology and internal structure, using a microcomputed tomography scan, are described and compared to those of other known Miocene hominoids. It originated from fluviatile sand and gravel deposits of a large river, and was associated with many fossil tree trunks, wood fragments, and large vertebrate remains. A biochronological analysis by using associated mammal fauna gives an estimated geological age between 9,6 Ma. The flora indicates the occurrence of a riverine tropical forest and wide areas of grassland. K. piriyai displays many original characters, such as the great breadth of its anterior dentition, suggesting large incisors, large lower M3, a canine with a flat lingual wall, and symphysis structure. Several of its morphological derived characters are shared with the orangutan, indicating sister-group relationship with that extant ape. This relationship is additionally strongly supported by the absence of anterior digastric muscle scars. These shared derived characters are not present in Sivapithecus, Ankarapithecus, and Lufengpithecus, which are therefore considered more distant relatives to the orangutan than Khoratpithecus. The Middle Miocene K. chiangmuanensis is older, displays more primitive dental characters, and shares several dental characters with the Late Miocene form. It is therefore interpreted as its probable ancestor. But its less enlarged M3 and more wrinkled enamel may suggest an even closer phylogenetic position to orangutan ancestors, which cannot yet be supported because of the incomplete fossil record. Thus Khoratpithecus represents a new lineage of Southeast Asian hominoids, closely related to extant great ape ancestors. Am J Phys Anthropol 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Exudates as a fallback food for Callimico goeldiiAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PRIMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Leila M. Porter Abstract Fallback foods have been defined as resources for which a species has evolved specific masticatory and digestive adaptations, and are consumed principally when preferred foods are scarce. In the present field investigation, we examine fungi, fruit, and exudate consumption in one group of Callimico goeldii in order to determine the importance of exudates as a fallback food for this species. Based on a total of 1,198,hr of quantitative behavioral data collected between mid-November 2002,August 2003, we found that pod exudates of Parkia velutina accounted for 19% of callimico feeding time in the dry season. This resource was not consumed in the wet season when fruits and fungi were the most common items in the diet. In the dry season of 2005 (July), the same callimico study group did not consume Parkia pod exudates. Instead, the group ate exudates obtained from holes gouged in tree trunks by pygmy marmosets and exudates resulting from natural weathering and insect damage on trunks, roots, and lianas. Pod exudates are reported to contain greater amounts of readily available energy than do trunk and root exudates, and were consumed throughout all periods of the day, particularly in the late afternoon. Trunk and root exudates were consumed principally in the morning. We propose that digestive adaptations of the hindgut, which enable callimicos to exploit fungi (a resource high in structural carbohydrates) year-round, predispose them to efficiently exploit and process exudates as fallback foods when other resources, such as ripe fruits, are scarce. Am. J. Primatol. 71:120,129, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The behaviour of scribbly gum moth larvae Ogmograptis sp.AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Bucculatricidae) in the Australian Capital Territory Abstract, Scribbles, the damage caused by mining larvae of the moth Ogmograptis sp. (Bucculatricidae), are a common sight on the trunks of many Eucalyptus species in eastern Australia. They provide a record of larval behaviour that can be easily measured when the trees shed outer bark layers. Measurements were made of scribbles on three species of eucalypt (Eucalyptus racemosa ssp. rossii, E. pauciflora and E. delegatensis) in the Australian Capital Territory. Scribble density varied between tree species and study sites but was consistently higher on the southern and eastern aspects of tree trunks. Some characteristics of mining behaviour, such as initial mining direction, were found to be random, but others including mine length and number of direction changes follow distinct patterns but differ between eucalypt species. It is likely that there is more than one species of Ogmograptis Meyrick as currently described (O. scribula Meyrick, from E. pauciflora) and each eucalypt species may be host to a different species of Ogmograptis. [source] The termite (Isoptera) fauna of a monsoonal rainforest near Darwin, northern AustraliaAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 2 2005Tracy Z Dawes-Gromadzki Abstract, Termite species richness, frequency of occurrence and functional diversity at Holmes Jungle Nature Reserve, a monsoon rainforest patch in northern Australia, was investigated at the end of the wet season in 2003. A sampling protocol that employed direct search, soil pits and baiting techniques was used to sample litter, wood, mound, soil and arboreal nest microhabitats for termites. Five species from five genera and three families (Mastotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae) were