| 1. |
- Forslund, Helena, 1978-
(författare)
-
Grazing and the geographical range of seaweeds : The introduced Fucus evanescens and the newly described Fucus radicans
- 2009
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Along the coast of temperate oceans brown algae of the genus Fucus form dense stands on rocky shores and are keystone species of the coastal ecosystem. These large seaweeds are perennial and function as substrate for many sessile marine organisms, provide shelter for fauna and juvenile fish, and are food source. A number of abiotic (e.g. wave-exposure, salinity and substrate) and biotic (e.g. herbivory and competition) factors structures these communities and determines the abundance and composition of fucoids at each specific site. Earlier studies have shown that herbivores may reduce growth of fucoids, thus affecting their distribution, and at high densities eliminate the species from previously occupied sites. In my thesis I focused on investigating herbivore-seaweed interactions and whether such interactions could influence the geographical range limits of Fucus species. A set of laboratory bioassays and a field survey were conducted (1) to investigate the resistance to grazing by a generalist gastropod between introduced (to Sweden) and native (Iceland) Fucus evanescens (Paper I), (2) to study the distribution pattern of F. radicans and F. vesiculosus along the Swedish coast and specifically the southern limit of F. radicans, (3) to examine the abundance of herbivores in these two species, and (4) to test the hypothesis that Idotea baltica may contribute to restrict F. radicans to the Bothnian Sea (objective 2-4; Paper II). Fucus evanescens, a species that was introduced to the Swedish coast about 100 years ago, was found to be more resistant to grazing by L. littorea compared to F. evanescens from the native Icelandic populations. It was also shown to contain a higher amount of phlorotannins; a putative chemical defence to herbivory. This indicates that development of resistance to herbivory could be important for a successful introduction and survival in a new range. No gradual change in the proportion, measured as % cover of either F. radicans or F. vesiculosus was found inside the range of F. radicans and its southernmost limit was abrupt without any corresponding abrupt change in any abiotic factor, e.g. salinity. Herbivores, i.e. Idotea spp., Gammarus spp. and Theodoxus fluviatils were found to be more abundant in F. radicans than in F. vesiculosus thalli indicating a habitat preference for F. radicans. Further, Idotea baltica, whose range only overlaps with that of F. radicans in the south, was shown to prefer F. radicans over F. vesiculosus, possibly due to its lower content of phlorotannins. Based on these findings I propose that Idotea species may contribute in restricting the southern range of F. radicans, although further experiments, especially regarding competition with the larger F. vesiculosus need to be performed. In conclusion, biotic interactions e.g. the ability of to resist herbivore grazing by e.g. high phlorotannin content or having a structure less attractive as habitat to herbivores may be of importance in determining the geographic range of fucoids.
|
|
| 2. |
- Poonlapthawee, Sirirat
(författare)
-
Gene expression and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli from Swedish inland waters
- 2013
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Extensive use of antibiotics both from human-medicine and veterinary sources are believed to provide selective pressure on bacteria that leads to an increase in antibiotic resistance in environmental waters. Contamination of antibiotic resistant microbes will raise human health risks. Escherichia coli are Gram negative bacilli that belong to the coliform group. E. coli are used as fecal indicators organism (FIO) to determine microbial contamination and water quality. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in Swedish inland waters and determine the response of uropathogenic E. coli to the environmental waters. Samples were collected in different locations near Örebro Sweden at 4 different time points during 2010-2011. Waters were filtered and FIO were isolated using selective medium. The highest numbers of FIO were detected for both E. coli and enterococci in the river Svartån near the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Over the two years, 42% and 24% of the antibiotic resistant strains were multi-drug resistant (MDR) E. coli and enterococci, respectively. In addition, 15% of MDR E. coli were extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing and AmpC overproducing strains. A vancomycin resistant E. faecium was also identified. Tetracycline resistance was the most common in FIO isolates. Our study suggests that WWTP distributed FIO and antibiotic resistant bacteria. In a second study we analyzed for the presence of various pharmaceutical residues from lake Mälaren in Västerås Sweden. Some pharmaceutical compounds were present at detectable levels but were removed by the drinking water treatment plant. Quantitative PCR was performed to investigate the effects on genes focused on antibiotic resistance, virulence factors and stress response. Forty one-gene array was developed and tested using tetracycline treatment or environmental water. No significant difference was found when compared to controls in the gene expression profile of bacteria grown in medium prepared with sub-MIC of tetracycline or environmental waters. We concluded that the pharmaceutical levels detected did not exert any significant effects on the E. coli strain tested. From this study, we conclude that MDR bacteria may actually persist in environmental waters in what is considered as a clean urban region. Pharmaceutical pollutants in the inland water did not exert a significant effect on the E. coli, suggesting that MDR strains are released in the effluent of the WWTP rather than induced through selective pressure by the pharmaceuticals contamination.
