Foraging ecology and parental care of common terns (Sterna hirundo) nesting in Windermere Basin, Lake Ontario

The relationships among chick feeding, size and type of prey item, and foraging time away from the brood have not been well studied in seabirds. This study investigated spatial and temporal patterns of foraging and chick-provisioning among 23 radio-tagged male common terns nesting at Hamilton Harbour, Lake Ontario during 1991 and 1992. Telemetry data were collected concurrently with behavioural observations from an elevated blind. Terns fitted with transmitters did not differ from controls with respect to either brood attendance, patterns of chick mortality, species and size distributions of prey delivered to offspring, or chick-provisioning rates. There was a clear separation of parental roles: males were primarily responsible for feeding chicks while females allocated more time to brood attendance. The prey species most commonly delivered to chicks by adults were rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and alewife (A/osa pseudoharengus), followed in importance by larval fish, emerald shiner (Notropis antherinoides), salmonids, and fathead minnows (Pimepha/es prome/as). The relative proportions of various fish speCies delivered to chicks by males differed over the course of each breeding season, and there was also much variability in species composition of prey between years. Sizes of prey delivered to chicks also differed between sampling periods. The modal size of fish brought to chicks during Peak 1991 was 1.5 bill lengths, while the majority of prey in Late 1991 were small larval fish. The reverse trend occurred in 1992 when small fish were delivered to chicks predominantly during the Peak nesting period. During periods when predominantly small fish were delivered to chicks, the foraging activity of radio-tagged males was concentrated within a two kilometer radius of the colony. The observed variation in prey composition and foraging locations during the study likely reflects temporal variation in the availability of prey in the vicinity of the colony. Males delivered fish to chicks at a constant rate, while females 4 increased their feeding frequency over the first six to ten brood days. The mean length of fish delivered to chicks by adults increased significantly with increasing chick age. As a group, within each nesting period, transmittered males either foraged predominantly in the same directional bearing (north during Peak 1991, south during Late 1992), or concentrated foraging activity in the immediate vicinity of the colony (Late 1991, Peak 1992). However, individual radio-tagged males exhibited unique and predictable foraging patterns, often favouring specific locations within these areas and differing in their secondary foraging patterns. Overall, the Lake Ontario shoreline between NCB Bay" (3.5 km south of colony) and the lift bridge canal (4 km north of colony) was the foraging area used most frequently by radiotagged males during the chick-rearing period. Foraging patterns of transmittered males at Windermere Basin are similar to patterns of peak-nesting common terns, but differ from those of late-nesters, at a nearby colony (Port Colborne, Lake Erie). Differences between the foraging patterns of late-nesting terns at these colonies likely reflect differences in annual patterns of fish availability between the two locations. No relationship was found between foraging proficiency of adults and survival of offspring. Stochastic factors, such as predation by black-crowned nightherons (Nycticorax nycticorax) and adverse weather conditions during the early stages of chick rearing, may be more important determinants of common tern breeding success than parental quality or fish availability.

Study of baleen whales’ ecology and interaction with maritime traffic activities to support management of a complex socio-ecological system

Thesis written in co-mentorship with Robert Michaud.

Lyme borreliosis in the UK: ecology and risks to domestic animals and man

The different associations of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato spirochaetes with their natural reservoir hosts and tick vectors are slowly being unravelled. This review discusses the interactions of different genospecies of Lyme borreliosis spirochaetes and their differing tick vectors, vertebrate reservoirs and 'accidental hosts'. Particular reference is made to spirochaete-host interactions and occurrence of pathological consequences. Attention is focused on the unique prevalence of enzoonotic cycles in operation within the UK. Risk factors for acquiring Lyme borreliosis in man are discussed. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

“Pussy cat, pussy cat where have you been..?” Evaluating the use of stable isotopes, radiogenic isotopes and trace elements for investigating the ecology of Panthera leo

1. Understanding the behaviour and ecology of large carnivores is becoming increasingly important as the list of endangered species grows, with felids such as Panthera leo in some locations heading dangerously close to extinction in the wild. In order to have more reliable and effective tools to understand animal behaviour, movement and diet, we need to develop novel, integrated approaches and effective techniques to capture a detailed profile of animal foraging and movement patterns. 2. Ecological studies have shown considerable interest in using stable isotope methods, both to investigate the nature of animal feeding habits, and to map their geographical location. However, recent work has suggested that stable isotope analyses of felid fur and bone is very complex and does not correlate directly with the isotopic composition of precipitation (and hence geographical location). 3. We present new data that suggest these previous findings may be atypical, and demonstrate that isotope analyses of Felidae are suitable for both evaluating dietary inputs and establishing geo-location as they have strong environmental referents to both food and water. These data provide new evidence of an important methodology that can be applied to the family Felidae for future research in ecology, conservation, wildlife forensics and archaeological science.

