ALBERT

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Perspectives on Biodiversity: Case Studies of Genetic Resource Conservation and Development. Christopher S. Potter, foci 1. Cohen, and Dianne Janczewski, editors

Notes: To evaluate reclamation success on the Wooley Valley phosphate mine in southeastern Idaho, we compared vegetation structure and soil physical, chemical, and elemental properties of several different reclamation treatments with those of a nearby reference area (a native Artemisia tridentata vaseyana/Festuca idahoensis association) after 14 years. Vegetation data had been collected four years after reclamation, and we were able to compare differences in biomass and species composition between dates on the reclaimed area. Four years after reclamation there were no differences in total biomass between topsoil or spoil or between seed only, seed + mulch, or control treatments on the different soil types. Most treatments were dominated by seeded perennial grasses. Fourteen years after reclamation there were no differences in biomass or cover between spoil and topsoil plots, but on spoil plots the seeded and mulched treatment had higher total biomass and vegetation cover than on control or seed-only treatments. The seeded perennial legume Medicago sativa was codominant with the seeded forage grasses on all of the treatments. High initial fertilization rates probably facilitated the early establishment and dominance of the forage grasses; once nutrient levels, especially nitrogen, began to decline, the legume increased in abundance. Similarity between the reclaimed area and the reference or native area was low. Reclaimed treatments had higher biomass but lower species richness. The topsoil and spoil plots had similar soil texture, bulk density, pH, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, and phosphorus. Differences in organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbon: nitrogen ratios, and available moisture were related more to treatments than to soil type. High biomass and, thus, litter input on the seed + mulch treatment on spoil plots resulted in both higher OC and TN than any on other soil/treatment combination. The reclaimed area had lower OC, TN, and available moisture than did the reference area on all but seed + mulch spoil plots. Bulk density was higher on reclaimed plots. The long-term differences observed between the reclaimed and reference areas parallel those obtained for other western reclamation sites. Although successional trajectories depend on the attribute measured, similarity to native reference areas depends on the initial reclamation methods. We discuss reclamation methods that would increase the structural and functional similarity of reclaimed and reference areas on the Wooley Valley phosphate mine.

Notes: In land restoration it is imperative to study the potential role of disturbances, biotic or abiotic, that may provide sites for colonization by specific plants. Disturbances can alter community composition by removing species or allowing others to become established. In communities where animal-generated disturbances open sites for seedling establishment, animals may have important indirect effects on several aspects of plant community structure. Animal disturbances in Quercus havardii communities of western Texas appear to open sites for colonization by herbaceous species. These animal disturbances vary in spatial distribution, density, and abiotic and biotic characteristics. The abundance of herbaceous plant seedlings is positively related to bare ground and the number of distinct disturbances. Thus, the density and the spatial distribution of these disturbances may be expected to have an important influence on the abundance and dispersion of plant species. Therefore, successful restoration efforts of sand shinnery oak communities and other similar habitats must consider the effects of animal disturbances and the role of plant-animal and plant-soil microbe interactions on plant community composition and the maintenance of plant species diversity.

Notes: The rates of seston elimination by zooplankton and primary production were measured in Funada-ike Pond, typical of human-made impoundments in Japan, from April to September in order to evaluate various treatments of the pond aimed at improving water quality by reducing seston abundance. The treatments included draining the pond water, dredging the bottom mud, eliminating the wastewater inflow, and biomanipulation through removal of all fish. After the treatment, seston abundance was reduced from more than 10 to 0.4–2.5 mg C/liter, and large daphnid species, Daphnia similis and D. magna, occurred and predominated in the zooplankton community. Seston abundance remained at a relatively low level from June to August but increased markedly in late August, while the biomass of zooplankton became high from June to mid-August and then decreased. A decrease in seston abundance was found when the elimination rate exceeded the primary production rate. The results indicate that the development of daphnid populations was effective in keeping seston abundance at a low level. The relationship between the rate of primary production and the zoo-plankton biomass required to offset this rate, however, suggests that biomanipulation aimed at increasing zooplankton biomass alone is less effective in a pond with a high primary production. The success in improving water quality in this pond seems to depend not only on the increase in biomass of large daphnid species that resulted mainly from the removal of fish, but also on the decrease in nutrient load that was realized by the other treatments.

Notes: Livestock have been excluded from riparian zones along many streams in western North America in an effort to restore aquatic and riparian habitat degraded by livestock grazing. Within these exclosures, channel adjustment to elimination of grazing pressure may lag behind plant recovery because of the time required to deposit sediment along the vegetated banks of the stream channel. Moreover, unless grazing is eliminated from the watershed, the channel within the exclosure must still accommodate increased runoff and sediment loads from upstream. This hydrologic regime may prevent a return to predisturbance channel morphology. Cross sections of the North Fork Cottonwood Creek in the White Mountains of California showed no significant difference in channel width within and downstream of a 24-year-old exclosure, despite a lush growth of stream bank vegetation that gives the impression of a narrower channel within the exclosure.

Notes: Many felids are threatened by loss of habitat, lack of genetic diversity, and over-exploitation. The reintroduction of bobcats (Felis rufus) to Cumberland Island, Georgia provided an opportunity to reintroduce a mid-sized felid without the concern for species survival that is paramount with endangered species. We captured bobcats from the coastal plain region of Georgia, briefly held them in captivity, and released them on Cumberland Island. We describe and evaluate the protocols and techniques used to accomplish the reintroduction. Future reintroductions of felids should consider the problem of post-release dispersal, although our island was relatively isolated and inhibited dispersal. Also, any reintroduction effort should invest effort and resources into post-release monitoring of the population. Empirical knowledge about the effects of spatial distribution, genetics, population dynamics, especially mechanisms of population regulation, behavior, and environmental conditions on the viability of populations is critical to the conservation of endangered species. Future research of the bobcats on Cumberland Island will be able to address aspects of the population and genetic dynamics of a small, insular felid population.

Notes: We studied the use of mineland wetlands by birds and the relationship between avian communities and wetland characteristics. Data were collected from 20 wetlands in Pike County, Indiana, and included wetland size, depth, water conductivity and salinity, aquatic macroinvertebrate abundance, vegetation, and bird use. Principal component analysis showed that physical variables could be explained by two principal component scores and that wetlands could be grouped on the basis of size and conductivity. Principal component analysis could not reduce vegetation variables to fewer principal component scores, meaning that wetland vegetation characteristics were independent of one another and did not show any trend. Most wetlands had low invertebrate density, and wetlands with higher invertebrate density had low invertebrate diversity. Wetlands with similar habitat characteristics (physical, vegetative, and invertebrate) did not necessarily show similarities in bird assemblages. Bird similarity index values ranged from 0 to 59%, implying that each wetland has its own bird community. Stepwise multiple regression analysis (α= 0.05) relating bird use and habitat characteristics showed that bird species richness increased with the species richness of submergent vegetation and was correlated negatively with the species richness of emergent vegetation. There was no significant relationship between bird species richness or bird species diversity and wetland size. The number of species within different avian guilds correlated with different habitat characteristics. The species richness of submergent plants was a factor that correlated positively with the number of species of several guilds (dabblers, wading birds, and plunge divers). Wetland age was not a factor that determined bird use.

Notes: Grass seeding is widely used for erosion control, but its consequences for soil and regeneration following fire have been measured only infrequently. This study investigates the effect of grass seeding on the type and extent of plant cover; soil moisture percentage; and moisture stress, survival, growth, and root-tip and mycorrhiza formation of Pinus lambertiana (sugar pine) seedlings in a clearcut intensely burned by wildfire. One-year-old containerized sugar pine seedlings were planted in seeded and nonseeded areas in Spring 1988 and 1989 in the Longwood Fire area of southwest Oregon. In 1988, tree seedlings in grass-seeded plots experienced intense competition from the grass, reduced root-tip and mycorrhiza formation, low levels of soil moisture to meet evapotranspirational demand, high levels of mortality, and reduced growth. In 1989, however, the opposite was true: tree seedlings in nonseeded plots experienced competition from invading native annuals and perennials, low levels of soil moisture in summer, and higher levels of mortality. The studies we report here further indicate that, in an area characterized by extended summer drought, annual ryegrass impeded regeneration of sugar pine during the first season following the fire. Native species cover and richness have been significantly reduced in the seeded area and may affect long-term soil stability, productivity, and conifer restoration. Seeding of annual ryegrass at high rates under these conditions would seem ill advised.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Reintegrating Fragmented Landscapes towards Sustainable Production and Nature Conservation. R. J. Hobbs and D. A. Saunders. editors Restoring Acid Waters: Loch Fleet 1984–1990. G. Howels, and T.R.K. Dalziel, editors

Notes: In prairie restoration, use of seeds from nonlocal sources has been of concern to restorationists. We examined the specificity between vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi obtained from a single location and little bluestem obtained from three localities. Seed was obtained from three sources: (1) a commercial seed supplier in Nebraska, (2) Sand Ridge State Forest (SRSF), Mason County, Illinois, the site from which the experimental soil containing the mycorrhizal inoculum was obtained, and (3) Sand Prairie Scrub Oak Nature Preserve (SPSO), 32 km southwest of SRSF. Plants were grown in three substrates: (1) autoclaved soil, (2) autoclaved soil to which a mycorrhizal fungal-free sieving of nonautoclaved soil was added, and (3) nonautoclaved soil. All plants grown in nonautoclaved soil were colonized by mycorrhizal fungi, whereas none of those grown in other substrates were colonized. Plants grown from SRSF seeds produced significantly (p 〈 0.05) more biomass than those grown from Nebraska seeds (X̄± SE, SRSF = 0.54 ± 0.04 g, SPSO = 0.49 ± 0.03 g, Nebraska = 0.37 ± 0.03 g). Plants grown in nonautoclaved soil, regardless of seed source, produced less biomass (0.27 ± 0.02 g) than plants grown in autoclaved soil (0.58 ± 0.03 g) or autoclaved soil plus sievings (0.59 ± 0.03 g).The results provide no clear indication of a host-endophyte specificity. However, the data suggest that the local genotypes of S. scoparium are better adapted to their native soil environment than are genotypes from other localities.

Notes: This essay reviews the recent attempts by the Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Council (NPPC) to conserve and restore wild salmon lost to hydroelectric development along the Columbia River and its tributaries. The restoration of the wild salmon is predicated on cooperation between myriad stakeholders in a planning process that includes the NPPC, 11 state and federal agencies, 13 Indian tribes, 8 utilities, and numerous interest groups. The two goals of the essay are (1) to review the recent amendments to the NPPC's fish and wildlife program, and (2) to describe the political barriers to restoration versus restocking of wild salmon in the Columbia River. The failure of political and administrative entities to deal with the problem of restoring wild salmon may result in drastic requirements being imposed by the imperatives of the Endangered Species Act.