recorded. This included the first record of Ephelotermes taylori (Hill) from monsoon forest in Australia. The family Termitidae was dominant and represented 70% of termite occurrences. Termites were most frequently encountered in carton runways on tree trunks, followed by lying dead wood and baits. Four nesting habits were represented: arboreal, epigeal, hypogeal and within wood. The arboreal nest-builder Nasutitermes graveolus (Hill) accounted for 61% of termite encounters. Epigeal mound-building species were rare. Wood-feeders were the only trophic group represented. Relatively high activity of Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt was recorded at baits within 2.5 months. The low species richness recorded at Holmes Jungle is consistent with the low diversity reported for Australian rainforests generally, but remains relatively depauperate compared with other monsoon forest and savanna habitats of the Northern Territory. [source] Are tree trunks habitats or highways?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 4 2002A comparison of oribatid mite assemblages from hoop-pine bark, litter Abstract Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) are among the most diverse and abundant inhabitants of forest soil and litter, but also have species-rich assemblages on bark and in the canopies of trees. It is unclear whether the trunk of a tree acts simply as a ,highway' for movement of mites into and out of the canopy, or whether the trunk has a distinctive acarofauna. We compare oribatid assemblages from the trunk bark of hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii) with those from litter collected beneath the same trees. A 1.0 by 0.5 m area of bark was sampled from three trees at each of five sites using a knockdown insecticide. A 1-L sample of leaf litter was collected as close as possible to the base of each sampled tree. Mites were extracted using Tullgren funnels, identified to genus and morphospecies, and counted. Assemblages were almost 100% distinct, with only one oribatid morphospecies (Pseudotocepheus sp.) collected from both litter and bark. Litter had a higher taxon richness than bark in total and per sample, but oribatids made up a greater percentage of the acarofauna in the bark samples. We had expected that the more consistent physical substrate of bark would be reflected in greater similarity of oribatid faunas on trunks than in litter; however, the opposite proved to be the case. We conclude that hoop-pine trunks are habitats rather than highways for oribatid mites. Based on the observed higher turnover among bark faunas, tree trunks may represent habitat islands whose colonisation by particular oribatid species is more stochastic than that of the more continuous ,sea' of litter. [source] Seasonal Foraging Activity and Bait Preferences of Ants on Barro Colorado Island, Panama1BIOTROPICA, Issue 3 2002Daniel A. Hahn ABSTRACT A yearlong arboreal baiting survey of ants was conducted during 1983 on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Because of a severe El Nino event, the 1983 dry season in Panama was exceptionally long and dry with a distinct boundary between the dry and wet seasons. Baits, located on tree trunks, attracted both terrestrial and arboreal ants, allowing comparisons between the two groups. Species composition at baits changed dramatically with season. Baits were primarily occupied by arboreal species during the dry season, while wet season baits were occupied mostly by terrestrial species. Arboreal and terrestrial ants differed markedly in their preferences for protein- or carbohydrate-based baits; arboreal ants preferred protein-based baits and terrestrial ants preferred carbohydrate-based baits. Foraging preference for protein suggests that protein resources were limiting for arboreal ants, particularly during the dry season, and that carbohydrate resources were limiting for terrestrial ants. Fundamental differences in arboreal and terrestrial habitats may promote the differences in foraging strategies observed during an annual cycle in a seasonal tropical forest. RESUMEN Durante el año de 1983 se realizó un estudio mirmecológico en la isla de Barro Colorado, Panamá. Debido a que el fenómeno"El Niño" fue muy severe ese año, la estacion seca fue excepcionalmente intensa y larga; además, se observó una diferencia marcada entre la estación seca y la húmeda. Se colocaron cebos en los troncos de los árboles que atrajeron hormigas terrestres y arbóreas, lo que permitió la comparación de estos dos grupos. La composición de las especies atraidas por los cebos varió notablemente de acuerdo a la temporada; durante la estación seca predominaron las especies arbóreas, mientras que en la húmeda predominaron las terrestres. Las hormigas arbóreas y las terrestres difirieron notablemente en su preferencias por cebos preparados con proteinas o carbohidratos. Las hormigas arbóreas prefirieron las proteinas, mientras que las terrestres prefirieron los carbohidratos. La inclinación por proteinas sugiere que éstas son un recurso limitante para las hormigas arbóreas, particularmente durante la estación seca; mientras que los carbohidratos lo son para las hormigas terrestres. Las diferencias fundamentales entre los ambientes arbóreo y terrestre puede promover diferencias en las estrategias de forrajeo observadas durante el ciclo anual del bosque tropical. 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