Foraging ecology and parental behaviour in the common tern (Sterna hirundo)

One component of successful parenting is related to efficiency in foraging behaviour. The relationships among chick feeding, the size and type of food package, and length of parental foraging trips has not been well studied in seabirds. In addition, relatively few data have been collected on the activities of seabirds when foraging away from the nest site. The objectives of this study were: (1) to contrast productivity, feeding rate, and attendance patterns of individuals carrying a novel transmitter with a control group of birds; (2) to use radio-telemetry to assess the variability in foraging locations within and between individual male Common Terns; (3) to determine the seasonal variation in chick diet; (4) to determine for each transmittered bird, the relationships among the foraging patterns, parental behaviour, and seasonal reproductive success. The study took place over two years (1990-91) on a concrete breakwater 1 km offshore on Lake Erie near Port Colbome, Ontario. Ten pairs of terns in 1990 and 12 pairs in 1991 were radio-tracked by boat or car during the chick rearing stage. Concurrent behavioural observations documented the time each sex spent foraging or at the nest. The frequency and prey species composition of feeds to chicks were also recorded. The transmitters had negligible effects on the feeding frequency and brood attendance patterns of transmitter carrying birds. Peak nesting transmittered birds in 1990 and 1991 exhibited some inter-individual variability in foraging locations, however intraindividual variability was low. Birds foraged primarily to the west and northwest of the colony. Late nesters exhibited greater inter-individual variability, however intra-individual variability remained low for most birds. Neither group demonstrated sufficient variability to support the regular use of this colony as an "information centre". Individual transmittered birds had unique and predictable foraging patterns, and corresponding differences in feeding frequencies and brood attendance patterns, yet productivity was essentially equal between nests due to the impact and importance of stochastic events. Individuals that were recaptured in 1991 exhibited very similar foraging patterns to 1990, suggesting littie variability between years. Conservation of foraging patterns between years may have potential implications for mate choice decisions in future breeding seasons. Prey species delivered to chicks differed between morning and evening for peak and late nesters in 1990, but not 1991. Peak nesters in 1990 fed significantiy more Rainbow Smelt fOsmerus mordM) than Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoidesV this trend was reversed for late nesters who also fed large numbers of unidentified larval fish. No significant differences were found in 1991. Seasonal changes in prey species delivered to chicks is believed to be attributable to the temperature tolerances of the smelt and shiners, and the presence of large schools of larval fish during the late nesting season.

Bionomics, cryopreservation of gametes and captive breeding behaviour of threatened hillstream cyprinid, garra surendranathanii(shaji, arun & easa, 1996)

Garra surendranathanii is a hill stream cyprinid endemic to Kerala. According to IUCN based classification, G. surendranathanii is grouped under the threatened category. This endemic fish is having highly restricted and fragmented distribution and reported only from 5 river systems viz. Chalakudy, Periyar, Pamba, Achenkoil and Bharathapuzha. Categorization of this fish as a potential ornamental candidate can invariably add more pressure on the threat status of this particular species. Hence, this species is considered as one which requires foremost attention for conservation. Hitherto, no infomiation is available on the bionomics, resource characteristics and any conservation attempts of G. surendranathanii. Studies on detailed life history traits and development of captive breeding technique are indispensable for successful fishery management.The present study was undertaken with the following obj ectives: To study the Length-weight relationship and condition factor to ascertain the relationship between length and weight and general wellbeing ofthe fish To study the age and growth to understand the age composition of the exploited stock, age at first maturation and life span of the species. To study the reproductive biology of G. surendranathanii to gain insights in the process of gametogenesis, spawning, sex ratio, fecundity and other related aspects which are essential for developing captive breeding technology of this species. To develop captive breeding technology and cryopreservation ofgametes of G. surendranathanii for conservation

Dynamics and foraging behaviour of adult hornet robberflies, Asilus crabroniformis: implications for conservation strategy