Notes: An environmental revolution is urgently needed that will lead to a post-industrial symbiosis between man and nature. This can be realized only if the present unrestrained biological impoverishment and neotechnological landscape degradation are replaced by the creation of healthy and attractive landscapes. Restorationists can fulfill a vital role in this process. They must broaden their scales from biodiversity restoration in small, protected nature islands to the large-scale restoration of natural and cultural landscapes. To achieve this they must restore not only the patterns of vegetation but also the processes that create these patterns, including human land uses. Their goal should be to restore the total biological, ecological, and cultural landscape diversity, or “ecodiversity,” and its intrinsic and instrumental values of highly valuable, endangered seminatural, agricultural and rural landscapes. For this purpose it is essential to maintain and restore the dynamic flow equilibrium between biodiversity, ecological, and cultural landscape heterogeneity, as influenced by human land uses, which occur at different spatial and temporal scales and intensities. Recent advances in landscape ecology should be utilized for broader assessment of ecodiversity, including proposed indices of ecodiversity, new techniques such as Intelligent Geographical Information Systems (IGIS), and Green Books for the holistic conservation and restoration of valuable endangered landscapes. Restoration ecology can make an important contribution to an urgently needed environmental revolution. This revolution should lead to a new symbiosis between man and nature by broadening the goal of vegetation restoration to ecological and cultural landscape restoration, and thereby to total landscape ecodiversity.

Notes: A study of spider (Araneae) communities was conducted in rehabilitated bauxite mines at the Jarrahdale mine site of Alcoa of Australia Ltd. and in the nearby native jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest in southwest Western Australia. The study was conducted from March to August 1993 in five rehabilitated sites of different age and method of rehabilitation and in two forest sites. A variety of collection methods was used, including pitfall trapping, litter sampling, sweep netting, tree beating, and visual searching. These methods were the same as those carried out in a previous study of some of these areas in 1983. We collected 151 spider species belonging to 102 genera and 34 families. We examined the relationship between various habitat features, including the age and method of rehabilitation, of the spider communities present. It was found that leaf litter depth and cover and vegetation density had a significant positive influence on recolonization by the various spider guilds. The age and method of rehabilitation were found to influence different vegetational and habitat features; these, in turn, influenced the spider communities. Thus, the older a rehabilitated site the greater the species richness of both plants and spiders. We compared these results with those of the 1983 study to determine the spider succession of the aging rehabilitation. The spider communities and guild composition were found to change as the vegetation matured, from a dominance of pioneer species to a community of species requiring less harsh conditions. By comparison with the pre-1983 rehabilitation, the latest method of rehabilitation increased the rate of recolonization by both plants and spiders.

Notes: Peak flowering activity among woody species in the tropical dry forests of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, coincided with the brief spring rainy season but continued at moderate levels for six months, abating with the autumn rains. Fruit maturation showed a major peak in the long winter dry season and a minor crest during the summer dry season. Seeds of wind-dispersed species disseminated mainly during the winter dry season, while animal dispersal of seeds (74% of all woody species) followed the bimodal pattern (for wet and dry seasons) described for the community as a whole. Under shadehouse conditions, most dry forest tree species germinated well (〉 80%) and emerged promptly (within four weeks of planting) and synchronously (90% emergence within a four-week interval). Nine of 29 species tested in the shadehouse manifested dormancy of at least six weeks. Seed germinability varied among tree species, and the viability of most species began to decline following six months of dry storage. Few species retained high germinability after nine months of dry storage. The species composition of soil seed banks did not correspond closely with above-ground communities on three forested sites of varying stand age. In the youngest stand (35 years old), dominated by the weedy, arborescent legume Leucaena leucocephala, the soil seed bank was also dominated by this species, but no seeds of any other tree species were found in the soil samples. Seeds of native trees were scarcely encountered (only one indigenous species) in soil seed bank samples of three forest sites. Local seed rain from less disturbed forest may not be sufficient for prompt recovery of the dry forest community on degraded sites.

Notes: Glasshouse trials, using trickle irrigation and increasing levels of NaOH-induced alkalinity, identified species that could be expected to tolerate the high-pH conditions of bauxite processing waste residue sites. Of 29 taxa tested, the most tolerant were Casuarina obesa, Melaleuca lanceolata, M. armillaris, M. nesophila, Eucalyptus loxophleba, E. halophila, E. platypus, Tamarix aphylla, and a particular clone of E. camaldulensis; E. spathulata, E. tetragona, E. preissiana, E. gomphocephala, E. diptera, and E. occidentalis proved to be relatively sensitive to severe alkaline conditions. Tolerance appeared to relate to an ability to maintain root membrane function, nutrient uptake balance, and ultimately root tissue structure while under increasing levels of alkalinity stress. Species normally inhabiting alkaline soils tended to have increased growth rates in nutrient irrigation conditions between pH 8 and 10 compared with control plants irrigated with nutrient solutions of pH values near 7.4. However, once the irrigation solutions reached pH 12 and the buffering capacity of the soil appeared to be exceeded, the condition of susceptible plants rapidly declined and death followed. Sensitive plants initially showed symptoms related to nutrient deficiency, followed by wilting and death as the root systems failed. Field trial conditions in the bauxite residue impoundments at Kwinana, Western Australia, include soils with pH values as high as 11.00. In general, the relative survival and growth of seedlings after eight months were predicted by the response under glasshouse trial conditions. Appropriately designed stress trials can be important ecological techniques in choosing species most capable of surviving difficult environmental conditions in the rehabilitation of damaged landscapes.

Notes: In ecological restoration, nonindigenous species can pose a major problem because they are often aggressive and can overwhelm native species, thus altering ecosystem structure. This article identifies the circumstances in which prospects for use of restoration technology in controlling invaders are favorable or unfavorable, the factors that make certain species good colonizers, and the characteristics that make ecosystems susceptible to invasion. It discusses prospects for using restoration technology in controlling nonindigenous species by influencing hydroperiod, photo-period, thermoperiod, edaphic conditions, and availability of biological control agents so as to produce ecological conditions that are inhospitable to invaders. The limitations of restoration are discussed, as well as specific ecological situations in which it is likely to be the method of choice for control of nonindigenous species. Use of fire, flooding, manual removal, shading, substrate removal, and herbicide application as control techniques in conjunction with restoration efforts are considered. Specific examples, including the techniques employed, indicate the potential for controlling nonindigenous species in the process of ecosystem restoration.

Notes: Adequately evaluating the success of coastal tidal marsh restoration has lagged behind the actual practice of restoring tidally restricted salt marshes. A Spartina-dominated valley marsh at Barn Island Wildlife Management Area, Stonington, Connecticut, was tidally restricted in 1946 and consequently converted mostly to Typha angustifolia. With the re-introduction of tidal flooding in 1978, much of the marsh has reverted to Spartina alterniflora. Using a geographical information system (GIS), this study measures restoration success by the extent of geographical similarity between the vegetation of the restored marsh and the pre-impounded marsh. Based on geographical comparisons among different hydrologic states, pre-impounded (1946), impounded (1976), and restored (1988) tidal marsh restoration is a convergent process. Although salt marsh species currently dominate the restored system, the magnitude of actual agreement between the pre-impounded vegetation and that of the restored marsh is only moderate. Further restoration of the salt marsh vegetation may be limited by continued tidal restriction, marsh surface subsidence, and reduced accretion rates. General trends of recovery are identified using a gradient approach and the geographic pattern’ of vegetation change. In the strictest sense, if restoration refers only to vegetation types that geographically replicate preexisting types, then only 28% of the marsh has been restored. Restoration in a broader sense, however, representing the original salt marsh vegetation regardless of spatial position, amounts to 63% restored. Unrestored marsh, dominated by Typha angustifolia and Phragmites australis, remains at 37%. By emphasizing trends during vegetation recovery, this evaluation technique aims to understand the restoration process, direct future research goals, and ultimately aid in future restoration projects.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: The Earth in Transition: Patterns and Processes of Biotic Impoverishment. A collection of papers from a symposium held in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, October 1986. George M. Woodwell, editor Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems: Science, Technology, and Public Policy. National Research Council.

Notes: Results are presented using vegetative shoots and bryophyte sods to restore floristically impoverished high arctic wet sedge-moss meadows that had suffered intense damage from vehicle activity during the period 1960–1967. Clonal transplants of Carex aquatilis var. stans, a native sedge, were planted with and without bryophyte sods in vehicle ruts in 1972. After nearly two decades, there was less Carex cover in the planted ruts with flowing water than in the contiguous controls. This pattern was slightly reversed in planted plots with standing water. Reinvasion of Eriophorum angustifolium occurred in treated ruts, but cover was less in both treatments than in controls in 1990. The unexpected recruitment of Eriophorum scheuchzeri from the seed bank in moss-sodded plots is discussed in terms of its local and regional importance. Total plant cover in restored ruts was nearly equal to that of controls, but biomass was somewhat less than that in control plots. Plots with bryophytes were environmentally distinct, due primarily to increases in organic mat depth relative to controls. After 18 years, restoration efforts resulted in increased plant cover in treated ruts compared to naturally recovering ruts.〈blockFixed type="quotation"〉The composition of no two patches of vegetation is precisely the same [and] neither are the seed banks. Successsion on different patches of disturebed ground in the same locality frequently proceeds quite differently because of such differences.—J. Miles, Vegetation Dynamics, 1979

Notes: Fire is a common but poorly understood disturbance in the forested ecosystems of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. In this study, fire history, forest structure (density, species composition, regeneration, forest floor fuels, herbaceous cover, and age of pines), and the dendrochronological tree-ring record were measured at two unharvested 70-ha pine-oak sites near Ojito de Camellones, Durango, Mexico. Study sites were matched in slope, aspect, elevation, slope position, and plant composition, but they differed in fire history since 1945 and in forest structure. The long-term mean fire intervals (MFI) for all fires at both sites up to 1945 were similar—4.0 years at Site 1 (1744–1945) and 4.1 years at Site 2 (1815–1945)—but Site 1 burned only three times at the site margins since 1945 while Site 2 had 9 fires that scarred two or more sample trees and 15 total fires since 1945. Density measurements and age and diameter distributions showed that Site 1 was dominated by numerous, younger, smaller trees (mean total basal area of 23.4 m2/ha and 2730 trees/ha), while Site 2 had fewer, older, larger trees (basal area of 37.2 m2/ha, 647 trees/ha). Large, rotten fuel loading and duff depth were also greater at Site 1. Because regeneration averaged 6200 stems/ha at Site 1 and 8730 stems/ha at Site 2 (no significant difference), forest density at Site 2 was not limited by regeneration capability. The distributions of overstory diameter and pine age at both sites indicate that tree establishment occurred in pulses, with the largest cohort of trees establishing at Site 1 following the 1945 fire. The dense regeneration and heavy fuel accumulation at Site 1 are likely to support a switch from the former low-intensity fire regime to a high-intensity, stand-replacing fire across the site when the next suitable combination of ignition and weather occurs. Baseline quantitative information on fire frequency and ecological effects is essential to guide conservation or restoration of Madrean forests and may prove valuable for restoration of related fire-dependent ecosystems that have experienced extended fire exclusion elsewhere in North America.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Directing Ecological Succession. James O. Luken Soil Restoration: Advances in Soil Science, vol. 17. Rattan Lai and B. A. Stewart, editors

