Do flowers wave to attract pollinators? A case study with Silene maritima

To answer the question whether flowers wave to attract pollinators, we determine: (1) the heritability of floral mobility; (2) whether wavy flowers attract more insects; (3) does the duration of pollination affect seed set; and (4) the relationship between seed set and floral mobility. The pollination ecology of Silene maritima was investigated. Flowers on stalks of different waviness were used to investigate the effect of floral movement on pollinator visits. There is heritable variation in both direct and indirect estimates of floral mobility. The highest insect total visitation times were associated with medium length thin stalks that were visited more frequently and by more insect species. Although mean individual visit durations were less than those of less mobile flowers, this was compensated for by increased visits. Observations of controlled pollinations show that when the visit times are low, so is seed set and therefore low and high mobility flowers might suffer from reduced fitness. Combining these observations provides a mechanism that could be driving stabilizing selection for flower stalk traits, with a trade-off applying between waving to attract pollinators and not being too mobile as to prevent effective pollination. Further evidence for stabilizing selection is provided by the relationship observed in the field between seed set and floral mobility where the highest levels of fitness was associated with intermediate levels of floral waving.     

Is ethnicity a meaningful category of employment policies for Roma? A comparative case study of Hungary and Spain

This paper aims to inquire into the potential of active labour market policies (LMP) to reach out to unemployed Roma population in Hungary and in Spain. While in Hungary unemployed Roma people are mainly thought to be reached through mainstream measures, Spain represents a more complex regime with an emphasis on ethnically targeted programmes. Our analysis draws on a wider comparative research project (NEUJOBS) conducted in 2012/2013 and provides an insight into how LMP function locally for unemployed Roma. We conclude that there are two intersecting challenges regarding the success of LMP that aim to influence the employment situation of the Roma: the targeting strategies and the quality and complexity of the programmes’ design. Our empirical data suggest that both aspects need to be given equal attention in order to promote the inclusion of the Roma into the labour market.     

Is acetylcholinesterase a pertinent biomarker to detect exposure of pyrethroids? A study case with deltamethrin

The possibility to use acetylcholinesterase as biomarker of exposure to deltamethrin insecticide in the honeybee, Apis mellifera were considered. Joined actions of deltamethrin and pirimicarb (carbamate), alone or in association (dual treatment), were investigated on AChE activity in surviving and dead honeybees in order to test its reliability as biomarker. All treatments induced a reduction in tissue AChE activity in dead bees. In surviving bees, deltamethrin treatment induced an important increase of AChE activity that is not abolished by pirimicarb treatment. The analysis of AChE forms revealed an increase in the soluble form in surviving and dead bees and an increase of the membrane form in surviving bees. No direct effect of deltamethrin on soluble and membrane AChE was observed in vitro. The important increase in AChE activity in response to deltamethrin, not altered by pirimicarb treatment, suggests that AChE activity could represent a robust biomarker specific to deltamethrin exposure in living bees.     

Are vectors able to learn about their hosts? A case study with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

The way in which vectors distribute themselves amongst their hosts has important epidemiological consequences. While the role played by active host choice is largely unquestioned, current knowledge relates mostly to the innate response of vectors towards stimuli signalling the presence or quality of their hosts. Many of those cues, however, can be unpredictable, and therefore prevent the incorporation of the appropriate response into the vector's behavioural repertoire unless some sort of associative learning is possible. We performed a wide range of laboratory experiments to test the learning abilities of the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Mosquitoes were exposed to choice procedures in (1) an olfactomenter and (2) a 'visual arena'. Our goal was to determine whether the mosquitoes were able to associate unconditional stimuli (blood feeding, human breath, vibration and electrical shock) with particular odours (citral, carvone, citronella oil and eugenol) and visual patterns (horizontal or vertical black bars) to which they had been previously observed to be responsive. We found no evidence supporting the hypothesis that associative learning abilities are present in adult Ae. aegypti. We discuss the possibilities that the assays employed were either inappropriate or insufficient to detect associative learning, or that associative learning is not possible in this species.     

Do different parasite species interact in their effects on host fitness? A case study on parasites of the amphipod Paracalliope fluviatilis

There is a gap in our understanding of the relative and interactive effects of different parasite species on the same host population. Here we examine the effects of the acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus galaxii, an unidentified cyclophyllidean cestode, and the trematodes Coitocaecum parvum and Microphallus sp. on several fitness components of the amphipod Paracalliope fluviatilis, using a combination of infection surveys and both survival and behavioural trials. In addition to significant relationships between specific parasites and measures of amphipod survival, maturity, mating success and behaviour, interactions between parasite species with respect to amphipod photophilia were also significant. While infection by either A. galaxii or C. parvum was associated with increased photophilia, such increases were negated by co-infection with Microphallus sp. We hypothesize that this is due to the more subtle manipulative effect of A. galaxii and C. parvum being impaired by Microphallus sp. We conclude that the low frequency at which such double infections occur in our sampled population means that such interactions are unlikely to be important beyond the scale of the host individual. Whether or not this is generally true, implying that parasitological models and theory based on single parasite species studies do generally hold, requires cross-species meta-analytical studies.     

