Is there a trade-off between egg weight and clutch size in wild Lesser Snow Geese (Anser c. caerulescens)?

Previous studies of arctic nesting geese suggest that laying is limited by the size of a female's body reserves and that larger eggs contain more nutrients. These observations imply a life-history trade-off between egg size and clutch size which may give rise to a negative genetic correlation between the two characters. We estimated the genetic correlation between egg weight and clutch size using measurements from mothers and their daughters in a wild population of Lesser Snow Geese Anser caerulescens caerulescens. Between 65 and 80 % of the variance in egg weight is attributable to differences between individuals, and heritability of egg weight is about 60 %. In contrast, 10–20 % of the variance in clutch size is attributable to differences between individuals, and heritability of clutch size is about 15 %. The genetic correlation coefficient between egg weight and clutch size ranges from 0.09 to 0.32 and does not differ significantly from zero. We discuss the possible reasons for the lack of the expected negative genetic correlation.     

Shrinking body sizes in response to warming: explanations for the temperature–size rule with special emphasis on the role of oxygen

Body size is central to ecology at levels ranging from organismal fecundity to the functioning of communities and ecosystems. Understanding temperature-induced variations in body size is therefore of fundamental and applied interest, yet thermal responses of body size remain poorly understood. Temperature–size (T–S) responses tend to be negative (e.g. smaller body size at maturity when reared under warmer conditions), which has been termed the temperature–size rule (TSR). Explanations emphasize either physiological mechanisms (e.g. limitation of oxygen or other resources and temperature-dependent resource allocation) or the adaptive value of either a large body size (e.g. to increase fecundity) or a short development time (e.g. in response to increased mortality in warm conditions). Oxygen limitation could act as a proximate factor, but we suggest it more likely constitutes a selective pressure to reduce body size in the warm: risks of oxygen limitation will be reduced as a consequence of evolution eliminating genotypes more prone to oxygen limitation. Thus, T–S responses can be explained by the ‘Ghost of Oxygen-limitation Past’, whereby the resulting (evolved) T–S responses safeguard sufficient oxygen provisioning under warmer conditions, reflecting the balance between oxygen supply and demands experienced by ancestors. T–S responses vary considerably across species, but some of this variation is predictable. Body-size reductions with warming are stronger in aquatic taxa than in terrestrial taxa. We discuss whether larger aquatic taxa may especially face greater risks of oxygen limitation as they grow, which may be manifested at the cellular level, the level of the gills and the whole-organism level. In contrast to aquatic species, terrestrial ectotherms may be less prone to oxygen limitation and prioritize early maturity over large size, likely because overwintering is more challenging, with concomitant stronger end-of season time constraints. Mechanisms related to time constraints and oxygen limitation are not mutually exclusive explanations for the TSR. Rather, these and other mechanisms may operate in tandem. But their relative importance may vary depending on the ecology and physiology of the species in question, explaining not only the general tendency of negative T–S responses but also variation in T–S responses among animals differing in mode of respiration (e.g. water breathers versus air breathers), genome size, voltinism and thermally associated behaviour (e.g. heliotherms).     

Life history correlations: why are hymenopteran parasitoids an exception?

This study compares the life histories of five hymenopteran species (genus Leptopilina ), and aims to identify reasons why developmental time and life span are not correlated in parasitic Hymenoptera, a relationship that is present in many other taxa. Developmental time, life span, body size, and related traits were measured in female parasitoids that eclosed either from hosts of a standard species or from the host species that are naturally used. Phylogenetic controlled tests revealed that body size was positively correlated with fat reserves, starvation time, and egg load. Developmental time was neither correlated with life span nor correlated to host developmental time. We suggest two mechanisms that affect a potential relationship between developmental time and life span in Leptopilina : (i) delayed emergence in species that live in a stochastic environment (fungi), and (ii) host species related plasticity for growth rates. Additionally, variable adult feeding conditions have large effects on life span measures.     

兰州市典型绿化树种叶性状间的权衡关系

植物叶性状的权衡关系反映了植物对环境的高度适应性及其在复杂生境下的自我调控能力,了解半干旱区城市绿化树种叶性状间的权衡关系,比较不同生长型(针叶和阔叶)树种异速生长的差异有助于进一步认识植物的进化机制。以兰州市典型绿化树种(13种针叶树和47种阔叶树)为对象,测量部分叶性状,采用标准化主轴估计和系统独立比较分析的方法比较不同性状间的权衡关系。结果表明:不同生长型树种叶面积、叶体积与叶片干重之间均为等速生长关系,针叶和阔叶树种间并无显著差异;叶厚与叶面积间为"此消彼长"的权衡关系,但并不显著;阔叶叶长与叶宽间异速生长斜率为0.764。兰州市典型绿化树种叶性状间的权衡可能是长期适应黄土高原特殊生境的自适应过程,也说明部分性状间存在协变关系,阔叶绿化树种的权衡表明其符合"快速投资-收益"特征。