Mark resighting studies of the hornet robberfly, Asilus crabroniformis, were carried out during the flight seasons of 1999 and 2000 on agricultural land on the Chilterns in Oxfordshire, UK. Six patches of land were identified which contained characteristics thought to be attractive to hornet robberflies. One hundred and twenty eight adults were marked in 1999 and 257 in 2000. Marking was carried out on one of the patches, but resighting observations were collected from all six sites. The daily population sizes were estimated using the Jolly-Seber method. The daily population size peaked between 50 and 72 from 23 August until 13 September in 2000. This was very similar to the peak population size of between 50 and 74 estimated for 1999. Adults were found to be capable of living for nearly 5 weeks. The maximum linear distance from the point of marking that any individual moved across the study site was 625 m, but some individuals moved over 400 m in a single day. Unsuitable habitat (suburban gardens and a main road) did not present a barrier to dispersal. Males were more likely than females to loiter in sites peripheral to the breeding site, whilst females seemed to be more tied to the breeding site. Most adults were caught from dung piles, but insects avoided fresh dung and preferred instead dung that was well into the process of drying out. A variety of insect species were taken as prey, including many beetles and flies. The findings of the study are discussed in relation to the management of the landscape to enhance the long-term prospects of the hornet robberfly in the UK, and to achieve the UK Biodiversity Action Plan target for this species.

ENSO related variation of equatorial MRG and Rossby waves and forcing from higher latitudes

The contrasting behaviour of westward-moving mixed Rossby-gravity (WMRG) and the first Rossby (R1) waves in El Niño (EN) and La Niña (LN) seasons is documented with a focus on the Northern Hemisphere winter. The eastward-moving variance in the upper troposphere is dominated by WMRG and R1 structures that appear to be Doppler-shifted by the flow and are referred to as WMRG-E and R1-E. In the East Pacific and Atlantic the years with stronger equatorial westerly winds have the stronger WMRG and WMRG- E. In the East Pacific, R1 is also a maximum in LN. However, R1-E exhibits an eastward-shift between LN and EN. The changes with ENSO phase provide a test-bed for the understanding of these waves. In the East Pacific and Atlantic, the stronger WMRG-E and WMRG with stronger westerlies are in accord with the dispersion relation with simple Doppler-shifting by the zonal flow. The possible existence of free waves can also explain stronger R1 in EN in the Eastern Hemisphere. 1-D free wave propagation theory based on wave activity conservation is also important for R1. However, this theory is unable to explain the amplitude maxima for other waves observed in the strong equatorial westerly regions in the Western Hemisphere, and certainly not their ENSO-related variation. The forcing of equatorial waves by higher latitude wave activity and its variation with ENSO phase is therefore examined. Propagation of extratropical eastward-moving Rossby wave activity through the westerly ducts into the equatorial region where it triggers WMRG-E is favoured in the stronger westerlies, in LN in the East Pacific and EN in the Atlantic. It is also found that WMRG is forced by Southern Hemisphere westward-moving wavetrains arching into the equatorial region where they are reflected. The most significant mechanism for both R1 and R1-E appear to be lateral forcing by subtropical wavetrains.

Fruit and seed ontogeny related to the seed behaviour of two tropical species of Caesalpinia (Leguminosae)

Caesalpinia echinata and C ferrea var. ferrea have different seed behaviours and seed and fruit types. Comparison of the seed ontogeny and anatomy partly explained the differences in seed behaviour between these two species of Brazilian legumes; some differences were also related to fruit development. The seed coat in C. ferrea consisted of two layers of osteosclereids, as well as macrosclereids and fibres, to form a typical legume seed coat, whereas C. echinata had only macrosclereids and fibres. In C. echinata, the developing seed coat had paracytic stomata, a feature rarely found in legume seeds. These seed coat features may account for the low longevity of C. echinata seeds. The embryogeny was similar in both species, with no differences in the relationship between embryo growth and seed growth. The seeds of both species behaved as typical endospermic seeds, despite their different morphological classification (exendospermic orthodox seeds were described for C. echinata and endospermic orthodox seeds for C. ferrea). Embryo growth in C. ferrea accelerated when the sclerenchyma of the pericarp was developing, whereas embryonic growth in C. echinata was associated with the conclusion of spine and secretory reservoir development in the pericarp. Other features observed included an endothelial layer that secreted mucilage in both species, a nucellar summit, which grew up into the micropyle, and a placental obturator that connected the ovarian tissue to the ovule in C. ferrea. (C) 2004 the Linnean Society of London.