How do biodiversity and conservation values relate to landscape preferences? A case study from the Swiss Alps

The importance of the values underlying different concepts of biodiversity conservation and landscape planning is increasingly recognised, and yet these value judgements of the public and of experts are still poorly understood. Although landscape and conservation management are closely interrelated and measures in one field are likely to have effects on the other, the relationship between biodiversity and conservation values on the one hand, and landscape preferences on the other hand, has been hardly explored so far. This study represents a first attempt to empirically examine this relationship from an integrated perspective, considering philosophical, ecological and economic aspects and using items focused on biodiversity. We used a quantitative survey of the general Swiss population with visualisations of potential landscape developments in the Swiss Alps and items related to biodiversity- and conservation-values. Our research shows that respondents who prefer reforested landscapes tend to be more concerned about the conservation of species, landscapes, and natural processes than people preferring cultural landscapes. Respondents who prefer cultural landscapes are more oriented towards utilitarian values and are overrepresented in mountain areas as compared to the lowlands, thus in areas that are more likely to become the target of conservation measures. Our findings have practical implications for conservation in Switzerland and other mountainous areas, particularly in times of agricultural decline and land abandonment and their associated changes in landscape and biodiversity.     

Is a grassland community composed of coexisting species with low and high spatial mobility?

Patterns of grasslands species mobility were compared between communities and within plant species. Data from high spatial resolution permanent plots with fine scale recording system, experiment with removal of the dominant recorded also at a fine scale were used. The permanent plots showed large variation within a community in the patterns of species mobility. The species mobility was partly dependent on the site and was higher in a more nutrient rich and climatically more favourable community. Mobility also varied within species. In some species (Nardus stricta, Anthoxanthum spp.) it differed between communities (it was higher in more nutrient rich and climatically more favourable community) and did not respond to removal of the dominant species. In another species,Festuca rubra, mobility also differed between plots; in contrast, it did not show consistent variation attributable to community type and showed strongly increased spatial persistence in plots with the dominant species removed. In this species the mobility seems to be dependent on the competitive pressure of the coexisting species.     

Do agri-environmental schemes contribute to high nature value farmland? A case study in Emilia-Romagna (Italy)

The objective of the paper is to determine whether the agri-environmental schemes included in the rural development programme of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) have played a role in enhancing the nature value of farmland in that region. An indicator is developed for biodiversity friendly farming practices (BFFP) and its level and distribution at the municipality level is measured, using data derived from the two last national agricultural censuses, year 2000 and 2010. Thereafter, the relationship between BFFP and participation in rural development measures is analysed by way of spatial econometric techniques. The main result of the paper are consistent with the expectation that RDPs have an impact on how BFFP changes. However, measures supporting organic farming contribute to the evolution of its distribution in a positive manner, whilst the other measures investigated, such as integrated production, do not. The paper also highlights the fact that these effects have significant spatial correlations.     

Are certain habitats better every year? A review and a case study on birds of prey

Although habitat studies are essential for species management, little is known about temporal and spatial variation in the wildlife-habitat relationships. This paper explores annual variation in habitat preferences of and relative quality for diurnal raptors and owls. A review of 772 published sources showed that habitat×year interaction had been analysed in only 10% of habitat quality and 5% of habitat preference studies. Two major factors behind the year-effects were the fluctuations in rainfall and prey base, which together influenced a wide variety of species. Yet, 67% of studies had pooled data from different years and 17% relied on data from only one year. The conclusions of the review were validated by analysing a typical situation for which habitat×year interactions could be expected – habitat quality in a vole-specialized raptor, the common buzzard Buteo buteo , in an area of regularly fluctuating vole abundance. According to eleven-year data, the relationships between buzzard productivity and landscape characteristics were distinct between years. Habitat impact was more clear during vole-poor years, when successful buzzards bred in landscapes having diverse land cover, no wetlands and no conspecifics around. In contrast, during vole peaks, better young production was related to homogeneous landscapes. When years were pooled, the relationships were concealed and habitat quality model became not significant. Selecting 'poor-year habitat' or 'rich-year habitat' seemed to give a similar reproductive output for the buzzards in the long-term. The results indicate that one-year approaches to wildlife-habitat relationships can easily lead to erroneous conclusions, significant habitat relationships may become lost in pooled data, and the most typical situations that need annually explicit approach can be recognized while planning the studies.     