Ecology and conservation of the jacutinga Pipile jacutinga in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil

The jacutinga Pipile jacutinga was formerly one of the most abundant game bird cracids in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Nowadays this species is vulnerable to extinction due to hunting and habitat loss. The ecology of the jacutinga was studied at Parque Estadual Intervales, Sao Paulo, Brazil from October 1993 to December 1995 and in adjacent areas. Jacutingas were observed to feed mainly on the sugar-rich fruit of 41 species. We recorded a low index of abundance for the jacutinga (0.018) or c.1.7 birds/km2 at Intervales, one of the best protected areas within their range. Surveys carried out in the Atlantic forest of Sao Paulo found jacutinga populations in 14 localities. Probably < 1500 birds survive in the best protected areas. The species' stronghold in southeastern Brazil is in the mountains of Serra de Paranapiacaba, an area protected by several parks suffering from hunting and palm heart harvesting and threatened by a hydroelectric project.

Caribbean underprivileged children: their ecology and intervention programmes

Includes bibliography

Reproductive ecology and size of sexual maturity in the anomuran crab Aegla parana (Decapoda: Aeglidae)

In Southern Brazil, Aegla parana Schmitt, 1942 is characterized by a broad distribution throughout the Iguacu River basin, particularly between the southern state of Parana and the northern state of Santa Catarina, preferentially inhabiting streams with rocky substrates. Although there has been an increase in the number of studies about the population biology of Aeglidae, many aspects about the reproductive biology of A. parana are still unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the size at sexual maturity, reproductive seasonality and recruitment of A. parana from November, 2008 to December, 2009, in a tributary of the Iguacu River located in Uniao da Vitoria, Parana, Brazil. Basic environmental factors were investigated to determine their influence on the reproductive cycle of this species. Gonadal stages were characterized macroscopically, and the presence or absence of embryos in females (ovigerous females) from monthly samples was recorded. The entire sample was composed of 436 males and 211 females. Although the smallest ovigerous female was 16.2 mm, the average size (carapace length, CL) at sexual maturity (CL50%) was calculated at 17.4 mm. The greatest percentage of females with developed (mature, near spawning) gonads stage was observed from January to June, 2009, while ovigerous females were recorded from April to July, 2009, after which the reproductive period ended. Recruitment occurred from October to December, 2009. The presence of ovigerous females was negatively correlated with temperature (Spearman, p < 0.05). Females carrying embryos were generally collected during periods of lower temperatures, whereas recruits entered the population during periods of higher temperatures, when food for them is more abundant in the region studied.

The effects of the C-terminal amidation of mastoparans on their biological actions and interactions with membrane-mimetic systems

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

On the Ecology and Distribution of Echinococcus spp. (Cestoda: Taeniidae), and Characteristics of Their Development in the Intermediate Host. II. Comparative Studies on the Development of Larval E. multilocularis Leuckart, 1863, in the Intermediate Host

This paper reports the results of a comparative study of the development of the larval Echinococcus multilocularis Leuckart, 1863), and associated tissue reaction in naturally and experimentally infected mammals representing 31 species. The histogenesis of the larval cestode was traced in detail in arvicoline rodents of several species, and interspecific differences were defined. In arvicoline rodents, the developing larva exhibited host-specific characteristics within about a month after infection was established. The tissue reaction in Microtus oeconomus was characterized by the production of a large quantity of detritus around the larva, and by the formation of a thick epithelioid zone. In one subspecies, M. oeconomus innuitus, development of the larva was retarded, and the detrital mass was often calcified; in another, M. oeconomus operarius, the detritus rarely became calcified and the larva proliferated more rapidly. In M. pennsylvanicus, the tissue reaction was minimal, and little detritus was present. The characteristics of the tissue reaction in M. montebelli placed it in an intermediate position between the aforementioned species. In Clethrionomys rutilus, a thin epithelioid zone and an outer zone of loose collagenous fibers composed the adventitial layer; exogenous budding was retarded in this vole. A minimal tissue reaction occurred in Lagurus curtatus. In Lemmus spp., larger cysts were characteristic, but areas of small-cystic proliferation were always present. Similar differences in species or subspecies of Citellus and Dicrostonyx were described. Lesions of alveolar bydatid disease in man also were studied. The invasive growth of the larval cestode in the human liver involves a process comparable to small-cystic proliferation in the natural intermediate hosts. Although the later stages of development of the larval cestode are inhibited in man, exogenous proliferation of vesicles continues for the life of the host. The lesion in man was compared with a morphologically similar formation produced by anomalous development of the larval E. granulosus in the bovine liver. The latter is distinguished by the absence of areas of small-cystic proliferation. Non-echinococcal lesions found in the tissues studied, some of which resembled foci caused by the larval E. multilocularis, were briefly discussed.

