Pair Swimming and Mutual Partner Guarding in Monogamous Butterflyfish (Pisces,Chaetodontidae): a Joint Advertisement for Territory

The ecology and social systems of Red Sea butterflyfish were studied along the Sinai coast. Distribution, population density and sociography indicate a preponderance of monogamy in all species, independent of reef zonation and seasonal or long-term changes of the reef environment. The social and mating systems are mutual monogamy; partners remain together for up to 6 years. Links between the monogamy and benthic habits of these fish are indicated by their feeding ecology and by a comparison with Indopacific plankton-feeding species, which usually occur in groups. Territories are defended pairwise. Pair partners nearly always remain within visual contact, but a species-typical distance apart. Pair swimming is independent of season or time of day. Experimental partner removals led to speedy replacement of mates. Possible causes of high partner permanency with little partner fidelity are discussed. In good habitats, single territorial adults do not occur. They would be unable to defend and maintain a territory over long periods. While cooperating in defence and maintenance of a territory, each individual can exploit the resources of the territory including availability of a mate. Pair swimming with mutual partner guarding is considered a joint territorial advertisement similar to duetting in birds; it minimizes agonistic interactions between territory holders. As butterflyfish have planktonic larvae without any broodcare, monogamy could not have evolved in response to broodcare activities as in many other vertebrate groups.     

Studies in Stomatal Behaviour: VIII. STOMATAL RESPONSES TO TEMPERATURE AND CARBON DIOXIDE CONCENTRATION IN ALLIUM CEPA L., AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO MID-DAY CLOSURE

It has been reported in the literature that onion leaf stomatatend to close at noon (Loftfield, 1921) and that the minimumcarbon dioxide concentration () in onion leaf tissue rises from0.012 per cent to 0.024 per cent. When the leaf temperatureincreases from 30°C. to 35°C (light intensity 900.f.c.)(Heath and Orchard, 1957). Experiments were therefore carried out of test the hypothesisthat raising the left temperature above about 30°C. causesstomatal closing movements in onion leaves (e.g. mid-day closure)by increasing the carbon dioxide concentration in the leaf tissue.This hypothesis has been supported by the results of these experiments.Another and diametrically opposed effect of temperature on stomatalmovements in onion leaves has, however, been discovered, Namelythat, provided the final width of stomatal pores.     

Identification and characterization of 17 microsatellite primers for the tick,Ixodes ricinus,using enriched genomic libraries

Ixodes ricinus is the main vector for important infectious diseases in both humans and in animals. Microsatellite loci were isolated from a dinucleotide‐enriched library made from I. ricinus sampled in Norway. Seventeen polymorphic microsatellites were further characterized among 24 individuals sampled from an island in the Oslofjord region. The number of observed alleles ranged from two to 17 and the observed heterozygosities between 0.10 and 0.83. Analysis of family materials gives evidence of non‐Mendelian inheritance of several of the characterized loci, among which most could be explained by presence of null alleles.     

Ancient DNA reveals traces of Iberian Neolithic and Bronze Age lineages in modern Iberian horses

Multiple geographical regions have been proposed for the domestication of Equus caballus . It has been suggested, based on zooarchaeological and genetic analyses that wild horses from the Iberian Peninsula were involved in the process, and the overrepresentation of mitochondrial D1 cluster in modern Iberian horses supports this suggestion. To test this hypothesis, we analysed mitochondrial DNA from 22 ancient Iberian horse remains belonging to the Neolithic, the Bronze Age and the Middle Ages, against previously published sequences. Only the medieval Iberian sequence appeared in the D1 group. Neolithic and Bronze Age sequences grouped in other clusters, one of which (Lusitano group C) is exclusively represented by modern horses of Iberian origin. Moreover, Bronze Age Iberian sequences displayed the lowest nucleotide diversity values when compared with modern horses, ancient wild horses and other ancient domesticates using nonparametric bootstrapping analyses. We conclude that the excessive clustering of Bronze Age horses in the Lusitano group C, the observed nucleotide diversity and the local continuity from wild Neolithic Iberian to modern Iberian horses, could be explained by the use of local wild mares during an early Iberian domestication or restocking event, whereas the D1 group probably was introduced into Iberia in later historical times.     