Notes: The Pinelands National Reserve and UNESCO Biosphere encompass a large portion of southern New Jersey's Pine Barrens. Within the core preservation zone of these Reserves lies the Warren Grove Weapons Range, a military installation where exercises during the past 50 years have devastated portions of the indigenous pygmy pine-oak forest. In 1987, restoration efforts were initiated to identify materials and techniques that promote a diverse and productive native plant community atop drastically disturbed portions of the range. We used trial plantings to examine fertilizer and sewage compost fertility amendments, the effect of different native plant mixtures (including the dwarfed race of pitch pine, Pinus rigida), the influence of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Pisolithus tinctorius on the growth of pines and associated species, and mulch applications to conserve moisture and add organic matter. Following two growing seasons, test plantings exhibited 25% of the vegetation production found in the surrounding pine-oak community, 50% canopy closure, and levels of diversity comparable to the reference site. Maximum biomass and cover were achieved following the application of 16 Mg/ha compost and the establishment of pitch pine seedlings. Pitch pine was the dominant species in all plots where it was planted, with herbaceous species comprising the balance of the developing vegetation. Amendments of seeded grasses, P. tinctorius, and mulch influenced species composition but failed to enhance total plant production. We recommend restoring drastically disturbed sites in the pine plains with cultural input of compost to the spoils and planting of pitch pines and other woody species to accelerate the structural blending of reforested sites with the surrounding native vegetation.

Notes: A general model is presented describing ecosystem degradation to help decide when restoration, rehabilitation, or reallocation should be the preferred response. The latter two pathways are suggested when one or more “thresholds of irreversibility” have been crossed in the course of ecosystem degradation, and when “passive” restoration to a presumed predisturbance condition is deemed impossible. The young but burgeoning field of ecological restoration, and the older field of rehabilitation and sustainable range management of arid and semiarid lands (ASAL), are found to have much in common, especially compared with the reallocation of lands, which is often carried out without reference to pre-existing ecosystems. After clarifying some basic terminology, we present 18 vital ecosystem attributes for evaluating stages of degradation and planning experiments in the restoration or rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems. Finally, we offer 10 hypotheses concerning ecological restoration and rehabilitation as they apply to ASAL and perhaps to all terrestrial ecosystems.

Notes: Experiments were conducted in the field and the greenhouse to determine whether vesicular-arbus-cular mycorrhizae affect growth and competition between the native perennial Stipa pulchra and the introduced annual Avena barbata. Soils in the greenhouse were steam-sterilized, and in the field they were treated with the fungicide benomyl. Stipa pulchra showed decreased shoot dry mass and increased root mass when inoculated, while A. barbata showed the opposite response, increased shoot mass and decreased root mass. Mycorrhizal A. barbata also produced more seeds. Mycorrhizae did not alleviate the negative effects of competition of A. barbata on S. pulchra, as has been demonstrated for other pairs of weedy and nonweedy species. The same three species of mycorrhizal fungi were present in annual and perennial grasslands, but their relative composition was different. When inoculum from the two grassland types were tested in the field, the fungal species began to revert within five months to the species composition found in grasslands of the host plant. This indicates that, once annual grassland has been revegetated with the native S. pulchra, the original fungal species composition may return relatively quickly. Where A. barbata dominates, inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi alone will not suffice for establishing S. pulchra, and the usual practices for control of weed competition need to be employed.

Notes: Herbaria are potentially important repositories of living seeds that could be useful for recovery of rare plant species. To examine this capacity, we tested seed germination of rare milkweed (Asclepias) and milkvetch (Astragalus) species representing different collection dates and different herbaria. These groups have contrasting seed characteristics, with greater potential for longevity in the nonpermeable hard-coated milkvetch seeds. Twelve-year-old Asclepias lanuginosa seeds failed to germinate. However, we achieved 45% germination from three-year-old Asclepias meadii seeds, but germination dropped to 0% after ages of four to five years. Astragalus neglectus seeds germinated from 97-, 48-, and 28-year-old herbarium specimens, and Astragalus tennesseensis seeds germinated from a four-year-old collection. Seedlings produced from these experiments were incorporated into ex situ garden populations for recovery or restoration of rare species populations. Different herbarium pest control techniques may have significant bearing on the viability of seeds stored on herbarium specimens. Microwaving can cause precipitous loss of seed viability, while deep-freezing appears to allow some seeds to remain viable. Potentially live seeds of rare species should be stored under conditions that enhance their long-term viability.

Notes: The microbial community in a soil stripped and stored during opencast coal mining was analyzed. There were significant effects of soil disturbance on the microbial community: in particular, there were large decreases in the total microbial biomass, as determined by ATP analysis, and numbers of fungal propagules as a result of the store construction process, but there was no significant effect on the numbers of bacteria. During the subsequent months of storage there was a flush in the numbers of bacteria, with gram-negative bacteria showing an increase of nearly 700% in comparison to the control. During this time there was a steady accumulation in the amount of ammonium in the deepest part of the soil store, indicating the onset of anaerobiosis. These changes may be interpreted in terms of lifestyle strategy theory (Grime 1979). The bacteria exhibit behavior typical of R-strategists, or ruderal species, taking advantage of the nutrients made available by the death of fungal biomass during store construction. Fungi respond as C-strategists, or competitors, and they are severely affected by store construction-and unable to persist deep in the anaerobic part of the store. In contrast, anaerobes, S-strategists or stresstolerators, are able to survive under the same conditions. These changes have serious implications for the restoration of systems using stored topsoil as a resource. The microbial population has been altered in terms of its size and composition. Many of the fungi required for adequate breakdown and incorporation of organic matter will be absent, and the soils will be generally poor in microbial biomass. This will lead to inadequate nutrient cycling and poor soil structural stability, two factors essential for the restoration of a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Notes: In order to extend quarrying near Thrislington Plantation, County Durham, England, 8.5 ha of magnesian limestone grassland was relocated over a period of eight years from October 1982. The effects of this on the flora and invertebrate fauna were examined within the Festuca-Helianthemum community at five plots relocated at different times. Plants were sampled with a point-quadrat, and invertebrates by pitfall trapping. Comparisons were made between age of the relocation, numbers of species and individuals, and diversity of flora and invertebrates. The plots were examined using the percentage similarity measure. The plots showed an initial change in some aspects of community structure for flora and invertebrate fauna, followed by a “recovery” period. This was particularly evident in the numbers of species and species diversity of plants and in the numbers of individuals and species diversity of invertebrates. Bare ground, left by the relocation process, was still evident between relocated turfs in the early plots, but it was successfully colonized by resident species in later plots. These results have implications for the future management of this and similar sites, particularly with respect to the emphasis placed on subsequent monitoring and the need to consider invertebrate faunas when implementing management strategies.

Notes: 〈blockFixed type="quotation"〉We now recognize that humans have the power to alter the planet irreversibly, on a global scale. Humans must be concerned with the condition of the planet that is passed to future generations./〉

Notes: The objective of this study was to evaluate seven woody plant species on four growth media for their potential contribution to moose habitat and establishment of viable plant communities on a proposed mine site in southcentral Alaska. Populus balsamifera (balsam poplar), Salix alaxensis (feltleaf willow), S. barclayi (Barclay willow), S. bebbiana (Bebb willow), Alnus tenuifolia (thinleaf alder), Betula papyrifera (paper birch), and Picea glauca (white spruce) were selected for their functions in moose habitat, ease of propagation, and presence in the existing native vegetation. Three native soils were selected for biological characteristics such as different potential to form mycorrhizae and to regenerate local plant species, both of which are governed partly by existing vegetation. The fourth growth medium, glacial till or overburden, was expected to have little or no biological activity. A mining disturbance was simulated on three sites by removing existing vegetation from the plots, stripping the native soils, and then spreading these soil materials over the respective study plots. Rooted cuttings of the Salicaceae and nursery seedlings of the other species were planted in each of the four growth media. Height and survival of all plant species were greater on the three soil media than on the glacial till during the second and third years. Percentage of ectomycorrhizal infection on transplants was similar among growth media, although lower ectomycorrhizal infection occurred on volunteers in grassland soils than in the other growth media. Browsable plants were produced within three years on the disturbed native soils but not on the glacial till.

Notes: Seagrass transplanting experiments were conducted in Back Sound, Carteret County, North Carolina, and Tampa Bay, Pinellas County, Florida. In Florida, we compared three planting methods (cores, stapled bare root, and peat-pot plugs) for shoot addition rate coverage, and labor cost (harvest, fabrication, and deployment) using Halodule wrightii. Only planting methods and development rates were recorded for Syringodium filiforme. Fertilizer additions were made to peat-pot plantings of H. wrightii and Zostera marina in both North Carolina and Florida. Exclosure cages were tested to attempt to minimize bioturbation of H. wrightii and Z. marina in both North Carolina and Florida. Recovery from harvesting impacts to existing, natural beds of S. filiforme and H. wrightii were assessed in Florida. The peat-pot method was about 35% and 63% less expensive in work time than staples and core tubes, respectively. Response to fertilizer additions was masked by inconsistent release properties of the fertilizer, although some indication of positive response to phosphorus fertilizer in sediments with low carbonate content, and nitrogen in general, was detected. Complete loss of peat pots, largely ascribed to bioturbation, occurred in a large planting (Tampa Bay) but not in nearby smaller ones where exclosure cages were used. Cages did not affect planting unit survival in North Carolina but did improve number of shoots per planting unit in one of three experiments. No detrimental effects of cages were noted. Existing natura beds used to harvest transplanting stock in Tampa Bay recovered from excavations as large as 0.5 m2 in one year. Significant cost savings were found to be possible through methodological improvement, including planting techniques, bioturbation exclusion, and possibly fertilizer additions.