|
|
| 3. |
- Peedu, Elisabet, 1985-
(författare)
-
Metapopulations dynamics and sex-specific resource allocation in Silene dioica
- 2018
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Rising archipelagos provide unique settings for the study of the temporal and spatial dynamics of their biota. This offers the possibility to study the ecology and genetics of early successional processes; both between islands that differ in age and within islands when already established organisms have to keep pace with the changing environment. I have worked in the Skeppsvik Archipelago housing about 100 islands that due to land uplift vary in age, thus representing various stages of primary succession. I have utilized a naturally created metapopulation of Silene dioica, which in this archipelago is a dominant plant of the deciduous border, offering the possibility to study subpopulations on islands of different ages and in different phases of primary succession. Many plant species exist as metapopulations, which consists of many local populations which may differ in size and degree of connectivity. Metapopulations are further characterized by recurrent colorizations and extinctions of local populations, meaning that a species continually must disperse and relocate to allow for persistence in this system. For a dioecious plant species, gene flow is in the shape of seeds and pollen and to allow for the persistence of populations, it is necessary that levels of seed dispersal and pollen gene flow are enough to ensure both colonisation, establishment and subsequent population growth. Levels of seed dispersal and pollen gene flow is in turn influenced by how the two sexes partition resources between reproduction, growth and survival.In paper I, I combined a field survey, a common garden experiment and a nine-year demographic study to assess the demographic consequences of sex-specific resource allocation and to investigate if differential costs of reproduction may be a driver in the evolution of sexual dimorphism in dioecious Silene dioica. Significant somatic intersexual dimorphism was found with females being the larger sex, both in terms of above – and belowground biomass. Furthermore, the reproductive effort of females exceeds that of males across a growing season which largely confirms what has been observed earlier in dioecious, herbaceous plant species. According to the cost of reproduction hypothesis, high reproductive investment should result in trade-offs with somatic and/or life-history traits. Somatic trade-offs were not observed, and instead I found strong, positive associations between reproductive investment and vegetative growth in both males and females. Compensation mechanisms were found in both sexes although females are generally more efficient at compensating their reproductive costs. At the end of a flowering season, after having paid the current costs of reproduction, females are better than males at provisioning perennial roots and rosettes potentially influencing the ability to set future flower buds and winter survival. Trade-offs were found between current and future reproduction and survival, but this is condition dependent and compensation through frequency of flowering plays an important role. The cost of reproduction hypothesis appears to play some role in driving the somatic and demographic sexual dimorphisms observed in this system but sexual selection acting on males will be a fruitful avenue for future research.In paper II, I investigated the population genetic consequences of metapopulation dynamics in Silene dioica. The occurrence of islands in different phases of primary succession together with successional gradients across islands, makes it possible to investigate the genetic dynamics occurring in an age-structured metapopulation across several hierarchical levels. Genetic diversity and differentiation were estimated in eight young, recently colonised populations and in ten populations of an intermediate successional stage. Young populations were less genetically diverse compared to older populations, indicating that bottlenecks, created by small founding groups derived from a limited number of source populations, reduce the genetic diversity within newly founded populations. The observation of strong genetic structure both between islands and between patches with islands, indicates that gene flow is restricted across several spatial levels in this system. However, the lack of statistically significant differences in genetic differentiation between young and intermediate populations, indicates that levels of gene flow may not be high enough to reduce the genetic differentiation that arise from the initial founder event.The patterns of sexual dimorphism and the roles of males and females in Silene dioica have evolved to allow persistence in an ecological and population context of this species. The nature of this habitat, where islands rise up from the sea creating new environments for colonisation while at the same time, autogenic primary succession processes eventually leads to extinction, means that S. dioica continuously must relocate within successional phases for its persistence. The obvious success of this dioecious plant is apparent as it is one of the few dominant species in the deciduous border. This suggests that levels of seed dispersal and gene flow are sufficient enough to allow for establishment and persistence of island populations and that the sexual dimorphisms that have evolved in this metapopulation system act to increase levels of gene flow. The "live hard – die young" strategy, with extensive flowering bouts, which we find in the males may have evolved as a way of maintaining sufficient levels of genetic diversity in the metapopulation but will only be a possible strategy if there are continuous opportunities for re-establishments. Thus, the continuous land uplift that is occurring in the northern part of the Gulf of Bothnia may very well be a prerequisite for the long-term persistence of this dioecious, perennial plant species.
