Effects of Natura 2000 on nontarget bird and butterfly species based on citizen science data.

The European Union's Natura 2000 (N2000) is among the largest international networks of protected areas. One of its aims is to secure the status of a predetermined set of (targeted) bird and butterfly species. However, nontarget species may also benefit from N2000. We evaluated how the terrestrial component of this network affects the abundance of nontargeted, more common bird and butterfly species based on data from long-term volunteer-based monitoring programs in 9602 sites for birds and 2001 sites for butterflies. In almost half of the 155 bird species assessed, and particularly among woodland specialists, abundance increased (slope estimates ranged from 0.101 [SD 0.042] to 3.51 [SD 1.30]) as the proportion of landscape covered by N2000 sites increased. This positive relationship existed for 27 of the 104 butterfly species (estimates ranged from 0.382 [SD 0.163] to 4.28 [SD 0.768]), although most butterflies were generalists. For most species, when land-cover covariates were accounted for these positive relationships were not evident, meaning land cover may be a determinant of positive effects of the N2000 network. The increase in abundance as N2000 coverage increased correlated with the specialization index for birds, but not for butterflies. Although the N2000 network supports high abundance of a large spectrum of species, the low number of specialist butterflies with a positive association with the N2000 network shows the need to improve the habitat quality of N2000 sites that could harbor open-land butterfly specialists. For a better understanding of the processes involved, we advocate for standardized collection of data at N2000 sites.

Efectos de Natura 2000 sobre las Especies No Focales de Aves y Mariposas con Base en Datos de Ciencia Ciudadana Resumen La red Natura 2000 (N2000) de la Unión Europea está entre las redes internacionales más grandes de áreas protegidas. Uno de sus objetivos es asegurar el estado de un conjunto predeterminado de especies de aves y mariposas (focales). Sin embargo, las especies no focales también pueden beneficiarse con la N2000. Evaluamos cómo el componente terrestre de esta red afecta la abundancia de las especies de aves y mariposas no focales más comunes con base en los datos de programas de monitoreo voluntario a largo plazo en 9,602 sitios para aves y en 2,001 sitios para mariposas. En casi la mitad de las 155 especies de aves evaluadas, particularmente entre aquellas especies especialistas en zonas boscosas, la abundancia incrementó (los estimaciones de la pendiente variaron desde 0.101 [DS 0.042] hasta 3.51 [DS 1.30]) conforme incrementó la proporción del paisaje cubierto por sitios de la N2000. Esta relación positiva existió en 27 de las 104 especies de mariposas (con una variación de estimaciones desde 0.382 [DS 0.163] hasta 4.28 [DS 0.768]), aunque la mayoría de las especies de mariposas fueron generalistas. Cuando se consideraron las covarianzas de cobertura de suelo estas relaciones positivas no fueron evidentes para la mayoría de las especies, lo que significa que la cobertura de suelo puede ser una determinante de los efectos positivos de la red N2000. El incremento en la abundancia conforme aumentó la cobertura de la N2000 estuvo correlacionado con el índice de especialización de las aves, pero no el de las mariposas. Aunque la red N2000 sostiene la abundancia alta de un espectro amplio de especies, el bajo número de mariposas especialistas con una asociación positiva a la red N2000 demuestra la necesidad de mejorar la calidad del hábitat de los sitios N2000 que podrían albergar a mariposas especialistas de campo abierto. Para un mejor entendimiento de los procesos involucrados, promovemos una recolección estandarizada de datos en los sitios de la red N2000.

A longitudinal genetic survey identifies temporal shifts in the population structure of Dutch house sparrows.

Dutch house sparrow (Passer domesticus) densities dropped by nearly 50% since the early 1980s, and similar collapses in population sizes have been reported across Europe. Whether, and to what extent, such relatively recent demographic changes are accompanied by concomitant shifts in the genetic population structure of this species needs further investigation. Therefore, we here explore temporal shifts in genetic diversity, genetic structure and effective sizes of seven Dutch house sparrow populations. To allow the most powerful statistical inference, historical populations were resampled at identical locations and each individual bird was genotyped using nine polymorphic microsatellites. Although the demographic history was not reflected by a reduction in genetic diversity, levels of genetic differentiation increased over time, and the original, panmictic population (inferred from the museum samples) diverged into two distinct genetic clusters. Reductions in census size were supported by a substantial reduction in effective population size, although to a smaller extent. As most studies of contemporary house sparrow populations have been unable to identify genetic signatures of recent population declines, results of this study underpin the importance of longitudinal genetic surveys to unravel cryptic genetic patterns.

In skeletal muscle the relaxation of the resting membrane potential induced by K(+) permeability changes depends on Cl(-) transport.

In resting skeletal muscle the potassium permeability is determined by the permeability of the inwardly potassium rectifier. Continuous resting membrane potential measurements are done to follow the relaxation of the membrane potential upon changes in potassium permeability. Inhibition of the inwardly potassium rectifier, by extracellular application of 80 microM Ba(2+), causes the cell to depolarize with mean time constants as follows: in control 127+/-7 s ( n=23), in the presence of bumetanide, as an inhibitor of the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter, 182+/-23 s ( n=7), in hypertonic media (340 mosmol/kg) 90.4+/-5 s ( n=7) and in reduced chloride medium 64+/-8 s ( n=5). The depolarizing relaxation of the membrane potential induced by reduction of extracellular potassium produces similar results. These time constants are at least three orders of magnitude slower than the time constants reported in the literature for the inhibition of the inwardly potassium rectifier. Chloride transport affects the relaxation of the membrane potential. A further characterization of chloride transport is done by following the relaxation of the membrane potential upon application of chloride transport modulators. It is argued that the electroneutral cotransporter, for which a flux was preliminarily estimated of 13.4 pmol cm(-2) s(-1), has a considerable role in the processes related to the resting membrane potential.