Notes: Land rehabilitation is proposed as a management strategy to reverse the negative consequences of tropical deforestation and land degradation. We first define the concepts associated with ecosystem modification—conversion, damage, and degradation—and those associated with ecosystem repair—restoration, rehabilitation, and reclamation. We then present a scheme of sustainable land use in the tropics, with illustrations of how rehabilitation and restoration activities fit into the overall scheme of the use of land. Because damaged lands cannot contribute effectively to sustained economic development, land rehabilitation is a necessary step for increasing the chances of attaining sustainability. Approaches for rehabilitating ecosystems are discussed, including the management of stressors and subsidies in relation to their point of interaction in the ecosystem. Finally, we illustrate the concepts of ecosystem rehabilitation of damaged, degraded, and derelict lands with examples of case studies from dry to humid life zones in island and continental situations throughout the tropics. The case studies demonstrate that opportunities for success exist, even with severely degraded lands, but a considerable amount of research remains to be done before we have a full understanding of the complexity of the task facing us.

Notes: The foundation of a successful revegetation or restoration program is quality native seed. This requires careful collection, processing, and storage. Mature seed should be collected from healthy, local stands with a sufficiently broad genetic base. Careful identification of the site characteristics and seed-lot tracking are essential. Yearly variation in seed production and seed quality can be very high, and an early determination of seed quality can prevent expensive failures. Nondestructive evaluation using X-rays is effective and economical, but techniques such as staining, inspection, and germination tests can also be helpful. Cleaning, dewinging, and upgrading seed before storage can (1) reduce weight and bulk, (2) improve storage life, (3) increase germination, and (4) make greenhouse production and field planting easier and more economical. The seeds of many native plants can lose their viability quickly if they are not stored under controlled conditions. Seeds in storage must also be protected from rodents, pests, and disease. Dormancy is common in the seeds of many native species, and experimentation is often necessary to determine the best way to break seed dormancy. This can be complicated by year-to-year and plant-to-plant variation.

Notes: The performance of woody plants was analyzed in 15 successional seres starting at bare ground in central European manmade habitats. The total cover of woody species after 10 years of succession was significantly related neither to initial soil moisture nor to nitrogen (expressed using Ellenberg indicator values). But the comparison of seres indicates that establishment of woody plants was easier under moderate environmental conditions and retarded in extreme habitats (dry, nutrient-poor, or acid). The arrival of the first woody plants was delayed in dry sites. No significant differences were found between primary and secondary seres, either with respect to the total cover of woody plants reached after 10 years of succession or considering the time of their arrival. In total, 24 woody species (10 shrubs and 14 trees) appeared in the series investigated. Their successional performance (in terms of the number of seres in which the species occurred and maximum cover reached in any sere) was not related to species traits (life strategy, type of mycorrhizae, mode of dispersal, diaspore weight), except for the regeneration strategy, species with seasonal regeneration by seeds were capable of creating higher cover. Betula pendula (European birch) was the most successful species in spontaneous succession, especially on moist sites. Practical suggestions for the management of particular habitats (sites disturbed by mining, sites reclaimed after acid rain deforestation, urban sites, abandoned fields) are provided regarding the establishment of woody plants.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Semiarid Lands and Deserts: Soil Resources and Reclamation J. Skujins, editor

Notes: Several landscape restoration alternatives were evaluated in the Gorecht area, a cultivated river plain in the northern part of the Netherlands. A landscape analysis was performed to investigate the hydrological functioning of this area. Groundwater composition in the area was assessed by using distribution patterns of indicative plant species. Results proved to be consistent with an interpolation of actual data of the groundwater composition. Groundwater flow was simulated with hydrological models to explain the observed patterns in water chemistry. It appeared that upwelling Ca-rich groundwater is now absent in the area, contrary to the past situation. Because a constant supply of Ca-rich water is an essential condition for mesotraphent fen vegetation, we concluded that under the present conditions the regeneration prospects for these vegetation types are poor. We suggest that the plan to regenerate groundwater-fed fens be abandoned for a plan to create surface-water-fed marshes.

Notes: Restoration of an abandoned 16-ha Nike missile base site located on a former wetland in the lower Detroit River (Michigan, U.S.A.) was investigated with an emphasis on wetland restoration. The site included a 2.7-ha abandoned missile base, a 1.3-ha lake, 10.4 ha of emergent and submersed wetlands, and 1.8 ha of uplands. Aquatic beds in the shallow bay connected to the river supported floating leaved and submersed aquatics including Nymphaea tiiberosa, Vallisneria antericana, Elodea canadensis, and Heteranthera dubia, with mats of green, filamentous algae. A 10-ha diked wetland adjacent to the site was dominated by Typha spp., Salix spp., Nymphaea tuberosa, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Chara sp., and Juncus effusus. Restoration objectives included a nature preserve, an outdoor recreation area, an experimental wetland complex, and an environmental education center. Ten alternative designs were suggested, including four with wetlands open to the bay, three with diked wetlands, and the rest involving island construction, a reconstructed upland site, or a wetland research facility. Alternatives were evaluated for their contribution to local ecology, research, education and wildlife, ease of maintenance, and probability of success. Construction of a wetland resembling conditions before construction of the base was recommended for its low maintenance and opportunity for research on non diked wetland design and construction in protected bays in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Recreational and educational opportunities were also recommended as part of the site restoration.

Notes: The recent publication of Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems: Science, Technology, and Public Policy has generated much scientific, public, and political discussion. Although the book emphasizes the restoration of entire aquatic ecosystems, discussion of senescent dams and human-made reservoirs is absent. The important societal and ecological roles of reservoirs warrant a closer examination of the potential ecological restoration of aging reservoirs. Problems with long-term reservoir management include lack of long-term management strategies, sedimentation, hazardous waste accumulation, impacts of recreational use, and the creation of new aquatic and riparian habitats. Policy conflicts may arise when habitats created in the reservoir are destroyed to restore the downstream habitats or when created habitats upstream undergo successional changes that impact the commercial or recreational value of the reservoir. Rare or endangered species may also create similar conflicts. The establishment of an ecological restoration bonding program that includes environmental education and conservation prior to new dam construction may aid in resolving potential conflicts in the future.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: The Uses of Ecology: Lake Washington and Beyond W. T. Edmonson

Notes: Sagittaria latifolia Willd. is commonly used for wetland enhancement, restoration, and creation. It is a C3 species that is widely distributed in southeastern Canada and the eastern half of the United States. It provides habitat and food benefits to waterfowl and improves water quality in wetlands. Monoecious and dioecious varieties occur in the U.S. that exhibit different life history characteristics. Clonal spread occurs through growth of rhizomes and tubers. S. latifolia grows in a wide range of fresh water and soil conditions. It persists in stabilized water levels at depths of less than 50 cm and few drawdowns. The species tolerates and assimilates high levels of nutrients and heavy metals. There is a limited data base on the installation and management of the species. Tubers and plants are preferred plant materials for field establishment. Herbivory by insects, waterfowl, and other animals may greatly reduce planting success. Future studies relevant to improvement of propagule storage, planting conditions, and management of mature plants for wetland projects are suggested.

Notes: A model of ecosystem degradation and three possible responses to it—restoration, rehabilitation, and real-location—is applied to ongoing projects in the arid mediterranean region of southern Tunisia, the subhumid mediterranean region of central Chile, and the semiarid tropical savannas of northern Cameroon. We compare both nonhuman and human determinants of ecosystem degradation processes in these contrasted regions, as well as interventions being tested in each. A number of quantifiable “vital ecosystem attributes” are used to evaluate the effects of ecosystem degradation and the experimental responses of rehabilitation on vegetation, soils and plant-soil-water relations. We argue that attempts to rehabilitate former ecosystem structure and functioning, both above- and below ground, are the best way to conserve biodiversity and insure sustainable long-term productivity in ecosystems subjected to continuous use by people in arid and semi-arid lands of “the South.” The success of such efforts, however, depends not only on elucidating the predisturbance (or slightly disturbed) structure and function of the consciously selected “ecosystem of reference,” but also on understanding and working with the socioeconomic, technical, cultural, and historical factors that caused the degradation in the first place.

Notes: The feasibility of measuring soil salinity with electromagnetic induction (EM) for determining riparian restoration potential was investigated on a 28-hectare plot at the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico. The plot was cleared of exotic Tamarix chinensis (saltcedar), surveyed and gridded into 1370.2 hectare sections. Soil samples and EM measurements were taken at each section. We compared laboratory-determined ECe values from the soil samples with ECa values calculated from the EM measurements using a model developed by Rhoades et al. (1990). Direct comparison of ECe values determined from the two methods yields a low correlation due to sample-size differences but the calculated ECa was able to accurately predict whether the measured ECe would lie above or below some threshold value. An assessment of general site suitability for riparian restoration with electromagnetic induction has proven to be a rapid, accurate, and cost-effective alternative to intensive soil sampling.

Notes: Extensive areas of the tropics have been converted into pasture for cattle ranching. Frequently, abandoned pasture does not revert to forest. The goal of this project was to identify barriers to lowland moist forest regeneration in highly degraded grasslands in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. The barriers we considered were seed source, seed predation, competition with grasses, microclimate and soil limitations on plant growth, and fire. Seed dispersal into the grasslands is limited to within 10 meters of forest fragments, but this barrier can be overcome by sowing seeds and planting seedlings and by establishing perches to attract dispersers. In these degraded grasslands, seed predation was lower than in the adjacent forest patches, and there was no evidence that grasses inhibited the establishment of woody species. The most important barrier was the severe degradation of the soils. In much of the area, the A and B horizons have been eroded away, leaving saprolite at the soil surface. Seedlings of two fast-growing pioneer species, Ochroma pyramidale and Cochlospermum vitifolium, grew to a maximum height of only 2.5 and 12 cm, respectively, during the first eight months. The slow plant growth in the degraded grassland soils compared to forest soils was associated with lower levels of cation-exchange capacity, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Even if these barriers could be overcome, the frequent and extensive use of fire in the region must be controlled to avoid killing established woody plants.