Adverse effects of agricultural intensification and climate change on breeding habitat quality of Black‐tailed Godwits Limosa l. limosa in the Netherlands

Agricultural intensification is one of the main drivers of farmland bird declines, but effects on birds may be confounded with those of climate change. Here we examine the effects of intensification and climate change on a grassland breeding wader, the Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa l. limosa, in the Netherlands. Population decline has been linked to poor chick survival which, in turn, has been linked to available foraging habitat. Foraging habitat of the nidifugous chicks consists of uncut grasslands that provide cover and arthropod prey. Conservation measures such as agri‐environment schemes aim to increase the availability of chick foraging habitat but have not yet been successful in halting the decline. Field observations show that since the early 1980s, farmers advanced their first seasonal mowing or grazing date by 15 days, whereas Godwits did not advance their hatching date. Ringing data indicate that between 1945 and 1975 hatching dates advanced by about 2 weeks in parallel with the advancement of median mowing dates. Surprisingly, temperature sums at median mowing and hatching dates suggest that while the agricultural advancement before 1980 was largely due to agricultural intensification, after 1980 it was largely due to climate change. Examining arthropod abundance in a range of differently managed grasslands revealed that chick food abundance was little affected but that food accessibility in intensively used tall swards may be problematic for chicks. Our results suggest that, compared with 25 years ago, nowadays (1) a much higher proportion of clutches and chicks are exposed to agricultural activities, (2) there is little foraging habitat left when chicks hatch and (3) because of climate change, the vegetation in the remaining foraging habitat is taller and denser and therefore of lower quality. This indicates that for agri‐environment schemes to make a difference, they should not only be implemented in a larger percentage of the breeding area than the current maxima of 20–30% but they should also include measures that create more open, accessible swards.     

Foraging guild membership explains variation in waterbird responses to the hydrological regime of an arid‐region flood‐pulse river in Namibia

1. Little is known about hydrological influences on tropical waterbird communities. We used a 16‐year data set (1991–2007) of waterbird censuses, together with a classification of observed species into foraging guilds, to explore the relationships between natural variations in flow regime, foraging guild and the community composition of waterbirds at the Okavango River in the Caprivi Strip of north‐eastern Namibia, southern Africa. 2. We addressed three hypotheses to explain variation in waterbird community composition: (i) exploitation (birds move towards resource‐rich patches to exploit periods of high food abundance); (ii) escapism (declines in regional habitat quality force birds to aggregate in perennial waterbodies); and (iii) interaction (bird assemblages are dominated by intra‐ and interspecific interactions, such as flock formation for breeding or moulting, that can be explained better by life history demands or competition than by resource availability). 3. Waterbirds in different foraging guilds responded strongly but at different periods to changes in the hydrological environment, creating a complex but predictable successional pattern in community composition through time. Deep‐water feeders responded fastest (abundance peaking 2 months post‐flood), followed by shallow‐water feeders (4 months) and emergent vegetation feeders (7 months). Species that forage on short vegetation or in mud showed a bimodal response with peaks in abundance at 3 and 8 months post‐flood. 4. Our results indicated a strong effect of the local flow regime and hence supported the exploitation hypothesis. The foraging guild approach allowed us to identify clear patterns in a highly complex ecosystem and shows considerable promise as an analytical tool for similar data sets. Our results further suggest that while the entire bird community will be affected by hydrological alterations such as impoundments, water extraction and climate change, deep‐water feeders may be one of the most vulnerable groups.     