Isoprenaline-stimulated differential adrenergic response of K+ channels in skeletal muscle under hypokalaemic conditions.

The mechanism underlying the hyperpolarization induced by isoprenaline in mouse lumbrical muscle fibres was studied using cell-attached patch and intracellular membrane potential ( V(m)) recordings. Sarcolemmal inwardly rectifying K(+) channels (K(IR): 45 pS) and Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (BK: 181 pS) were identified. Exposure to isoprenaline closed K(IR) channels and increased BK channel activity. This increase was observed as a shift from 50 to -40 mV in the voltage dependence of channel activation. Isoprenaline prevented hysteresis of V(m) when the extracellular [K(+)] fell below 3.8 mM. This hysteresis was due to the properties of the K(IR). The effects of chloride transport and isoprenaline on V(m) did not interact purely competitively, but isoprenaline could prevent the depolarization induced by hyperosmotic media equally as well as bumetanide, which inhibits the Na(+)/K(+)/2Cl(-) cotransporter. In lumbrical muscle this leads to hyperpolarization, but this might vary among muscles. The switch from K(IR) to BK as the component of total K(+) conductance was due to isoprenaline.

Effects of chloride transport on bistable behaviour of the membrane potential in mouse skeletal muscle.

The lumbrical skeletal muscle fibres of mice exhibited electrically bistable behaviour due to the nonlinear properties of the inwardly rectifying potassium conductance. When the membrane potential (V(m)) was measured continuously using intracellular microelectrodes, either a depolarization or a hyperpolarization was observed following reduction of the extracellular potassium concentration (K+o) from 5.7 mM to values in the range 0.76-3.8 mM, and V(m) showed hysteresis when K+o was slowly decreased and then increased within this range. Hypertonicity caused membrane depolarization by enhancing chloride import through the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter and altered the bistable behaviour of the muscle fibres. Addition of bumetanide, a potent inhibitor of the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter, and of anthracene-9-carboxylic acid, a blocker of chloride channels, caused membrane hyperpolarization particularly under hypertonic conditions, and also altered the bistable behaviour of the cells. Hysteresis loops shifted with hypertonicity to higher K+o values and with bumetanide to lower values. The addition of 80 microM BaCl2 or temperature reduction from 35 to 27 degrees C induced a depolarization of cells that were originally hyperpolarized. In the K+o range of 5.7-22.8 mM, cells in isotonic media (289 mmol x kg(-1)) responded nearly Nernstianly to K+o reduction, i.e. 50 mV per decade; in hypertonic media this dependence was reduced to 36 mV per decade (319 mmol x kg(-1)) or to 31 mV per decade (340 mmol x kg(-1)). Our data can explain apparent discrepancies in DeltaV(m) found in the literature. We conclude that chloride import through the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter and export through Cl- channels influenced the V(m) and the bistable behaviour of mammalian skeletal muscle cells. The possible implication of this bistable behaviour in hypokalaemic periodic paralysis is discussed.

Osmolality influences bistability of membrane potential under hypokalemic conditions in mouse skeletal muscle: an experimental and theoretical study.

The membrane potential in mouse skeletal muscle depends on both extracellular osmolality and potassium concentration. These dependencies have been related to two membrane transporters, Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporter and the inward potassium rectifier channel. To investigate the relation of the Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporter and the inward potassium rectifier channel in a qualitative way, a combined electrophysiological and modelling approach was used. The experimental results show that the bistability of the membrane potential, which is related to the conductive state of the inward potassium rectifier channel, is shifted to higher extracellular potassium values when medium osmolality is increased. These results are confirmed by the computer simulation calculations for increased co-transporter flux. The combined results indicate that the co-transporter is capable of modulating the conductive state of the inward potassium rectifier channel.

The influence of bumetanide on the membrane potential of mouse skeletal muscle cells in isotonic and hypertonic media.

1. Increasing the medium osmolality, with a non-ionic osmoticant, from control (289 mOsm) to 319 mOsm or 344 mOsm in the lumbrical muscle cell of the mouse, resulted in a depolarization of the membrane potential (Vm) of 5.9 mV and 10.9 mV, respectively. 2. In control medium, the blockers of chloride related cotransport bumetanide and furosemide, induced a hyperpolarization of -3.6 and -3.0 mV and prevented the depolarization due to hypertonicity. When bumetanide was added in hypertonic media Vm fully repolarized to control values. 3. In a medium of 266 mOsm, the hyperpolarization by bumetanide was absent. 4. At 344 mOsm the half-maximal effective concentration (IC50) was 0.5 microM for bumetanide and 21 microM for furosemide. 5. In solutions containing 1.25 mM sodium the depolarization by hypertonicity was reduced to 2.3 mV. 6. Reducing chloride permeability, by anthracene 9 carboxylic acid (9-AC) in 289 mOsm, induced a small but significant hyperpolarization of -2.6 mV. Increasing medium osmolality to 344 mOsm enlarged this hyperpolarization significantly to -7.6 mV. 7. In a solution of 344 mOsm containing 100 microM ouabain, the bumetanide-induced hyperpolarization of Vm was absent. 8. The results indicate that a Na-K-2Cl cotransporter is present in mouse lumbrical muscle fibre and that its contribution to Vm is dependent on medium osmolality.