Notes: Biological resources can be more usefully incorporated into many aspects of restoration ecology. During the planning and design stage, the wide genotypic variation in natural plant populations must be recognized and exploited. This will ensure that genotypes used on a site are best adapted to local conditions and have a greater probability of survivorship than arbitrarily chosen material. Also, certain unusual genotypes can be located using the principles of evolutionary ecology and can be installed in areas with extreme conditions, such as soils contaminated with heavy metals, in areas where rapid colonizing ability (high seed set and/or clonal growth) is particularly advantageous, or where soils are of poor quality. Similarly, where high herbivore pressure is a threat to restoration, genotypes that are well defended, chemically or mechanically, against animal enemies should be selected to initiate the restoration process. The nursery industry can be encouraged to supply an ecologically wider selection of material for restoration, originating from local biological reserves and natural habitats. During the management phase of a restoration, local natural habitats are critical as reservoirs of biological control agents, seed sources for plant species, and members of higher trophic levels and additional plant species needed during succession. Mutualists such as pollinators, seed dispersers, and mycorrhizal fungi are vital to the success of a restoration project, and these must invade from nearby natural habitats or must be deliberately introduced. During the evaluation phase of restoration, local natural areas should be used as templates of community composition and structure from which one measures success. A functioning restoration project will interact biologically with surrounding areas, the exchange of species and genes being particularly important. Analysis of the microbial and invertebrate communities that have invaded the installed plant community may be useful and accurate determinants of ecological function. For these latter stages of the restoration process, the value of preserving local habitat remnants is high and complements their usefulness as a source of ecologically precise material for installation.

Notes: Community classification has emerged from ecology textbooks into the arena of environmental impact evaluation and mitigation. This development is especially apparent in southern California, where the fate of a community called coastal sage scrub is being decided. Regional plans for development, mitigation, preservation, and restoration are being formulated that will permanently affect the natural landscape. This paper demonstrates the potential for the name of a plant community to affect tradeoffs in planning processes that are intended to offset removal of habitat by development. The discussion focuses on two types of classification systems. One system is hierarchical, with established nomenclatorial rules that allow natural variation to refine the community definitions. Names of plant associations directly reflect the dominant species in the association, as in Artemisia californica—Eriogonum fasciculatum (California sagebrush—California buckwheat). The second system is nonhierarchical, in which observations of natural landscapes are fit into established definitions of community types, such as Diegan coastal sage scrub. Advantages and disadvantages of both types of systems are discussed and illustrated by two examples of problems in classifying coastal sage scrub. The discussion concludes with the point that the name of a community has the potential to significantly affect the extent to which equal tradeoffs between community types are actually achieved in mitigation and restoration efforts.

Notes: This article contributes to the worldwide trend of using microbiological methods for bioindication of the influence of abiotic, biotic, and anthropogenic factors on the soil environment, especially on the plough layer of soils. It compares two approaches to assess microbial biomass-C: (1) chemical treatment of soil samples by CHCl3 vapor, followed by extraction, and (2) heat treatment in the range of 62–65°C for 24 hours, followed by extraction. It recommends the analysis of different forms of organic carbon, the total carbon of soil organic mass, and microbial biomass-C and other forms of organic carbon extractable with 0.5 M K2SO4 and 0.5 M (NH4)2SO4 respectively. It presents a simple mathematical model suitable for assessment of microbial recuperation of the topsoil (0–15 cm) after restoration. The relation between the measured values and the values calculated with the model expressed as percentages expresses the quality of restoration achieved and the stage of disturbance of the living microbial part of the topsoil. It indicates not only the ecological impact but also the deficit and stress situations, to which the living microbial part of the topsoil is exposed in the long term.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Ecological Principles of Nature Conservation. L. Hansson, editor Saltmarsh Ecology. P. Adam

Notes: Within an urban park in southern California, the relationship between the structure and floristics of vegetation and the distribution, abundance, and behavior of wildlife was studied in relatively undisturbed areas (San Luis Rey) and in contiguous areas (Guajome Park) in need of restoration. These data were used to develop recommendations for the enhancement of native animal species in the park. The abundance of amphibians and reptiles was highest in native upland scrub and willow (Salix)-riparian vegetation types, and lowest in dry, disturbed sites. Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) were the most abundant reptile throughout both study areas. Overall, bullfrogs (Rana catesbiana), an exotic species, were the dominant amphibians; the native Pacific treefrog (Hyla regilla) was rare throughout. At both study areas, the small mammal community was dominated by western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis) and deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and, to a lesser extent, by brush mice (P. boylii) and exotic house mice (Mus musculus). Negative correlations in abundance existed between house mice and harvest mice, and between house mice abundance and overall small mammal abundance. In riparian sites, cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and various height classes of willow were the dominant factors in the majority of bird abundance–habitat‘correlations and where foraging activities were concentrated. Recommendations for enhancing native animal species include reduction of marsh sedimentation, removal of feral species, and development of connections between the park and nearby natural areas. A corridor of native riparian vegetation (primarily cottonwood-willow) should be developed to replace the existing agricultural fields, thereby linking Guajome with the San Luis Rey River.

Notes: Eight individual rock iguanas (Iguana pinguis) from Anegada Island were relocated to Guana Island by Lazell, 1984–1987, in order to establish a second population reservoir for this endangered species. The species may have originally occupied the entire Puerto Rico Bank. The relocation has been successful and, in the area currently providing the best habitat, we estimate a density of 9 or 12 animals of various age classes per 19 ha. The optimal area contains a sheep exclosure with relatively dense understory vegetation and numerous exotic as well as native species of plants. Iguana activity is concentrated on east facing slopes and ridge-tops that get morning sun. Outside the exclosure most edible ground cover and shrubs have been eaten by sheep, leaving toxic or noxious species, such as Croton or Lantana, in the understory where I. pinguis adults generally forage. Removal of sheep may be critical to continued population growth of these reptiles. Views on relocation or repatriation of other endangered Antillean Iguana species are advanced, with some ideas on minimum viable population sizes and a possible explanation for the extirpation of I. pinguis from much of its former range.

Notes: Books reviewed in this article: Functions of Nature Evaluation of Nature in Environmental Planning, Management and Decision Making. Rudolf S. de Groot Landscape Restorastion Handbook D. Harker, S. Evans, M. Evans, and K. Harker

Notes: Results of a short-term study of the revegetation of illegally rock-plowed wetlands in the East Everglades are reported. Comparisons of the plant communities on a restored site, an unrestored site, and the natural control areas directly adjacent to these sites were made using line intercept transects. On the site where removal of the rock-plowed material and grading of the surface to below original elevation were required for restoration, less than 20% of plant cover was of nonwetland species, and the occurrence of exotic species was low. On the rock-plowed site where no restoration efforts were performed, 61% of plant cover was of nonwetland species, and there was a higher occurrence of exotic species compared to the restored rock-plowed and the control sites.

Notes: The extreme species richness of native shrubland vegetation (kwongan) near Eneabba, Western Australia, presents a major problem in the restoration of sites following mineral sand mining. Seed sources available for post-mining restoration and those present in the native kwongan vegetation were quantified and compared. Canopy-borne seeds held in persistent woody fruits were the largest seed source of perennial species in the undisturbed native vegetation and also provided the most seeds for restoration. In undisturbed vegetation, the germinable soil seed store (140–174 seeds · m−2) was only slightly less than the canopy-borne seed store (234–494 seeds · m−2), but stockpiled topsoil provided only 9% of the germinable seeds applied to the post-mining habitat. The age of stockpiled soil was also important. In the three-year-old stockpiled topsoil, the seed bank was only 10.5 seeds · m−2 in the surface 2.5 cm, compared to 56.1 to 127.6 seeds · m−2 in fresh topsoil from undisturbed vegetation sites. In the stockpiled topsoil, most seeds were of annual species and 15–40% of the seeds were of non-native species. In the topsoil from undisturbed vegetation, over 80% of the seeds were of perennial species, and non-native species comprised only 2.7% of the seed bank. Additional seeds of native species were broadcast on restoration areas, and although this represented only 1% of the seed resources applied, the broadcast seed mix was an important resource for increasing post-mining species richness. Knowledge of the life-history characteristics of plant species may relate to seed germination patterns and assist in more accurate restoration where information on germination percentages of all species is not available.

Notes: The composition and structure of ant communities were used to assess the success of the preliminary restoration program at Ranger uranium mine in the seasonal tropics of northern Australia. Ants were surveyed at eight sites, including two relatively undisturbed control sits, within the Ranger lease. The revegetated sites represented a range of variables likely to influence restoration success: revegetation age (two, four, and eight years), proximity to undisturbed sites (which act as potential sources of recolonization), and burning treatment. Revegetation at most sites was dominated by fast-growing species of Acacia. There was a clear succession of ant species across revegetated sites. Initial colonization was by species of Iridomyrmex, but as plant cover and litter development increased these were replaced by broadly adapted, opportunist species, especially the introduced Paratrechina longicornis. Ant recolonization was very slow at isolated sites, with only 12 species present after eight years (the oldest site available). This compares with 21 species after only four years at a site located close to potential sources of recolonization. The ant community at this site, however, was very similar to that at another site located close to colonization sources, but eight years old. Ant succession therefore appeared to have stalled at this point, with species richness and composition bearing little resemblance to that at control sites. The heavy shade and litter produced by acacias were considered to be the major impediment to further change. Results from a site that had undergone a prescribed burn after two years, thereby breaking dominance by acacias and allowing for the establishment of a wide variety of plant taxa, suggest that such management practices may promote further colonization by ant species.

Notes: Soil microbial activity and soil nutrients were monitored on a revegetated coal surface mine in southwestern Wyoming from the initial planting in 1982 through 1987. Total soil nitrogen (N) and organic matter did not change during this period. However, despite no changes in available phosphorus (P) concentrations, the total P declined over 50% during the five-year period, with no apparent reduction in the loss rates. The greatest loss was in the bound inorganic P pool. Moisture appeared not to limit microbial mass-C. Microbial mass-C was higher under shrubs than in interspaces and increased with time. Total organic matter did not increase. Thus, the ratio of microbial mass-C to organic matter-C increased during the study period. This suggests that the input of readily decomposable substrate may limit microbial activity. During the study period, all above-ground litter was removed by wind. Root production in the surface soils was low and highly variable and, in this habitat, probably did not contribute largely to the organic matter status. These data suggest that despite an apparent recovery of many parameters used to indicate reclamation or restoration success, the soil-bound P pools could be undergoing a loss. Microbial-C and organic matter changes indicate a system that is not approaching equilibrium within the required monitoring period of most restoration efforts. These parameters could eventually reduce the recovery potential of restored sites.