Potentiodynamic behaviour of CuA1Ag alloys in NaOH: a comparative study related to the pure metals electrochemistry

The mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of surface reformed CuA1Ag alloys having different composition of heat treatment, in 0.5 M NaOH was studied by means of cyclic polarization, constant potential electrolysis, ICP, AA, SEM and EDX. The surface reformation consisted of a repetitive triangular potential sweep (RTPS) between H 2 and O 2 evolution at 100 mV s -1 in the working solution itself, performed in order to increase the electrode roughness and obtain a quasi-stationary I/E profile in which the potentiodynamic behaviour of copper and silver was clearly revealed. The alloys suffer aluminum dealloying after such an RTPS. The quasi-stationary cyclic polarization curve exhibits a multiplicity of current peaks which have been related to the electrochemical reactions involving the pure alloying elements. Complex potential perturbation programmes in regions having different anodic and cathodic limits allowed the study of the mechanism of the electrochemical oxidation of the surface reformed alloys and the compare with that corresponding to the pure metals. The basic differences between the electro-oxidation processes of the surface reformed CuA1Ag alloys with respect to those established for the high purity alloying metals are the splitting of the peaks corresponding to the formation of the Cu(I) and Ag(I) species. © 1991.

Interactional behaviour as a marker for screening patients with environment-related complaints

BACKGROUND: Adequate assessment of symptoms of patients suffering from environmental illnesses requires appropriate procedures such as psychological and psychiatric diagnostics, medical screening and a thorough analysis of noxious environmental factors. The Basel pilot research project established a multi-methodological assessment procedure that meets these criteria. However, an exhaustive three-fold analysis is very costly in terms of both equipment and personnel, and hence the need for a heuristic approach and pre-screening persists. METHOD: The three-fold diagnostic approach was preceded by a structured psychodynamic interview; the findings were used to construct a new profile of the patient's interactional behaviour (IB) in conjunction with the interviewer's countertransference. The extent to which this new profile could predict the results of the multi-method assessment was then assessed. RESULTS: A low level of IB on the part of the patient significantly predicted the degree of stress and the extent of the psychiatric diagnosis, including personality disorders. A negative IB was associated with negative personality traits. Furthermore, a high level of IB implied more medical, but not more environmental, findings which could plausibly be related to the patient's complaints. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of patients' IB in conjunction with one's own countertransference is very helpful as a preliminary heuristic approach and may lead to consequences for treatment and therapy. Therefore, the training provided for experts who deal with patients suffering from environment-related complaints should place more specific emphasis on assessing patients' behaviour and on incorporating information gathered from countertransference. Nevertheless, an interdisciplinary assessment including medical, psychological/psychiatric, and environmental expertise remains mandatory for adequate and satisfactory diagnosis of patients with environment-related complaints.

High plant species richness indicates management-related disturbances rather than the conservation status of forests

There is a wealth of smaller-scale studies on the effects of forest management on plant diversity. However, studies comparing plant species diversity in forests with different management types and intensity, extending over different regions and forest stages, and including detailed information on site conditions are missing. We studied vascular plants on 1500 20 m × 20 m forest plots in three regions of Germany (Schwäbische Alb, Hainich-Dün, Schorfheide-Chorin). In all regions, our study plots comprised different management types (unmanaged, selection cutting, deciduous and coniferous age-class forests, which resulted from clear cutting or shelterwood logging), various stand ages, site conditions, and levels of management-related disturbances. We analyzed how overall richness and richness of different plant functional groups (trees, shrubs, herbs, herbaceous species typically growing in forests and herbaceous light-demanding species) responded to the different management types. On average, plant species richness was 13% higher in age-class than in unmanaged forests, and did not differ between deciduous age-class and selection forests. In age-class forests of the Schwäbische Alb and Hainich-Dün, coniferous stands had higher species richness than deciduous stands. Among age-class forests, older stands with large quantities of standing biomass were slightly poorer in shrub and light-demanding herb species than younger stands. Among deciduous forests, the richness of herbaceous forest species was generally lower in unmanaged than in managed forests, and it was even 20% lower in unmanaged than in selection forests in Hainich-Dün. Overall, these findings show that disturbances by management generally increase plant species richness. This suggests that total plant species richness is not suited as an indicator for the conservation status of forests, but rather indicates disturbances.