Multicriteria Evaluation of Wildlife Management Units in Campeche,Mexico

Abstract: Since 1997 the Mexican government has promoted Management Units for Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wildlife (UMAs) on private and community lands as an economically attractive mean for the conservation of biodiversity. To date, compliance of UMAs with stated sustainability goals has not been evaluated. Thus, we designed multicriteria evaluation framework based on the stated objectives of the national UMA program and applied it to a sample of 6 UMAs operating in peasant communities near or in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico. Evaluation criteria covered thematic areas of environment, economy, social development, and laws and rules. We formulated 15 criteria with 29 indicators, and 133 verifiers. Data for the verifiers were based on direct observation, interviews with key actors in the peasant communities, participation in regional meetings, scrutiny of government reports, and databases. We calculated sustainability indexes by weighting, summing, and standardizing verifiers to percentage scales, and aggregating to the successive higher hierarchical levels of the evaluation framework. We found an average overall sustainability index of 45.7% for the UMAs evaluated. Scores were highest for the environment thematic area (55.2%), followed by economy (43.4%), social development (42.3%), and laws and rules (41.7%). We observed particularly low indicators for management strategies, habitat monitoring, environmental education, and knowledge of wildlife laws. We conclude that the contribution of UMAs to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity could be improved by a number of actions. These include developing wildlife management educational programs with a strong environmental legislation component, the correct enforcement of wildlife laws, and creating country-wise links among academic and governmental institutions promoting the work with regional and national wildlife experts.     

Spatio-temporal population genetics of the Danish pine marten (Martes martes)

A spatio-temporal study of genetic variation in the Danish pine marten ( Martes martes ) populations from the Jutland peninsula and from the island of Sealand was performed using 11 microsatellite markers. Samples obtained from 1892 to 2003 were subdivided into historical (prior to 1970) and recent (from 1970) groups. As compared with the historical samples, there was a significant loss of genetic variation in the recent Jutland population, but not in Sealand. Effective population sizes were estimated using Bayesian-based software (TMVP). Historical effective population sizes were 5897 (90% highest probability density, HPD, limits: 1502–6849) in Jutland and 1300 (90% HPD limits: 224–5929) in Sealand, whereas recent effective population sizes were 14.7 (90% HPD limits: 10.9–23.5) in Jutland and 802 (90% HPD limits: 51.8–5510) in Sealand. Significant genetic differentiation ( F _ST) was found between the two historical samples, between the two recent samples, and between the historical and the recent sample in Jutland; whereas the F _ST value between the historical and the recent sample in Sealand was not significant. The significant genetic differentiation between the historical and the recent samples indicates changes in the genetic compositions over time, and the higher F _ST values between the two recent samples, as compared with the two historical samples, indicates that the populations in Sealand and Jutland have drifted apart within a short time span. No deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium was found within populations, indicating no further substructuring.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 93 , 457–464.     

Pollination efficiency and reproductive patterns in relation to local plant density,population size,and floral display in the rewarding Listera ovata (Orchidaceae)

Pollination efficiency and reproductive success vary strongly among populations of most animal‐pollinated plant species, depending on their size and local density, whereas individual plants within populations experience varying levels of reproductive output as a result of differences in floral display. Although most orchid species have been shown to be severely pollination limited, few studies have investigated the impact of the above‐mentioned factors on pollination success and reproduction, especially in rewarding species. In this study, the impact of population size, local density of flowering plants, and floral display on the rates of pollinia export and fruit production was investigated in 13 natural populations of the rewarding terrestrial orchid Listera ovata. In addition, an emasculation experiment was set up to examine how floral display and local density of flowering plants affected the relative importance of cross‐ vs. geitonogamous pollination in determining fruit set. In the studied populations, pollination efficiency, pollen removal, and fruit set increased with increasing population size until a threshold value of 30–40 flowering plants was reached, above which pollination efficiency and reproductive output decreased again. On average, plants with large floral displays showed higher proportional pollinia removal and fruit set compared with smaller plants. Fruit production was also significantly and positively related to local plant density, whereas emasculation did not affect the relationship between local plant density and fruit set, suggesting that geitonogamous pollination did not affect the outcome of female function. The results of this study are discussed in the light of the flowering mechanism of the species and its generalized pollination system. © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 157 , 713–721.