Notes: A series of experiments designed to demonstrate the potential of using managed, attached algal production to permanently remove excess phosphorus from agricultural run-off is described. The experiments were carried out on a secondary canal in the New Hope South region of the Florida Everglades Agricultural Area from October, 1991, to May, 1992. Natural algal populations of periphyton, including species of the genera Cladophora, Spirogyra, Enteromorpha, Stigeoclonium, and a variety of filamentous diatoms such as Eunotia and Melosira, were grown on plastic screens in raceways, under a wave surge regime. Considerable biomass production of algae occurred, and the resulting algal canopy also trapped plankton and organic particulates from the water column. A seven- to eight-day harvest interval was determined to be optimal, and both hand harvesting and vacuum harvesting were employed. The vacuum device is applicable to large scale-up. In source water having total phosphorus concentrations of 0.012–0.148 ppm, mean macro-recovery dry biomass production levels of 15–27 g/m2/day were achieved. The lower rates occurred in the winter, the higher rates in the late spring. Two techniques were employed to reduce losses of fine material at harvest during the March to May period. Gravity sieving increased mean dry production levels to 33–39 g/m2/day. The mean phosphorus content of harvested biomass ranged from 0.34% to 0.43%. Total phosphorus removal rates during the spring period of average solar intensity and low nutrient supply, by methods demonstrated in this study, ranged from 104 to 139 mgTP/m2/day (380–507 kgP/ha/year). Over the incoming nutrient range studied, phosphorus removal was independent of concentration and was 16.3% of total phosphorus for 15 m of raceway. Up-stream-downstream studies of overflowing water chemistry (total P, total dissolved -P, orthophosphate -P) showed highly -significant reductions of all phosphorus species. Total phosphorus reduction closely correlated with phosphorus yield from biomass removal. Yearly, minimum phosphorus removal rates are predicted that are 100–250 times that achieved both experimentally and in long-term, large-area wetland systems. Engineering scale-up to systems of hundreds of acres is being studied.

Notes: The goal of this study was to use terrestrial arthropods to help evaluate the progress of a riparian restoration effort along the San Luis Rey River in California by comparing characteristics of the arthropod community at the reconstructed system to those of a naturally occurring riparian woodland used as a reference site. Insects and other arthropods were sampled throughout 1989–1991 using pan trapping and sweep sampling of dominant plants. Assemblages of taxa were monitored as indicators of functional groups that influence ecosystem processes: pollinators, herbivores, predators, parasites, and detritivores. Relative abundances of indicator assemblages were compared between sites to evaluate the establishment and maintenance of processes critical for the natural function of the reconstructed riparian ecosystem. A major objective of this project was to create habitat for the Least Bell's Vireo, so a group of potential prey items was designated to indicate vireo food resources. Over 230,000 arthropods were identified to order or family and by size. Insect communities developed rapidly at the restored habitat. Although the abundance of all arthropods was lower at the reconstructed site than at the reference site, the same orders were present after three years in similar proportions at both locations, and mean abundances were within an order of magnitude of each other. Abundance of certain groups, such as detritivores, suggested that arthropods had propagated rapidly at the restoration site, a possible indication of resiliency. Relatively low numbers of other arthropods, such as predators and parasites, at the reconstructed site indicated the need for continued monitoring. The decline of pollinators and herbivores by 1991 at the reconstructed site suggested that they may have immigrated or been introduced with transplanted vegetation in 1989, but have had difficulty colonizing the site. Although the Least Bell's Vireos were seen foraging at the restored site after three years, no nests were found. Nesting is anticipated, however, as the site matures.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. A chemically defined culture medium has been developed for the soil amoeba Hartmannella rhysodes Singh which contains the minimum essential organic requirements for growth. The medium consists of 7 amino acids, 3 vitamins, a carbon source (e.g. glucose) and inorganic salts.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. A mutant strain of Astasia longa utilized glucose for growth whereas the parent (J) strain did not. The optimal pH for growth of the mutant with glucose (sole carbon source) was near neutrality; the optimal glucose concentration 0.02 M. Cell-free extracts or cell homogenates produced C14O2 when incubated in the presence of C14-labeled glucose. On the other hand, after incubation with C14-labeled glucose, intact parent cells and their respiratory CO2 showed no radioactivity while the mutant-strain cells and CO2 produced were active. Dissimilation of glucose-1-C14 and glucose-6-C14 yielded the same amount of radioactivity in metabolic CO2 in cell-free extracts of both strains. Of five enzymes assayed, hexokinase, phosphoglucomutase, and lactic dehydrogenase were present whereas glucose-6-PO4 dehydrogenase and glucose dehydrogenase were absent in cell homogenates of both strains. Presumably these two strains of A. longa differ in permeability of the plasma membrane. Further tracer and enzyme studies indicated that the Embden-Meyerhof scheme is the principal pathway of glucose catabolism; the hexose mono-phosphate shunt and the direct oxidative pathway were either not operating or quantitatively insignificant.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. By means of electron microscopy, a study has been made of the fine structure of the macrogametocytes, microgametocytes and oocysts of Eimeria perforans from the intestine of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The parasites lie in a vacuole within the host cell. The surface of the gametocytes is not plain, but displays irregular protrusions. A large intranuclear body can be detected within the macrogametocytes. Similar structures are also found within the cytoplasm. Within the latter there exists a large spread out reticulum, the channels and vesicles of which concentrate especially close to the nuclear membrane. Tubuli are seen in the numerous mitochondria, which often have a dumb-bell shape.In most of the gametocytes irregular, strongly osmiophilic lipid inclusions are observed, which always are surrounded by the endoplasmic reticulum. Strange folded ovoid bodies are found within the cytoplasm of the oocysts. Nothing can be told with certainty of their nature and function. Probably they represent specific storage bodies.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. Tritrichomonas foetus survived much better on extended storage at -95 than at -28d̀C following slow freezing in the presence of 1.0 M glycerol. There was no significant difference between these temperatures in survival up to 8 days, but thereafter the protozoa continued to die off slowly at -28d̀, whereas their numbers remained essentially constant at -95d̀ for 128 to 256 days. The trichomonads' motility was much better after storage at -95d̀ than after storage at -28d̀, and fresh cultures could be initiated from the former much more readily.Other constituents of the suspending medium besides glycerol affect the survival of the protozoa upon freezing. Survival was much better when the protozoa were frozen in the original Diamond's trypticase-yeast extract-maltose-cysteine-ascorbic acid-serum medium in which they had been grown than when they were frozen in physiological salt solution or in fresh Diamond's medium. There was no significant difference between survival in the latter two suspending media. The speed and time of centrifugation needed to remove the trichomonads from the medium in which they had been grown had no effect on their survival upon subsequent freezing. Presumably some product or products of the trichomonads' metabolism have an additional protective action which supplements that of glycerol.When frozen in the original Diamond's medium in which they had been grown plus 1.0 M glycerol, an average of 15% of the trichomonads were alive after 128 days' storage at -28d̀ and an average of 38% were alive at -95d̀C. When frozen in physiological salt solution plus 1.0 M glycerol, these percentages were 8% and 12% respectively.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. When Spathidium spathula was exposed to X-ray doses ranging from 1–25 kr this animal was found to be more radiosensitive than any ciliate previously reported. A dose of 1 kr is sufficient to increase the time of the first generation from 5 to about 5 1/2 hours. A dose of 4 kr is enough to approximately double the generation time. Bacteria in the medium during irradiation do not protect the ciliate against injury. Animals irradiated as dry cysts are only slightly more resistant than vegetative forms, requiring 10 kr to double the generation time. One day after exposure, irradiated lines are uniformly poor in growth rate (0–2 daily divisions), but later a bimodal response is noticed, some lines remaining poor and others recovering. Within 24 hours after treatment, a number of irradiated animals show structural abnormalities and are greatly increased in size. The experiments have not determined the reason for the high sensitivity of Spathidium but have made certain alternatives unlikely.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. When Tetrahymena suspended in water were given increasing doses of radiation, oxygen consumption decreased with increasing dose, reaching 60–90% at 600,000 r. Cells irradiated in 0.07 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, showed no significant decrease in oxygen consumption even at 600,000 r. The decrease in respiration observed on irradiation of Tetrahymena pyriformis W in water with 300,000 r of X-radiation was prevented by addition of pyruvate or acetate during or immediately after irradiation. Pyruvate stimulated the respiration of the X-irradiated cells, particularly at 10 and 60 min post-irradiation.Lactate markedly stimulated the respiration of control suspensions of Tetrahymena cells and oxidation of lactate by cells irradiated with 300,000 r was increased by 20 to 100%, depending on the concentration of lactate and the time after irradiation. Pyruvate was considerably more effective than lactate in increasing O2 uptake of X-irradiated cells, particularly at 10 min post-irradiation. Thioctic acid affected neither the respiration of control or X-irradiated Tetrahymena nor the oxidation of pyruvate.The growth lag of Tetrahymena increased proportionately with increasing radiation dose; no cells survived 600,000 r. The presence of metabolites during irradiation did not affect the lag period or subsequent growth rates. The effects observed were discussed in terms of an alteration of the permeability of Tetrahymena after irradiation.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. A full account of the nuclear changes during binary fission and conjugation in a local race of Blepharisma is presented in this paper. The macronucleus consists of 2 nodes connected by a strand. Number of micronuclei varies from 6 to 18. During binary fission, condensation of macronucleus is followed by elongation and thinning of the middle region which finally breaks. Daughter nuclei later attain the typical vegetative form. Notably, during binary fission some micronuclei appear to complete their mitoses by the time the macronucleus attains the condensed form, while others lag behind and exhibit practically every stage of mitosis.During conjugation, from 6 to 10 micronuclei undergo the first pregamic division, the same number through the second division, and two products of the second division take part in the third division. The rest degenerate. Division products of the nuclei in the paraoral region take part in synkaryon formation. The synkaryon undergoes either 2 or 3 divisions. In the former case, of the 4 products, 2 become the macronuclear anlagen, one the micronucleus and the fourth degenerates. In the latter case, of the 8 products, 3 to 4 become the macronuclear anlagen and the rest become micronuclei. Chromatin elimination has been observed during the division of the macronuclear anlage, followed by an extra metagamic fission of the cell.Comparison with two other races from India and an American race indicates considerable diversity in the structure and behaviour of the nuclear apparatus in different races of Blepharisma undulans.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. Females of Heterakis gallinae were separated on the basis of their capacity to transmit the protozoan parasite Histomonas meleagridis. Sections of worms, capable of transmitting the protozoon, revealed the organism in both males and females as well as in the eggs. Infected male worms contained histomonads in the gut wall and the wall and lumen of the reproductive system. Female worms infected with H. meleagridis showed the organisms throughout the reproductive system. Histomonads, found in uterine eggs possessing shells, had a larger nucleus and reduced cytoplasm.Because of the presence of the protozoon among the sperm in the male reproductive system, it is believed the organism can be transmitted to female worms through copulation. The cycle in the worms also supports the assumption that H. meleagridis was originally a parasite of the worm.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. Speculations regarding the mode of transmission of monocystid parasites of earthworms over a period of more than 100 years have never been tested experimentally under controlled conditions. In order to do so a stock of infectionfree Eisenia foetida (Sav.) was raised from cocoons and experimental infections were induced in this host using sporocysts of the gregarine parasites Apolocystis elongata Phillips & Mackinnon 1946, and Nematocystis elmassiani (Hesse, 1909). Experimental infections were obtained by feeding to uninfected worms sporocysts obtained directly from infected host worms. This proved that the intervention of a vector is not a necessary condition of infection. Infections could not be induced by injecting sporocysts through the body wall into the body cavity. Infections are thus probably acquired in nature by the ingestion of sporocysts. Sporocysts do not leave the body of the host by being passed from coelom to lumen of the gut, nor do they pass directly to the exterior through apertures of the body wall. There was no evidence of parasitic autotomy. It is therefore concluded that death and decay of the host is the normal method of dissemination of sporocysts. Sporocysts were not infective after drying in air for three weeks. Other sporocysts lost potency after storage in moist conditions for several months. Infections involving the organisms specified were sporadic and unpredictable; modifying factors, such as variations in host susceptibility and latency in infection, appeared to be operating.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. By an automatic electronic technique—the Flying Spot Particle Resolver—the effect of a wide range of concentrations of vitamin B12 on the size and growth of the B12-dependent Euglena gracilis was studied. Rate of cell growth was directly proportional, and cell size inversely proportional, to B12 concentration. Gross B12 depletion resulted in gigantism and prolongation of generation times.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. Previously, the reproduction-inhibiting effects of ablastin could only be shown in vivo. The present report describes techniques for the in vitro demonstration and titration of this antibody. With a medium composed of Hanks' balanced salt solution, rat serum, lactalbumin hydrolysate, yeast extract and rat blood lysate, blood stream forms of Trypanosoma lewisi can be grown for approximately 24 hours at 37d̀C. Starting with the medium containing normal rat serum and inoculated with adult (inhibited) trypanosomes from infected rat blood, 50% or more of the parasites are in various stages of division after incubation overnight. Under similar conditions with ablastic rat serum, the parasites do not reproduce but remain as adults. If the medium is inoculated with reproducing trypanosomes from the blood, parasites in the presence of normal serum continue to reproduce, whereas those exposed to ablastin are almost completely converted to adult, non-reproducing forms. Similar results are obtained when the immune sera used are first adsorbed with living parasites to remove all trypanocidal antibodies. Ablastic serum inactivated at 56d̀C for 20 minutes does not lose its inhibitory activity indicating that ablastin is not complement dependent, and parasites grown on media at room temperature are not affected by the antibody suggesting that basic antigenic differences exist between blood stream forms at 37d̀C and culture forms at room temperature. Studies of the conversion of blood stream forms to culture forms indicate that the critical temperature range for the conversion lies between 28d̀ and 30d̀C. The significance of these results is discussed, and possible applications of the techniques described to studies of the mechanism of ablastic action are considered.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. Normal swimming behavior of Paramecium multimicronucleatum in an essential mineral element solution with 0.0002 M calcium changed into continuous avoidance reactions upon replacement by equimolar strontium; equimolar barium produced a less pronounced similar effect. In equivalent pure SrCl2 and BaCl2 solutions, avoidance reactions were less frequent than in the balanced solutions. P. multimicronucleatum inoculated into autoclaved calcium- or strontium-containing cultures of the alga Protosiphon botryoides (ultimate food source) multiplied greatly and essentially equally, but died in barium. Accelerated avoidance reaction rates were observed in strontium up to and at 32 days after inoculation.

