Juvenile Songbirds Compensate for Displacement to Oceanic Islands during Autumn Migration

To what degree juvenile migrant birds are able to correct for orientation errors or wind drift is still largely unknown. We studied the orientation of passerines on the Faroe Islands far off the normal migration routes of European migrants. The ability to compensate for displacement was tested in naturally occurring vagrants presumably displaced by wind and in birds experimentally displaced 1100 km from Denmark to the Faroes. The orientation was studied in orientation cages as well as in the free-flying birds after release by tracking departures using small radio transmitters. Both the naturally displaced and the experimentally displaced birds oriented in more easterly directions on the Faroes than was observed in Denmark prior to displacement. This pattern was even more pronounced in departure directions, perhaps because of wind influence. The clear directional compensation found even in experimentally displaced birds indicates that first-year birds can also possess the ability to correct for displacement in some circumstances, possibly involving either some primitive form of true navigation, or 'sign posts', but the cues used for this are highly speculative. We also found some indications of differences between species in the reaction to displacement. Such differences might be involved in the diversity of results reported in displacement studies so far.

Outlier Loci Detect Intraspecific Biodiversity amongst Spring and Autumn Spawning Herring across Local Scales

Herring, Clupea harengus, is one of the ecologically and commercially most important species in European northern seas, where two distinct ecotypes have been described based on spawning time; spring and autumn. To date, it is unknown if these spring and autumn spawning herring constitute genetically distinct units. We assessed levels of genetic divergence between spring and autumn spawning herring in the Baltic Sea using two types of DNA markers, microsatellites and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, and compared the results with data for autumn spawning North Sea herring. Temporally replicated analyses reveal clear genetic differences between ecotypes and hence support reproductive isolation. Loci showing non-neutral behaviour, so-called outlier loci, show convergence between autumn spawning herring from demographically disjoint populations, potentially reflecting selective processes associated with autumn spawning ecotypes. The abundance and
exploitation of the two ecotypes have varied strongly over space and time in the Baltic Sea, where autumn spawners have faced strong depression for decades. The results therefore have practical implications by highlighting the need for specific management of these co-occurring ecotypes to meet requirements for sustainable exploitation and ensure optimal livelihood for coastal communities.

Plasma Homocysteine Is Not Subject to Seasonal Variation.

Background: Studies investigating the relationship between plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) and vascular disease usually rely on a single measurement. Little information is available, however, on the seasonal variability of plasma tHcy. The aim of this study was to investigate the seasonal variation in fasting plasma tHcy and related B-vitamin intake and status in a group of people who did not consume fortified foods or take B-vitamin supplements. Methods: In this longitudinal study, a group of 22 healthy people were followed for 1 year. A fasting blood sample and dietary information were collected from each individual every 3 months, i.e., at the end of each season. Results: There was no significant seasonal variation in plasma tHcy or in B-vitamin intake or status with the exception of red cell folate (significantly lower in spring compared with autumn or winter) and serum folate (significantly lower in spring compared with the other seasons). Although the between-person variation in plasma tHcy was high (47%), the within-person variation was low (11%). This low variation, combined with the low methodologic imprecision of 3.8%, yielded a high reliability coefficient for plasma tHcy (0.97). Conclusions: Although there was a small seasonal variation in folate status, there was no corresponding seasonal variation in plasma tHcy. The high reliability coefficient for plasma tHcy suggests that a single measurement is reflective of an individual’s average plasma tHcy concentration, thus indicating its usefulness as a potential predictor of disease. This, however, needs to be confirmed in different subgroups of the population.