Evaluation of reproductive sucess and conservation strategies for Senecio coincyi (Asteraceae), a narrow and threatened species

Senecio coincyi is a threatened endemic plant of central western Spain, with a very narrow extent of occurrence. The reproductive success and germination behaviour of this species were studied. The area of occupancy, habitat types and size of 13 known subpopulations of S. coincyi were evaluated. The number of individuals that form all these subpopulations was counted. In addition, the number of flowers and cypselas per fruit head and the number of fruit heads per individual plant were recorded in a subset of subpopulations. Germination tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of temperature and light regimes on, and possible intraspecific variation in, cypsela germination. Cypselas reached very high germination percentages (90?100%) from 15?C to 30?C. However, the germination decreased (19%) at 10?C. The light conditions assayed (16-h light photoperiod and complete darkness) did not significantly affect cypsela germination. In general, there was no intraspecific variability in germination patterns of S. coincyi cypselas. Livestock is the most important factor that can be a threat for this species. S. coincyi showed high reproductive success and, therefore, its conservation problems are not due to agents related to its reproduction, but rather to other factors such as alteration of its habitat caused by the presence of livestock.

Evaluation of reproductive success and conservation strategies for Senecio coincyi (Asteraceae), a narrow and threatened species.

enecio coincyi is a threatened endemic plant of central western Spain, with a very narrow extent of occurrence. The reproductive success and germination behaviour of this species were studied. The area of occupancy, habitat types and size of 13 known subpopulations of S. coincyi were evaluated. The number of individuals that form all these subpopulations was counted. In addition, the number of flowers and cypselas per fruit head and the number of fruit heads per individual plant were recorded in a subset of subpopulations. Germination tests were carried out to evaluate the effect of temperature and light regimes on, and possible intraspecific variation in, cypsela germination. Cypselas reached very high germination percentages (90?100%) from 15°C to 30°C. However, the germination decreased (19%) at 10°C. The light conditions assayed (16-h light photoperiod and complete darkness) did not significantly affect cypsela germination. In general, there was no intraspecific variability in germination patterns of S. coincyi cypselas. Livestock is the most important factor that can be a threat for this species. S. coincyi showed high reproductive success and, therefore, its conservation problems are not due to agents related to its reproduction, but rather to other factors such as alteration of its habitat caused by the presence of livestock.

Conservation of the Drosophila lateral inhibition pathway in human lung cancer: A hairy-related protein (HES-1) directly represses achaete-scute homolog-1 expression

The achaete-scute genes encode essential transcription factors in normal Drosophila and vertebrate nervous system development. Human achaete-scute homolog-1 (hASH1) is constitutively expressed in a human lung cancer with neuroendocrine (NE) features, small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and is essential for development of the normal pulmonary NE cells that most resemble this neoplasm. Mechanisms regulating achaete-scute homolog expression outside of Drosophila are presently unclear, either in the context of the developing nervous system or in normal or neoplastic cells with NE features. We now provide evidence that the protein hairy-enhancer-of-split-1 (HES-1) acts in a similar manner as its Drosophila homolog, hairy, to transcriptionally repress achaete-scute expression. HES-1 protein is detected at abundant levels in most non-NE human lung cancer cell lines which lack hASH1 but is virtually absent in hASH1-expressing lung cancer cells. Moreover, induction of HES-1 in a SCLC cell line down-regulates endogenous hASH1 gene expression. The repressive effect of HES-1 is directly mediated by binding of the protein to a class C site in the hASH1 promoter. Thus, a key part of the process that determines neural fate in Drosophila is conserved in human lung cancer cells. Furthermore, modulation of this pathway may underlie the constitutive hASH1 expression seen in NE tumors such as SCLC, the most virulent human lung cancer.

Plant orthologs of p300/CBP: conservation of a core domain in metazoan p300/CBP acetyltransferase-related proteins

p300 and CBP participate as transcriptional coregulators in the execution of a wide spectrum of cellular gene expression programs controlling cell differentiation, growth and homeostasis. Both proteins act together with sequence-specific transcription factors to modify chromatin structure of target genes via their intrinsic acetyltransferase activity directed towards core histones and some transcription factors. So far, p300-related proteins have been described in animals ranging from Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans to humans. In this report, we describe p300/CBP-like polypeptides in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Interestingly, homology between animal and plant p300/CBP is largely restricted to a C-terminal segment, about 600 amino acids in length, which encompasses acetyltransferase and E1A-binding domains. We have examined whether this conservation in sequence is paralleled by a conservation in function. The same amino acid residues critical for acetyltransferase activity in human p300 are also critical for the function of one of the plant orthologs. Remarkably, plant proteins bind to the adenovirus E1A protein in a manner recapitulating the binding specificity of mammalian p300/CBP. The striking conservation of an extended segment of p300/CBP suggests that it may constitute a functional entity fulfilling functions that may be essential for all metazoan organisms.

Laws relating to forestry, game conservation, flood control and related subjects.

Description based on: 1938.