Notes: SYNOPSIS. A previous study of parasites from relapsed P. berghei infections of mice indicated that the behavior of the relapse parasites differed from that of their parent strain. Experiments have been performed comparing the behavior of relapse and parent parasite infections in mice under two sets of conditions. In one group of experiments the behavior after antimalarial treatments, designed to result in chronic or latent states of infection, was tested. In all, 8 relapse strains were tested against their parent strains in six different experiments which employed 536 mice. It was observed that the mice infected with the relapse strains had a statistically significant greater mortality after the treatments than did mice infected with parent strains. This difference was observed regardless of how the relapse strain had been previously treated, or of what treatment was used in the experiments. In a second group of experiments, the behavior of infections with relapse and parent parasites was compared in normal mice. Five relapse strains were compared to their parent strains in a total of 5 experiments using 356 mice. It was observed that the mean survival time of mice infected with relapse strains was significantly greater than that of mice infected with the parent strains. It is not known whether this apparent difference in the behavior of relapse and parent parasites is related to the mechanism for relapse of P. berghei infections, or is merely a characteristic of parasites that had survived in an immune host.

Notes: The rate of ingestion of cytoplasm from its prey ciliate by Podophrya collini shows a maximum at 18°C. The rate of ingestion is the same for all active tentacles during the feeding period. Calculation of the amount of cytoplasm ingested from rate measurement and from dimensional alterations of ciliate and suctorian during feeding indicates conformity to the hypothesis that the motive force for ingestion results from integrated activity of the total cell and not from autonomous activity of the tentacles alone. The estimated motive force approximates 0.2 atmosphere. Data is presented to indicate that energy to maintain this motive force is derived from the normal oxidative metabolism of the suctorian.

Notes: Hepatozoon procyonis, n. sp., is described from the raccoon Procyon lotor from southwestern Georgia. Mature gametocytes in monocytes in blood smears and schizocysts and developing gametocytes in sections of heart tissue were observed and described. A Hepatozoon was also found in the fox squirrel Sciurus niger.

Notes: In Paramecium there is no known correlation between the direction of electric current through the membrane and of ciliary beat. One reason is that the Ludloff phenomenon, an anodal shift in the limit of the area of reversal with increased current strength, has seemed contradictory to most other data. However, by assuming Paramecium to be a core conductor immersed in a volume conductor and by applying the laws of polarizing currents it is possible to explain all existing data on reversal of normal ciliary action, and also on activation of cilia in immobilized specimens by electrical current. It is assumed that a threshold degree of depolarization of the normal membrane potential or of current density causes reversal. The Ludloff phenomenon is caused by anodal progression of this degree of depolarization with increasing membranecurrent. If it is also assumed that an increase in the membrane potential of immobilized specimens causes activation in the normal direction, one can predict anodal activation, progression of reversal with decrement in velocity, time course of development of excitation, ancdal stimulation upon “break.” stimulation by linearly rising currents, relative refractory and supernormal periods, effect of angle of orientation, and effect of acetylcholine and antiacetylchoiine esterase. Assumption of a neuromotor system is not needed. However, if available data are interpreted in the manner commonly used for nerve it can be concluded that an active accommodative process exists and possibly also a local excitatory state. A recent “dipolar” theory of galvanotaxis is not acceptable because it does not include ciliary reversal.

Notes: The morphologic phenomena of the conjugation of Paramecium caudatum are analysed by transverse sectioning of couples at the level of the junction zone. This orientation allows exact determination of the adjacent surfaces (which strongly suggests the absence of a paroral cone) and their relation to the ciliary fields. The modifications of the outer pellicle are studied with the electron microscope. It is shown that cytoplasmic communications occur at the top of the ridges which limit the periciliary depressions. The kinetosomes remain apparently intact but cilia and trichocysts disappear. An active role by the latter organelles is suggested for the union of the two conjugants.

Notes: Resistance to sulfanilamide has persisted in a strain of Chilomonas Paramecium for 255 transfers (63 months) in a drug-free medium. In attempts to modify resistance, stocks derived from sulfonamide-resistant and normal strains have been acclimatized to and then maintained in media containing p-aminobenzoic acid at 5.0, 10.0, 15.0 and 20.0 mgJ100 ml. Each PABA-acclimatized strain was more susceptible to sulfanilamide than its parent stock. In other words, sulfanil-amide-resistant strains lost their resistance and normal strains became hypersensitive. One strain, adapted first to sulfanilamide, subsequently to PABA (15 mgJ100 ml) and again to sulfanilamide, showed a loss of and finally a restoration of sui-fonamide-resistance (but to a degree somewhat lower than the original level).

Notes: DL-serine, DL-methionine or DL-serine + DL-methionine in excess inhibited the growth of Tetrahymena pyriformis H. Excess serine was most inhibitory at high concentration of folic acid, whereas the effect of excess methionine or methionine + serine was most pronounced at low levels of folic acid. Inhibition due to excess serine was relieved by raising the level of methionine or by adding pyrimethamine to lower the effective folic acid level, and was intensified by adding Dl.-ethionine or by raising the level of folic acid. Similarly, inhibition due to excess methionine was relieved by supplying more serine or adding DL-ethionine (which reduced the amount of available methionine) and was intensified by adding pyrimethamine. Inhibition by excess methionine + serine was reversed by increasing threonine, provided there was ample guanine present. Low levels of guanine or the presence of 8-azaguanine prevented this reversal. Comparisons are made with the work of others.

Notes: Autogamy in Frontonia leucas is described for the first time. The process appears to occur at irregular intervals. From 7 to 10% of the individuals are affected. The beginning of autogamy is marked by a swelling of all the micronuclei which take part in the first two maturation divisions. The third division however affects only one of the second division products. Occasionally two or three may divide. A paroral cone is not prominent. But a small area close to the peristome is distinguishable as the region where the pronuclei fuse. The syn-karyon divides four times. Some of the division products disintegrate, after which 8 to 9 bodies are left which become differentiated into 4 to 5 macronuclear anlagen and 4 micro-nuclei. Mitotic division of the micronuclei results in their increase in number in the daughter individuals after metagamic divisions. Changes in the macronucleus during autogamy consist in its fragmentation and later absorption in the cytoplasm. There is some indirect evidence of a relationship between the dissolution of the old macronucleus and the development of the new.

Notes: An electron microscope study of Plasmodium lophurae maintained in vivo and in vitro provided information concerning the sequence of events during reproduction, and the role of the cytoplasm in this process.Contrary to the generally held opinion that nuclear fissions precede cytoplasmic division, it was found that the last nuclear fission takes place during advanced stages of cytoplasmic segmentation. This study also supplied evidence that in addition to repeated nuclear divisions, a number of changes occur in all major components of the cytoplasm. These changes are considered as preparatory for reproduction. The cytoplasm continues to be active during the formation of merozoites. At this stage a segregation of cytoplasmic components takes place resulting in the incorporation into the offspring of a condensed cytoplasm containing all the organelles. The watery part of the cytoplasm with the lipids and food vacuoles is withheld and at the end of reproduction forms the residual body, a separate structure bound by a membrane.