Emerging contaminants in agricultural ecosystems: impact of selected pharmaceutical on water and soil ecology and pratical implications

Pharmaceuticals are useful tools to prevent and treat human and animal diseases. Following administration, a significant fraction of pharmaceuticals is excreted unaltered into faeces and urine and may enter the aquatic ecosystem and agricultural soil through irrigation with recycled water, constituting a significant source of emerging contaminants into the environment. Understanding major factors influencing their environmental fate is consequently needed to value the risk, reduce contamination, and set up bioremediation technologies. The antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir carboxylate, OC) has received recent attention due to the potential use as a first line defence against H5N1 and H1N1 influenza viruses. Research has shown that OC is not removed during conventional wastewater treatments, thus having the potential to enter surface water bodies. A series of laboratory experiments investigated the fate and the removal of OC in surface water systems in Italy and Japan and in a municipal wastewater treatment plant. A preliminary laboratory study investigated the persistence of the active antiviral drug in water samples from an irrigation canal in northern Italy (Canale Emiliano Romagnolo). After an initial rapid decrease, OC concentration slowly decreased during the remaining incubation period. Approximately 65% of the initial OC amount remained in water at the end of the 36-day incubation period. A negligible amount of OC was lost both from sterilized water and from sterilized water/sediment samples, suggesting a significant role of microbial degradation. Stimulating microbial processes by the addition of sediments resulted in reduced OC persistence. Presence of OC (1.5 μg mL-1) did not significantly affect the metabolic potential of the water microbial population, that was estimated by glyphosate and metolachlor mineralization. In contrast, OC caused an initial transient decrease in the size of the indigenous microbial population of water samples. A second laboratory study focused on basic processes governing the environmental fate of OC in surface water from two contrasting aquatic ecosystems of northern Italy, the River Po and the Venice Lagoon. Results of this study confirmed the potential of OC to persist in surface water. However, the addition of 5% of sediments resulted in rapid OC degradation. The estimated half-life of OC in water/sediment of the River Po was 15 days. After three weeks of incubation at 20 °C, more than 8% of 14C-OC evolved as 14CO2 from water/sediment samples of the River Po and Venice Lagoon. OC was moderately retained onto coarse sediments from the two sites. In water/sediment samples of the River Po and Venice Lagoon treated with 14C-OC, more than 30% of the 14C-residues remained water-extractable after three weeks of incubation. The low affinity of OC to sediments suggests that the presence of sediments would not reduce its bioavailability to microbial degradation. Another series of laboratory experiments investigated the fate and the removal of OC in two surface water ecosystems of Japan and in the municipal wastewater treatment plant of the city of Bologna, in Northern Italy. The persistence of OC in surface water ranged from non-detectable degradation to a half-life of 53 days. After 40 days, less than 3% of radiolabeled OC evolved as 14CO2. The presence of sediments (5%) led to a significant increase of OC degradation and of mineralization rates. A more intense mineralization was observed in samples of the wastewater treatment plant when applying a long incubation period (40 days). More precisely, 76% and 37% of the initial radioactivity applied as 14C-OC was recovered as 14CO2 from samples of the biological tank and effluent water, respectively. Two bacterial strains growing on OC as sole carbon source were isolated and used for its removal from synthetic medium and environmental samples, including surface water and wastewater. Inoculation of water and wastewater samples with the two OC-degrading strains showed that mineralization of OC was significantly higher in both inoculated water and wastewater, than in uninoculated controls. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative PCR analysis showed that OC would not affect the microbial population of surface water and wastewater. The capacity of the ligninolytic fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium to degrade a wide variety of environmentally persistent xenobiotics has been largely reported in literature. In a series of laboratory experiments, the efficiency of a formulation using P. chrysosporium was evaluated for the removal of selected pharmaceuticals from wastewater samples. Addition of the fungus to samples of the wastewater treatment plant of Bologna significantly increased (P < 0.05) the removal of OC and three antibiotics, erythromycin, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin. Similar effects were also observed in effluent water. OC was the most persistent of the four pharmaceuticals. After 30 days of incubation, approximately two times more OC was removed in bioremediated samples than in controls. The highest removal efficiency of the formulation was observed with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin. The studies included environmental aspects of soil contamination with two emerging veterinary contaminants, such as doramectin and oxibendazole, wich are common parasitic treatments in cattle farms.

Observations of the naturalhistory of the swallowtribe : with collateral statement of facts relative to their migration, and to their brvmal torpidity : and a copivs table of reference to avthors : illustrated by figures of five species, engraved on wood, by Willis : to which is added, A general catalogue of British birds, with the provincial names for each, &c. &c. &c. /

Original (?) blue paper front cover with printed label, Forster on the swallow, bound in.

The learned societies and printing clubs of the United Kingdom : being an account of their respective origin, history, objects, and constitution : with full details respecting membership, fees, their published works and transactions, notices of their periods and places of meeting, &c., and a general introduction and a classified index /

Reprint. Originally published: London : Willis, 1853.

The feminine monarchie : or, The historie of bees : shewing their admirable nature, and properties, their generation, and colonies, their government, loyaltie, art, industrie, enemies, warres, magnanimitie, &c. : together with the right ordering of them from time to time : and the sweet profit arising thereof /

Facsimile reprint of 1623 edition (J. Haviland for R. Jackson).

The book of the world: being an account of all republics, empires, kingdoms, and nations, in reference to their geography, statistics, commerce. &c., together with a brief historical outline of their rise, progress, and present conditions, &c., &c., &c.

Mode of access: Internet.