Ecological Science 

About: Ecological Science is an academic journal published by Springer Nature. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Environmental science & Biology. It has an ISSN identifier of 1008-8873. Over the lifetime, 328 publications have been published receiving 721 citations. The journal is also known as: Ecologic Science.

Applicability of Five Diet-Selection Models to Various Foraging Challenges Ruminants Encounter

Abstract: It is common knowledge that ruminants do not forage at random, but select a diet from the plants available to them. We believe foraging environments present at least five problems or challenges to ruminants selecting dietary items: (1) variation among dietary items in kind and amount of nutritional constituents, (2) variation among potential dietary items in kind and amount of chemical defenses, (3) plant morphological defenses, (4) temporal and spatial variation in the quantity and quality of forage, and (5) exposure of ruminants to unfamiliar foraging environments. Our objective is to assess the ability of five explanations of diet selection to provide insights into the responses of ruminants to these challenges. The models are: (1) endogenously-generated hungers (euphagia), (2) immediate sensory consequences (hedyphagia), (3) body morpho-physiology and size (morphophysiology), (4) learning through foraging consequences (learning), and (5) nutritional optimization (optimal foraging). We make the assessment by first describing the diet-selection challenges and then discussing the models and their applications to the challenges.

Effects of growth phase and environmental factors on amino acid oxidase activity of Prorocentrum donghaiense

Abstract: Effects of growth phase,temperature,irradiance and nitrogen source on the amino acid oxidase(AO) activity of Prorocentrum donghaiense,a causative organism of large-scale harmful algal blooms(HABs) along the coastal waters of East China Sea,were investigated in the laboratory.The results showed that P.donghaiense displayed higher amino acid oxidase activity in N-depleted conditions.AO activity of P.donghaiense was detected at the temperatures ranging from 15 to 30 ℃,in which AO activity was significantly higher at lower temperatures(15 ℃-20 ℃) than that at higher temperatures(25 ℃-30 ℃)(p0.05),and the maximum value was observed at 20 ℃.Although AO activity was relatively higher(0.38 to 0.47 fmol/(h.cell)) at higher irradiances(50-100 μmol/(m2.s)),AO activity was still up to 0.28 fmol/(h.cell) at irradiance of 2 μmol/(m2.s1).Nitrogen source exhibited a significant impact on AO activity of P.donghaiense.The highest AO activity(0.44 fmol/(h.cell)) was observed when alanine was used as the sole nitrogen source,and the lowest AO activity(0.22 fmol/(h.cell)) was recorded in the combination of ammonium and alanine.It suggested that temperature,irradiance and nitrogen source were key environmental factors regulating AO activity of P.donghaiense.P.donghaiense is not only capable of utilizing free amino acids effectively,but also flexible in adapting to broad temperature and lower irradiance,which may play important roles in the formation and duration of P.donghaiense blooms.

Studies on the community biomass and its allocations of five forest types in Dinghushan Nature Reserve

Abstract: The community biomass and its allocations in each of the DBH class in tree layer of five forest types,including Pinus massoniana forest(PM),Pine and broad-leaved mixed forest(PBM),Subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest(SSEB),Ravine evergreen broad-leaved forest(REB) and Montane evergreen broad-leaved forest(MTEB),were studied in Dinghushan Nature Reserve(DNR).Based on biomass regression model,community biomass was estimated by measuring all trees with DBH≥1cm.The results showed that standing biomass density in REB,MTEB,SSEB,PBM and PM in the latest investigations were 472.9 t.hm-2,165.1 t.hm-2,290.4 t.hm-2,164.1t.hm-2and 22.5 t.hm-2,respectively.The allocation of community biomass in each DBH class in the different forest investigation presented three distribution trends,which were the decreasing distribution,the inverse bell distribution and increasing distribution.The characteristics of biomass allocation in each DBH class in DNR were similar to those in other regions.

A new subspecies of Daphnia:Daphnia similoides sinensis

Abstract: A new subspecies of Daphnia: Daphnia similoides sinensis was recorded.The type was deposited in the Institute of Hydrobiology of Jinan University,Guangzhou,China.This subspecies was described as Daphnia carinata in China.Recently,papers about the biology and ecology of Daphnia similoides,but not about morphology,were published.The Daphnia similoides sinensis showed 99% similarity in COI gene to Daphnia similoides that was published from Taiwan,but they were significantly different in male antennule.D.similoides sinensis had a shorter aesthetase and different separation of flagellum,and the different shape of female postabdomen as well.The four local specimens of this subspecies collected from Guangdong,Anhui,Zhejiang and Jiangsu Province,were compared morphologically,and no taxonomically difference was found.