A holomorph approach to xiphosuran evolution—a case study on the ontogeny of Euproops

Specimens of Euproops sp. (Xiphosura, Chelicerata) from the Carboniferous Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany, represent a relatively complete growth series of 10 stages. Based on this growth sequence, morphological changes throughout the ontogeny can be identified. The major change affects the shape of the epimera of the opisthosoma. In earlier stages, they appear very spine-like, whereas in later stages the bases of these spine-like structures become broader; the broadened bases are then successively drawn out distally. In the most mature stage known, the epimera are of trapezoidal shape and approach each other closely to form a complete flange around the thoracetron (=fused tergites of the opisthosoma). These ontogenetic changes question the taxonomic status of different species of Euproops, as the latter appear to correspond to different stages of the ontogenetic series reconstructed from the Piesberg specimens. This means that supposed separate species could, in fact, represent different growth stages of a single species. It could alternatively indicate that heterochrony (=evolutionary change of developmental timing) plays an important role in the evolution of Xiphosura. We propose a holomorph approach, i.e., reconstructing ontogenetic sequences for fossil and extant species as a sound basis for a taxonomic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary discussion of Xiphosura.     

Do plant populations on distinct inselbergs talk to each other? A case study of genetic connectivity of a bromeliad species in an Ocbil landscape

Here, we explore the historical and contemporaneous patterns of connectivity among Encholirium horridum populations located on granitic inselbergs in an Ocbil landscape within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, using both nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers. Beyond to assess the E. horridum population genetic structure, we built species distribution models across four periods (current conditions, mid‐Holocene, Last Glacial Maximum [LGM], and Last Interglacial) and inferred putative dispersal corridors using a least‐cost path analysis to elucidate biogeographic patterns. Overall, high and significant genetic divergence was estimated among populations for both nuclear and plastid DNA (Φ_ST(n) = 0.463 and Φ_ST(plastid) = 0.961, respectively, p < .001). For nuclear genome, almost total absence of genetic admixture among populations and very low migration rates were evident, corroborating with the very low estimates of immigration and emigration rates observed among E. horridum populations. Based on the cpDNA results, putative dispersal routes in Sugar Loaf Land across cycles of climatic fluctuations in the Quaternary period revealed that the populations’ connectivity changed little during those events. Genetic analyses highlighted the low genetic connectivity and long‐term persistence of populations, and the founder effect and genetic drift seemed to have been very important processes that shaped the current diversity and genetic structure observed in both genomes. The genetic singularity of each population clearly shows the need for in situ conservation of all of them.     

Impact of fluorination on proteolytic stability of peptides: a case study with α-chymotrypsin and pepsin

Protease stability is a key consideration in the development of peptide-based drugs. A major approach to increase the bioavailability of pharmacologically active peptides is the incorporation of non-natural amino acids. Due to the unique properties of fluorine, fluorinated organic molecules have proven useful in the development of therapeutically active small molecules as well as in materials and crop science. This study presents data on the ability of fluorinated amino acids to influence proteolytic stability when present in peptide sequences that are based on ideal protease substrates. Different model peptides containing fluorinated amino acids or ethylglycine in the P2, P1′or P2′ positions were designed according to the specificities of the serine protease, α-chymotrypsin (EC 3.4.21.1) or the aspartic protease, pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1). The proteolytic stability of the peptides toward these enzymes was determined by an analytical RP-HPLC assay with fluorescence detection and compared to a control sequence. Molecular modeling was used to support the interpretation of the structure–activity relationship based on the analysis of potential ligand-enzyme interactions. Surprisingly, an increase in proteolytic stability was observed only in a few cases. Thus, this systematic study shows that the proteolytic stability of fluorinated peptides is not predictable, but rather is a very complex phenomenon that depends on the particular enzyme, the position of the substitution relative to the cleavage site and the fluorine content of the side chain.     