Seasonal and diurnal variations in ultraviolet-B and ultraviolet-A irradiances at and below the sea surface at Helgoland (North Sea) over a 6-year period

Ultraviolet(UV) radiation at four wavelengths (305, 320, 340 and 380 nm) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were measured from May 1994 to October 1999 using Biospherical UV radiometers. A surface reference sensor located on the roof of the Marine Station at Helgoland recorded values every 5 min, and an equivalent profiling underwater sensor was used for measurements in the sea at approximately monthly intervals. The ratio of 305-nm radiation to PAR varied seasonally, with a 14-fold increase from winter to summer. A much weaker seasonal trend (ca. 1.5-fold) was apparent in the ratio of 320-nm radiation to PAR, but there was no seasonal trend in the ratios of 340- or 380-nm radiation to PAR. The year-to-year variations in 305-nm radiation were also much greater relative to PAR than for the other UV wavelengths, but there was no evidence of a change in the 305 nm:PAR ratio over the study period. The ratios of both 305- and 320-nm radiation to PAR increased from dawn to midday, but those of 340- and 380-nm radiation were almost constant through the day, except shortly before sunrise and after sunset when the proportions of 340- and 380-nm radiation increased. Underwater measurements of PAR and UV suggest that the 1% depth for 305-nm radiation was little more than 1 m, but this estimate is valid only for summer and autumn because, in other seasons, few reliable readings for 305-nm radiation could be obtained underwater, and no attenuation coefficient could be calculated. The 1% depths recorded for the other UV wavelengths in the middle 6 months of the year were 2.0 m for 320 nm, 2.6 m for 340 nm and 4.6 m for 380 nm, compared with 12 m for PAR, but the attenuation of all wavebands increased sharply in October and remained higher until March. An analysis of the influence of sun angle, total column ozone concentration, the proportion of skylight, and cloud cover on the ratio of UV wavelengths to PAR in surface irradiance demonstrated that solar angle has a greater influence than ozone concentration on the irradiance at 305 nm, and that the typical occurrence of ozone

The status of Nathusius' pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii Keyserling & Blasius, 1839) in the British Isles

There are now 91 records of individual Nathusius' pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii examined 'in the hand' in the U.K., and bat detector records from a further 36 localities in Britain and Ireland. These records are distributed throughout all months of the year with clear peaks in spring and autumn suggesting migratory movements into and out of the British Isles in autumn and spring, respectively. Three maternity colonies have been located and the species must now also be regarded as a resident breeding species in Britain and Ireland.

Foraging ecology, fluctuating food availability and energetics of wintering brent geese

Changing energy requirements and dramatic shifts in food availability are major factors driving behaviour and distribution of herbivores. We investigate this in wintering East Canadian High Arctic light-bellied brent geese Branta bernicla hrota in Northern Ireland. They followed a sequential pattern of habitat use, feeding on intertidal Zostera spp. in autumn and early winter before moving to predominantly saltmarsh and farmland in late winter and early spring. Night-time feeding occurred throughout and made a considerable contribution to the birds' daily energy budget, at times accounting for > 50% of energy intake. Nocturnal feeding, however, is limited to the intertidal, possibly because of predation risk on terrestrial habitat, and increases with moonlight. The amount of Zostera spp., declined dramatically after the arrival of birds, predominantly, but not entirely, due to consumption by the birds. Birds gained fat reserves in the first 2 months but then this was dramatically lost as their major food source collapsed and their daily energy intake declined. Single birds consistently fared worse than paired birds and pairs with juveniles fared better than those without suggesting a benefit of having a family to compete for food. Many birds leave the Lough at this time of reduced Zostera spp. for other sea inlets in Ireland but some remain. Body condition of the latter gradually improved in early spring and reflected a heavy reliance on terrestrial habitats, particularly farmland, to meet the birds' daily energy requirements. However, even in the period immediately before migration to the breeding ground, the birds did not regain the amount of abdominal fatness observed in November. The dramatic changes in available food and requirements of the birds drive the major changes seen in foraging behaviour as the birds evade starvation in the wintering period.

Homogeneous habitat can meet the discrete and varied resource requirements of hares but may set an ecological trap

In common with other farmland species, hares (Lepus spp.) are in widespread decline in agricultural landscapes due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss. We examined the importance of habitat heterogeneity to the Irish hare (Lepus timidus hibernicus) in a pastoral landscape. We used radio-tracking during nocturnal active and diurnal inactive periods throughout one year. In autumn, winter and spring, hares occupied a heterogeneous combination of improved grassland, providing food, and Juncus-dominated rough pasture, providing refuge. In summer, hares significantly increased their use of improved grassland. This homogeneous habitat can fulfil the discrete and varied resource requirements of hares for feeding and shelter at certain times of year. However, improved grassland may be a risky habitat for hares as silage harvesting occurs during their peak birthing period of late spring and early summer. We therefore posit the existence of a putative ecological trap inherent to a homogeneous habitat of perceived high value that satisfies the hares' habitat requirements but which presents risks at a critical time of year. To test this hypothesis in relation to hare populations, work is required to provide data on differential leveret mortality between habitat types.

