Census of breeding birds and population trends of the Dupont’s lark Chersophilus duponti in eastern Spain

We present the results of a breeding census of Dupont’s Lark carried out in the Autonomous Community of Valencia in 2011 using the mapping method and an analysis of the recent trend for this population. The population was estimated at 44-47 males, located in five habitat patches of the Rincón de Ademuz, in zones where the species had been detected previously. Density in these patches fits within values expected according to the relation between patch size and density found in the populations of the nearby provinces. Comparison to previous studies reveals that population of Valencia has suffered an annual decline rate of around 10% on average, thus the implementation of a conservation plan is required to ensure the survival of the species in the study area.

Short-Term Effects of a Wildfire on the Endangered Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti in an Arid Shrub-Steppe of Central Spain

In Europe, Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti is a threatened open-habitat bird. Prescribed burning has sometimes been proposed for its conservation, but without evidence of its effectiveness. To evaluate the short-term effects of a summer wildfire on this species, we performed several transect counts in the burnt and unburnt parts of a shrubsteppe in central Spain. The same transects were counted within a three-year interval prior to the fire and were repeated during the first two springs after the fire. We also measured the vegetation during the first two springs after the fire. In the burnt area, we observed a decrease of about 85–100% in Dupont’s Lark abundance, and about 7–15% in the control area. The disappearance of the scrub cover after fire and its slow regeneration, as well as the large increase in grass cover during the second year, may explain the decrease in this habitat-specialist bird species. Fire should be avoided in areas occupied by the Dupont’s Lark, as its negative effects in the short-term may cause local extinctions. However, prescribed burning may be used in neighboring areas to create new open habitats that may be subsequently colonized by this species.

A Demographic Model to Evaluate Population Declines in the Endangered Streaked Horned Lark

The Streaked Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata) is listed as endangered by the State of Washington, USA and by Canada under the Species at Risk Act and is also classified as a federal candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act in the USA. A substantial portion of Streaked Horned Lark habitat has been lost or degraded, and range contraction has occurred in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We estimate the vital rates (fecundity, adult and juvenile survival) and population growth rate (λ) for Streaked Horned Larks breeding in Washington, USA and conduct a Life-Stage Simulation Analysis (LSA) to evaluate which vital rate has the greatest influence on λ. We simulated changes in the three vital rates to examine how much they would need to be adjusted either independently or in concert to achieve a stable Streaked Horned Lark population (λ = 1). We also evaluated which fecundity component (the number of fledglings per egg laid or renesting interval) had the greatest impact on λ. The estimate of population growth suggests that Streaked Horned Larks in Washington are declining rapidly (λ = 0.62 ± 0.10) and that local breeding sites are not sustainable without immigration. The LSA results indicate that adult survival had the greatest influence on λ, followed by juvenile survival and fecundity. However, increases in vital rates led to λ = 1 only when adult survival was raised from 0.47 to 0.85, juvenile survival from 0.17 to 0.58, and fecundity from 0.91 to 3.09. Increases in breeding success and decreases in the renesting interval influenced λ similarly; however, λ did not reach 1 even when breeding success was raised to 100% or renesting intervals were reduced to 1 day. Only when all three vital rates were increased simultaneously did λ approach 1 without requiring highly unrealistic increases in each vital rate. We conclude that conservation activities need to target all or multiple vital rates to be successful. The baseline data presented here and subsequent efforts to manage Streaked Horned Larks will provide valuable information for management of other declining Horned Lark subspecies and other grassland songbirds across North America.

The prairie horned lark.

Originally issued as the author's thesis, Cornell University, 1927.

A midsummer lark,/

Mode of access: Internet.

The Little red lark : song for mezzo-soprano, or baritone /

First line of text: Oh swan of slenderness, dove of tenderness, jewel of joys, arise.

Extended delayed recall of AVLT word lists: Effects of age and sex on adult performance

An extension of a previous study of age and sex effects on verbal recall (Geffen, Moar, O'Hanlon, lark, & Geffen, 1990) examined forgetting of words over extended delays. The AVLT was administered to 201 normal adults (99 males, 102 females) ranging in age between 20 and 59 years. Recall was tested at intervals of 30 minutes, 24 hours, and 7 days after acquisition. Testing of the latter two intervals was conducted by telephone (Experiment 1, N = 177). After 30 minutes there was no significant loss of the 10 to 11 words retained from five acquisition trials. However, an overall mean of about one word was forgotten after 1 day and a further word after 7 days. The oldest age group (50-59 years) acquired fewer words and forgot more words than the younger groups. Females of all age groups performed slightly better than males at acquisition, at retention, and at recall after longer delays. A second experiment showed that telephone testing at the longer delay intervals was equivalent to testing face to face. These results extend the use of the AVLT by assessing memory decay beyond the immediate testing period. Telephone follow-up is a convenient and economical method of testing delayed recall.

Avaliação Ecológica das Terras Salgadas - Ilha do Maio, Cabo Verde para Possível Estabelecimento de uma Nova População da Laverca do Raso (Alauda Razae)

A laverca do Raso (Alauda razae) é uma espécie em risco crítico de extinção pois só existe num pequeno ilhéu de 7km2, o ilhéu do Raso em Cabo Verde. As medidas de protecção já adoptadas, não são, aparentemente, suficientes para prevenir os riscos a que esta espécie está ou poderá estar sujeita e que podem incluir grandes períodos de seca, ocorrência de uma catástrofe natural ou a introdução acidental de mamíferos predadores, como gatos e ratos. Assim, torna-se urgente a adopção de outras medidas de protecção da espécie, como por exemplo o estabelecimento de novas populações noutras ilhas. A ilha do Maio, localizada no grupo sul do arquipélago de Cabo Verde, a 200km do Raso, poderá ser um bom local para estabelecer uma nova população da laverca do Raso. A zona litoral das Terras Salgadas é um local potencial para este efeito, uma vez que é um Parque Nacional, protegido por lei e apresenta um habitat potencialmente semelhante ao encontrado no Ilhéu do Raso. No presente estudo procedeu-se à avaliação ecológica das Terras Salgadas de modo a avaliar a possibilidade de aí se estabelecer uma nova população da laverca do Raso. Foram selecionadas 4 áreas litorais (cada uma com 25ha) que foram caracterizadas quanto ao tipo de ocupação do solo, à flora e à fauna, através de pontos de amostragem, transectos lineares, captura de ratos e contagem de insectos nocturnos. Foi dada particular atenção aos factores favoráveis à sobrevivência da cotovia-do-Raso (presença de plantas e insectos de que se alimenta e de locais favoráveis à nidificação) bem como àqueles que constituem riscos (influência humana e presença de predadores). Todos estes dados foram georreferenciados e mapeados. Os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que, apesar da existência de factores de risco para a introdução da laverca do Raso, existem pelo menos duas áreas estudadas que reúnem as condições potencialmente adequadas ao estabelecimento bem-sucedido de uma nova população desta espécie.

Business Sphere, Vol. 18, no.2

The biosciences industry significantly impacts Iowa’s economy. Kemin, Integrated DNA Technologies, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Roquette America, Cargill, Monsanto and DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred International are only a few of Iowa’s 1,800 bioscience companies employing more than 83,000 people. Everyday, Kemin and other Iowa life sciences companies seek to commercialize new bioscience innovations. Together with Iowa’s outstanding business climate, a skilled, well educated and adaptable workforce, and an enviable quality of life, Iowa is providing bioscience companies with an exciting new resource to assist us in our endeavors: The Biosciences Alliance of Iowa.