Notes: Ophryoglena hypertrophica is distinguished by its tomites and its pyriform theronts; by its elliptical and flattened macronucleus with 2 or 3 coupled micronuclei; by its large trophont; by its tomont covered with a thin mucous layer at the interior of which are formed 4 or 8 tomites closely bound one to another. Its physiological evolution is characteristic; the tomite when it comes out of the tomont undergoes a secondary encystment and then becomes the theront. Sometimes the tomite is rostrated and is not attracted by the tissues; the tomite undergoes as before a secondary encystment, but divides inside the cyst. This type also produces complete or partial particular palintomies and regularly forms resistant cysts.

Notes: Intraspecific chemotaxis between gametes was demonstrated in Chlamydomonas moewusii Gerloff var. rotunda nov. var. which was previously used as C. sp. 24 (Tsubo Y. 1957). a heterothallic isogamous species from Japan. The reaction is unidirectional; the “+” gametes are attracted by the “—” gametes or cell-free supernatant of medium in which the :“-” gametes were suspended. In a study with 4 other isogamous heterothallic Chlamydomonas — C. moewusii Gerloff, C. eugametos Moewus, C. reinhardi Dangeard, and C. morewusii Gerloff var. tenuichloris nov. var. — none of them revealed any intraspecific chemotactic behavior. However, as with the “—” gametes of C. moewusii var. rotunda, both mating types of C. moewusii, C. eugametos, and C. moewusii var. tenuichloris were interspecifically attracted by the supernatant of the “—” culture of C. moewusii var. rotunda. Only C. rein- hardi showed no chemotactic behavior in intra- or interspecific combinations.Although chemotaxis occurred in the above-mentioaed combinations, neither agglutination nor pairing ner zygete formation followed at all in the same combinations. The“;–” cells of C. moewusii var. rotunda killed by osmium vaper and then washed no longer produced the chemotactic agent, but did agglutinate with living “+” cells. Therefore, evidently, chemo-taxis is a separate step from agglutination and zygote-for-mation yet does not seem necessary in the mating of isoga-mous Chlamydomonas. Nonetheless, since this activity appears not in the vegetative but in the gametic stage, it seems to concern the sexual activity of the cells. In preliminary studies the chemotactic agent produced by C. moewusii var. rotunda was shown to be volatile.

Notes: A microsporidian infection in a laboratory clone of Hydra littoralis has been observed, and the parasite has been tentatively identified as a species of Plistophora. Infected hydra continue to bud and regenerate normally and show no significant physiological or morphological changes. Sexual crossing of infected and non-infected animals shows that the infection is transmitted by the ovum but not by the sperm. Continuous exposure of infected hydra to Fumidil B in solution resulted in the disappearance of all Plistophora spores after a five week period of treatment, and the clones of the treated animals have remained parasite-free for more than a year.

Notes: Patterns for free and protein amino acids and related substances were determined for Tetrahymena limacis and 7 strains of T. pyriformis from axenic stationary phase cultures grown at 25° C by means of 2-dimensional chromatography in a butanol-acetic acid and phenol solvent system with ninhydrin and other polychromatic indicators. A uniform protein amino acid (PAA) pattern was observed in all strains. There were 14 color spots indicating 19 amino acids (including cysteic acid), identified as follows: alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, cysteine/cystine, cysteic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, leucine/isoleucine/phenylalanine, lysine/histidine, proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine/methionine.The following free amino acids and related substances (FAAs) were identified with 14 spots (several different from these for PAA patterns) found in all strains: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, leucine/isoleucine/phenylalanine, lysine histidine. proline, serine, threonine, tyrosine, valine/methionine. T. limacis and strains LI and Gf-J of T. pyriformis exhibited these only. Chromatograms of 5 strains of T. pyriformis (PR. F. L3 WH52, HS), however, also contained 1 to 4 spots representing certain of the following substances: Cysteic acid, cysteine/cystine, taurine, and the unknowns X1, X2, and X3, having Rf's of 0.33, 0.79, and 0.72 respectively in 4:1 phenol-H2O system Excepting for F and L3, which were similar, the T. pyriformis strains showed quite different distributional patterns of these substances at 25°C. Other deviations in the distribution of the 6 compounds were noted in the chromatograms of 10° and 35° cultures of WH52 and HS. These findings on FAAs and PAAs are tabulated, along with those of previous investigators, to furnish comparisons on 13 strains of Tetrahymena pyriformis, T. limacis and 9 other species of protozoa.

Notes: Three new species of Trypanosomatidae were isolated from three species of bugs: Leptomonas leptoglossi from Leptoglossus phyllopus, Crithidia acanthocephali from Acanthocephala femorata, and Blastocrithidia euschisti from Euschistus servus. All were cultured axenically and on avian embryo membranes. In addition to differences in morphology the three organisms displayed different growth rates in the chorio-allantoic fluids of duck and chick embryos incubated at 30°C. L. leptoglossi grew most abundantly. B. euschisti barely maintained itself while C. acanthocephali occupied an intermediate position.When the temperature of incubation was raised to 37°C, there was continued multiplication of L. leptoglossi and C. acanthocephali, but there was no growth of B. euschisti in either duck or chick embryos.It is suggested that the criteria of morphology, cultural characteristics in vitro and in vivo, plus physiological characters be used as future aids in classification of the Trypanosomatidae.

Notes: SYNOPSIS: Crithidia fasciculata was cultured in a modification of the nutrient medium described by Cowperthwaite in 1951. Carbon dioxide, lactic acid, succinic acid and ethyl alcohol were produced by the organisms during anaerobic conditions. Hexokinase, enolase, alcohol dehydrogenase and glucoses-phosphate dehydrogenase were demonstrated in ho-mogenates of the flagellates. Aldolase, phosphohexokinase and lactic acid dehydrogenase could not be demonstrated.

Notes: Application of fragmentation and thin-sectioning techniques to Tetrakymena pyriformis, Colpidium compiles and Glaucoma chattoni has permitted an analysis of the ultra-structure of their silverline and fibrillar systems. The classical silverline system consists of a mosaic of flat, membrane-bound blisters whose rims represent the sites of selective silver deposition. Cilia and protrichocysts emerge between adjacent blisters. I The pellicle consists of the membranes outlining the blisters, overlain by a continuous outer membrane that covers the whole cell and cilia. Fibrillar structures, which are not argentophilic, include: (1) tapering, striated kinetodesmal fibers arising singly from the kinetosomes, passing to the right and anteriad, and overlapping to form a loose bundle accompanying each kinety; (2) a longitudinal fibril band immediately beneath the pellicle at the right of each kinety, consisting of overlapping individual fibrils; (3) a transverse band of fibrils arising at the left side of each kinetosome and passing to the left under the pellicle; and (4) a set of postciliary fibrils arising at the right posterior edge of each kinetosome and passing posteriad under the pellicle. The fibrils of sets (2), (3), and (4) all are about 20 Mμ in diameter and appear tubular in cross-section; they are very unlike the heavier, solid kinetodesmal fibers. None of the fibril sets directly interconnect, although transverse and postciliary fibrils end in the vicinity of the longitudinal fibril band.

Notes: The structure of a cilium in Nyctotherus ovalis is that usually found: two single central filaments surrounded peripherally by nine double filaments; the whole is encased in a ciliary membrane continuous with the pellicle. The two central filaments end in a single enlarged bulb just above a septum, located at about the level of the pellicle, whereas the nine double filaments extend inward to form the cylindrical basal body, which is open at its inner end. Inside the basal body are granules àrranged in rows parallel to its sides. These granules may have significance in the origin of new basal bodies as well as in the outgrowth of new cilia. The latter may have been observed in a few instances. Parallel to the pellicle are two series of fibrils, one median and one inner, connecting adjacent basal bodies. Fibrils extend from the inner end of each basal body, these converge and extend deep into the ectoplasm, often becoming lost in a pattern of equilateral triangles, arranged to form hexagons. These features are clearly seen in the peristomial membranelles, where the basal bodies of the four rows of cilia are close together, separated from adjacent membranelles by a protoplasmic shelf and supported by a mass of fibrillar material comprising the peristomial ectoplasmic band. This broad band extends to the inner end of the peristome whence it returns along the opposite wall as a narrow mass of fibrillar ectoplasm without basal bodies. Peripherally the fibrils are condensed into fan-like bundles; internally they often form a network of equilateral triangles arranged to form hexagons, with corpuscles at the intersections. Trichite-like structures are also found in the peristomial groove and tube; these are connected to both the basal bodies and the fibrillar network.The functions, origin and development of this complex infraciliature during fission constitute one of the yet unsolved morphological problems in such complex ciliates.

Notes: Sterile Didinium nasutum were fed Paramecium Aurelia which had been grown on monofloral cultures of five different species of bacteria and on a wild mixed culture of bacteria. Didinia grown on monoflorally-fed paramenia or starved paramecia maintained a low daily division rate (0.88-2.06), and after 3 or 4 days died, frequently showing structural abnormalities before death. Didinia fed paramecia grown on a wild mixture of bacteria showed a higher division rate (4.96), did not die after 3 or 4 days, and encysted, when the food was exhausted. It is suggested that a diet consisting of monoflorally-fed or starved paramecia is inadequate for Didinium. This may be due to the lack of some substance or substances related to the enzyme system of the predator, possibly proteolytic enzymes elaborated by paramecia. In the experiments of Gause on the destruction of one species by another, his failure to establish population oscillations between Didinium and Paramecium might have been due to an inadequate diet for the didinia which resulted in their lack, of encystment and death.

Notes: The exoerythrocytic forms of Plasmodium gallinaceum in thin sections of infected tissue cultures have been examined with the electron microscope. It was seen that important changes occur in the fine structure of the parasite during the various phases of the cycle. The cytoplasm of the merozoites at the beginning and at the end of each cycle shows a great electron density due to a fine granulation. Larger granules are found at one pole of the parasite. The merozoites have a large nucleus in the center, and an oval body of great electron density at one pole, the significance of which is unknown. Short canaliculi can also be seen in the cytoplasm, but no mitochondria have been found.The cytoplasm of the schizonts shows a low electron density. It contains small particles scattered irregularly throughout its whole mass. The nuclei are not well defined; the oval body observed in the merozoites apparently has disappeared. Short canaliculi are present everywhere; however, mitochondria could not be identified with certainty.In the final phase of the cycle, in the rosette formations, the cytoplasm assumes again the fine granular structure. The future merozoites are grouped around a cytoplasmic core, with which they are directly connected. The whole segmenter is situated in a vacuole formation. In cross sections of the merozoites an opening in the central pole has been observed.