|
|
| 4. |
- Faust, Ellika
(författare)
-
Genetic Identification of Corkwing Wrasse Cleaner Fish Escaping from Norwegian Aquaculture
- 2020
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The genetic impact of farmed fish escaping aquaculture is a highly debated issue. However, non-target species, such as cleaner fish that are used in fish farms to remove parasitic sea lice, are rarely considered. Here, we report that wild corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), which are transported long distances to be used as cleaner fish in salmon farms, escape and hybridize with local wrasse populations. Recently, increasing numbers of corkwing wrasse have been reported north of its described distribution range, in Flatanger in Trøndelag in Norway, an area heavily relying on the import of cleaner fish from Skagerrak. Using a high number of nuclear genetic markers identified with 2bRAD sequencing, we show that, although the Flatanger population is largely a result of a northward range expansion, there is also evidence of considerable gene flow from southern populations in Skagerrak. Of the 40 corkwing wrasses first sampled in Flatanger, we discovered two individuals with clear southern genotypes, one first-generation hybrid, and 12 potential second-generation hybrids. Thus, we found clear evidence of gene flow from source populations of translocated cleaner fish at the edge of an ongoing northwards range expansion. To better understand the extent of gene flow we then greatly expanded our sampling. Based on patterns of genetic divergence and homogeneity, we identified a smaller battery of 84 SNPs which is able to detect escapees with a Skagerrak origin as well as first and secondgeneration hybrids with high accuracy and power. We then used these SNPs to investigate the magnitude and geographic extent of escaping and hybridizing cleaner fish along the Norwegian coast. We found that escapees and hybrids may constitute up to 20 % of the local populations at the northern edge of the species distribution. In other parts of the Norwegian coast where salmon farming is also common, we found surprisingly few escapees and hybrids. Possible causes for few escapees and hybrids found in these areas are difficult to evaluate with the current lack of reporting of translocations by aquaculture operators. Overall, these findings provide critical information both for aquaculture management and conservation of wild populations of non-target species, and have implications for the increasing use of cleaner fish as parasite control in fish farms, that is both poorly documented and regulated. Moving genetic material between isolated populations could drastically alter the genetic composition and erode population structure, potentially resulting in loss of local adaptation and hampering natural range expansion. Although the ecological and evolutionary significance of escapees warrant further investigation, these results should be taken into consideration in the use of translocated cleaner fish.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Cassing, Gunilla, 1972-
(författare)
-
Deciduous tree occurrence and large herbivore browsing in multiscale perspectives
- 2009
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aspen ( Populus tremula), rowan (Sorbus auquparia) and sallow (Salix caprea) are deciduous tree species of low economic value for forestry and contribute to biodiversity of boreal forests. The species are rare in managed forest landscapes, and severely browsed by moose. Their recruitment needs to increase to meet requirements of sustainable forestry to factors that affect occurrence need to be indentified. Paper I is an exploratory study on distribution of these species in relation to natural and cultural factors. In paper II moose browsing on saplings, in young forests and the influence of the landscape at three spatial scales: stand (8.6 ± 0.8 SE ha), winter home range of moose (10 km2) and annual home range of moose (25 km2). Presence of these rare species was depending on a multitude of factors acting at different spatial scales. The most important variables were soil quality, successional stage, and ownership at the stand scale and area of deciduous forest at the landscape scale. Moreover, saplings occurred at low densities in young forests (paper II) and most interestingly, saplings occurred most in middle-aged forests (20-80 years) and less than expected in younger forests (<20y) (Paper I). Browsing intensity on the different species corresponded with moose food preference and annual home range scale was most relevant for understanding browsing. Browsing on rowan was highest where the volume of deciduous food and overall young forest area were low. Browsing on birch increased when pine volume and mean patch size of young forest increased, whereas browsing on aspen was negatively related to the same variables. Thus, my results strengthen the idea that food selection is a scale-dependent process and that trade-offs between food and cover may exist for moose. Moreover, I conclude that the presence of deciduous species was a result mainly of soil quality, forest management intensity, landscape context and that the distribution of food for moose at landscape scales similar to or larger than their home range may be useful for predicting browsing on the stand scale. I propose that deciduous forests may be valuable predictors of regeneration potential in the forested landscape, and that understory deciduous sapling in middle-aged forests may be important to promote restoration and conservation actions.