Effects of breed and production system on lameness parameters in dairy cattle

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of Holstein-Friesian (HF) and Norwegian (N) dairy cattle genotypes on lameness parameters in dairy cattle within different production systems over the first 2 lactations. Following calving, HF (n = 39) and N (n = 45) heifers were allocated to 1 of 3 systems of production (high level of concentrate, low level of concentrate, and grass-based). High-and low-concentrate animals were continuously housed indoors on a rotational system so that they spent similar amounts of time on slatted and solid concrete floors. Animals on the grass treatment grazed from spring to autumn in both years of the study, so that most animals on this treatment grazed from around peak to late lactation. Claw health was recorded in both hind claws of each animal at 4 observation periods during each lactation as follows: 1) -8 to 70 d postcalving, 2) 71 to 150 d postcalving, 3) 151 to 225 d postcalving, and 4) 226 to 364 d postcalving. Sole lesions, heel erosion, axial wall deviation, sole length of the right lateral hind claw (claw length), right heel width, and right lateral hind heel height were recorded as well as the presence of digital dermatitis. The N cows had lower (better) white line and total lesion scores than HF cows. Cows on the high-and low-concentrate treatments had better sole and total lesion scores than cows on the grass treatment. The HF cows had better locomotion scores than N cows. Breed and production system differences were observed with respect to claw conformation, including claw length, heel width, and heel height. Digital dermatitis was associated with worse sole lesion scores and interacted with production system to influence white line lesion scores and maximum heel erosion scores. This study shows that genetic, environmental, and infectious factors are associated with hoof pathologies in dairy cows.

The Liedertheater of Wenzel and Mensching: Subversive Use of the Agitprop and Clowning Tradition in the GDR

The East German poet-clowns Hans-Eckardt Wenzel and Steffen Mensching rose to prominence during the GDR's (German Democratic Republic; Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR) Peaceful Revolution of autumn 1989 with their cabaret production Letztes aus der Da Da eR. A film adaptation of the production was made by Jörg Foth in 1990, which was finally released on DVD with English subtitles in the United Kingdom and North America in 2009 (Latest from the Da-Da-R). In light of this long-overdue interest in Wenzel & Mensching, this article will attempt to put the work of the duo in historical and aesthetic context. Their use of character, masks, music, and philosophy combined to create the distinctly grotesque world that constituted their Liedertheater performances.

A commentary on climate change, stone decay dynamics and the ‘greening’ of natural stone buildings: new perspectives on ‘deep wetting’

Environmental controls on stone decay processes are rapidly changing as a result of changing climate. UKCP09 projections for the 2020s (2010–2039) indicate that over much of the UK seasonality of precipitation will increase. Summer dryness and winter wetness are both set to increase, the latter linked to projected precipitation increases in autumn and spring months. If so, this could increase the time that stone structures remain wet and possibly the depth of moisture penetration, and it appears that building stone in Northern Ireland has already responded through an increased incidence of algal ‘greening’.This paper highlights the need for understanding the effects of climate change through a series of studies of largely sandstone structures. Current and projected climatic trends are therefore considered to have aesthetic, physical and chemical implications that are not currently built into our models of sandstone decay, especially with respect to the role played by deep-seated wetness on sandstone deterioration and decay progression and the feedbacks associated with, for example surface algal growth. In particular,it is proposed that algal biofilms will aid moisture retention and further facilitate moisture and dissolved salt penetration to depth. Thus, whilst the outer surface of stone may continue to experience frequent wetting and drying associated with individual precipitation events, the latter is less likely to be complete, and the interiors of building blocks may only experience wetting/drying in response to seasonal cycling. A possible consequence of deeper salt penetration could be a delay in the onset of surface deterioration,but more rapid and effective retreat once it commences as decay mechanisms ‘tap into a reservoir of deep salt’.