|
|
| 7. |
- Medina Jimenez, Brenda Irene, 1986-
(författare)
-
Single-cell RNA sequencing as a tool to study panarthropod evolution
- 2021
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Panarthropoda is a monophyletic group comprised of arthropods and lobopods, molting animals with a segmented body, paired appendages, dorsal brain, and ventral nerve cords. Evolutionary Developmental Biology (EvoDevo) is an interdisciplinary field that seeks to understand how changes in development form the basis for variations in morphology and phenotypic evolution, including the genetic network underlying these processes. To study the evolution of panarthropods from such an EvoDevo perspective, one typically uses standard molecular techniques. A first step here is to investigate the expression of a gene of interest in order to find out where and when it is transcribed during development. A hallmark of EvoDevo studies is its comparative character, often with respect to model organisms such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.Recently developed single-cell RNA sequencing technologies allow the profiling of a plethora of gene expression on the level of individual cells, and thus provide a much more detailed insight into gene expression.In Paper I, I applied standard molecular techniques used in EvoDevo research such as PCR, gene cloning, probe synthesis and whole mount in situ hybridization, to investigate the embryonic expression patterns of the tiptop/teashirt (tio/tsh) and spalt (sal) genes in a range of arthropods representing all main groups of this phylum, and an onychophoran. In the arthropod model Drosophila, these genes act as trunk-specifiers, and the objective of my work was to find out if this is conserved in Arthropoda or even Panarthropoda as a whole. I provide comprehensive data on arthropod tio/tsh and sal expression, including the first data from an onychophoran. The results support the idea that tio/tsh genes are involved in the development of ‘trunk’ segments by regulating limb development. In addition, my data suggest that the function of Sal is unlikely to be conserved in trunk vs head development. Early expression of sal, however, is in line with a potential homeotic function of this gene, at least in Arthropoda.In Paper II, I provide an embryonic tissue dissociation protocol for embryos of the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum that I developed and that I successfully applied for single-cell RNA sequencing. In addition, I report on the progress of this experiment, and provide and discuss preliminary results.
|
|
| 8. |
- Abadikhah, Marie, 1992
(författare)
-
Influence of electrode material and stochastic factors on the performance and microbial community assembly in microbial electrochemical systems
- 2022
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) are systems with microbial communities in the form of biofilms on electrode surfaces. The electrogenic bacteria in the anode biofilm act as catalysts for the oxidization of organic compounds, leading to release of electrons, generation of electrical current, and production of hydrogen and methane at the cathode. In addition to production of energy carriers, MECs can be used for other applications as well; for example, as biosensors to monitor biochemical oxygen demand or toxicity. The performance of MECs is determined by both deterministic and stochastic factors influencing the microbial communities on the electrode surfaces, most of which as still poorly understood. In this thesis, the effects of electrode materials on microbial community assembly and MEC performance was investigated. Two experiments were carried out. In the first, three cathode materials (carbon nanoparticles, titanium, and steel) were compared. In the second, three anode materials (carbon cloth, graphene, and nickel) were compared. The cathode materials had no significant effect on the performance of the MECs, as opposed to the anode materials where carbon cloth MECs had the highest current density and the shortest lag time during startup. The differences seen in lag time of replicate systems at the start of the experiment indicated a stochastic initial attachment of the electrogenic bacteria on the anode. Different microbial communities develop in the biofilms on the anodes and cathodes. Electrogens from the Desulfobacterota phylum dominated the anode, while various hydrogenotrophic methanogens, e.g., Methanobacterium, were found to dominate on the cathodes. Diversity and null model analysis of the electrode communities highlighted stochasticity and not electrode material as the important factor in the community assembly. Network analysis showed that the cathode communities had fewer negative interactions between taxa in comparison to the anode. Since hydrogen gas generated at the cathode surface can diffuse through the biofilm, all microorganisms on the cathode have access to the substrate, reducing the need for competition between species. In contrast, electrogens require a short distance to the anode to be able to use it as electron acceptor. Limited space on the anode and competition between electrogens shaped the anode communities and explain the higher number of negative interactions observed. Based on the findings in this thesis, it is suggested that stochastic factors have more influence than electrode material on the anode community even though there is a selective pressure for electrogenic bacteria.
|
|
| 9. |
|
|
| 10. |
- Enefalk, Åsa, 1972-
(författare)
-
Effects of fine woody debris on juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) and drifting invertebrates
- 2014
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In boreal forest streams, woody debris is an important habitat component. Stream invertebrates and salmonids such as brown trout benefit from in-stream wood. The studies presented in this thesis explore how drifting stream invertebrates respond to addition of fine woody debris, and how young-of-the-year (0+) brown trout behave in habitats with and without fine woody debris. The first paper reports results from a field experiment where fine woody debris was added to streams, and invertebrate drift was measured in order to detect impacts of the fine woody debris on drift density, biomass and taxon diversity. In the end of the season, the fine woody debris-affected drift samples showed higher density, biomass and taxon diversity than the control samples. In the second paper, I describe effects of fine woody debris on 0+ brown trout, studied in laboratory stream channels. Trout were tested in habitats without fine woody debris, with an intermediate fine woody debris density, and with a high fine woody debris density. Swimming activity and foraging time were significantly lower when fine woody debris was present than when it was absent. More time was spent sheltering at the high fine woody debris density than at the intermediate one. The increasing exploitation of fine woody debris for biofuel purposes should be considered in relation to the effects on brown trout and stream invertebrate habitat.
|
|