Do plant families with contrasting functional traits show similar patterns of endemism? A case study with Central African Orchidaceae and Rubiaceae

The influence of functional traits on floristic patterns remains poorly understood in tropical rain forests. This contribution explores whether patterns of endemism of plant species are influenced by their life form and mode of dispersal. We used a comprehensive dataset of 3650 georeferenced plant specimens collected in Cameroon belonging to 115 taxa of Orchidaceae and 207 Rubiaceae endemic to Atlantic Central Africa. Species diversity of each family was compared using raw species richness (SR) and an index of species diversity (S _k ) using subsampling procedure to correct for sampling bias. Measures were compared at three scales (square grids of one half-degree and one-degree per side and ecoregions) and according to elevation and continentality gradients. Species similarity between grid cells was measured using the sample-size corrected NNESS index. For both families, SR and S _k decreased along the continentality gradient. In forest habitats below 1500 m altitude, both Orchidaceae and Rubiaceae show similar endemism patterns, but they differ in intensity. At higher altitudes, S _k is higher for orchids due to the presence of endemic terrestrial taxa in grasslands, where the endemic Rubiaceae flora is rather poor. Substantial endemism observed at the ecoregion level and turnover analysis supported the role of the Sanaga River as a phytogeographical boundary. Similar endemism patterns were observed in lowland forests for Orchidaceae and Rubiaceae, even though Orchidaceae are assumed to have better long distance dispersal capabilities. The dispersal ability of Orchidaceae could be limited by the need of specific mycorhizal fungi for seed germination or host specificity for epiphytic orchids.     

Can smart factories bring environmental benefits to their products?: A case study of household refrigerators

Smart factories have been widely adopted as a new manufacturing paradigm, in which the state‐of‐the‐art technologies are introduced to improve relevant processes. Yet, whether smart factories affect the environmental performance remains unknown. In this article, we examine the environmental performance of a smart refrigerator factory by comparing the environmental impacts of its product to a similar model that is produced in a traditional fashion. This article quantifies and verifies the theoretically predicted impacts of this smart factory on the individual processes. Though the overall differences in the two models are quite minor, we find that this smart factory can notably reduce the values of most impact categories associated with the parts and refrigerator production; the reduction in the value of climate change is 33%. Owing to higher material efficiency—raw material savings in this smart factory contributes to the greatest reductions in most categorized impacts—the contribution to the reduction of climate change is 39%. Yet, all categorized impacts of procurement and delivery are increased due to product personalization and direct delivery. The results of sensitivity analysis show that promoting product modularity, adopting clean energy such as wind power can further improve the environmental performance of the selected refrigerator. The introduction of auxiliary equipment and systems slightly increases the value of each category; yet their impacts are negligible compared to their benefits as facilitating production efficiency. Based on the quantitative results, recommendations are given to improve the environmental performance of smart factory, including optimizing current strategies and promoting horizontal and end‐to‐end integration.     

Do interactions between plant and soil biota change with elevation? A study on Fagus sylvatica

Theoretical models predict weakening of negative biotic interactions and strengthening of positive interactions with increasing abiotic stress. However, most empirical tests have been restricted to plant-plant interactions. No empirical study has examined theoretical predictions of interactions between plants and below-ground micro-organisms, although soil biota strongly regulates plant community composition and dynamics. We examined variability in soil biota effects on tree regeneration across an abiotic gradient. Our candidate tree species was European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), whose regeneration is extremely responsive to soil biota activity. In a greenhouse experiment, we measured tree survival in sterilized and non-sterilized soils collected across an elevation gradient in the French Alps. Negative effects of soil biota on tree survival decreased with elevation, similar to shifts observed in plant-plant interactions. Hence, soil biota effects must be included in theoretical models of plant biotic interactions to accurately represent and predict the effects of abiotic gradient on plant communities.     

Can ecosystem services be integrated with conservation? A case study of breeding waders on grassland

We review published studies to show that changes in soil moisture levels have significant impacts on a range of wading bird species that use UK lowland grassland, including wet grassland, and obtain their food predominantly by probing the soil. We examine both the hydrological and the ecological literature and assess how management options could alter (1) ecosystem services (via water quality and flooding) and (2) habitat quality for wading birds. The combination of biodiversity goals with broader ecosystem services has been widely advocated and we suggest that appropriate management at multiple scales (e.g. small‐scale: ponds; large‐scale: integrated washlands) could potentially provide both ecosystem services and habitat for wading grassland birds. However, there is only a limited base of evidence on which to assess the potential linkage between these two areas, particularly for non‐wading bird species. Future work should be directed at identifying (1) how crop yield, ecosystem services and biodiversity relate to each other, (2) the extent of land needed to be managed to benefit these multiple purposes and bring about measurable gain (e.g. one or two ponds may make significant inroads in reducing run‐off and pollution but make little difference to wading birds) and (3) solutions to the challenges of setting up management options at large spatial scales (e.g. catchments).     

How do caterpillars cope with xenobiotics? The case of Mythimna unipuncta,a species with low susceptibility to Bt

Mythimna unipuncta is a species with low susceptibility to the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin, and this insect occasionally causes devastating damage to maize. In the study region, M. unipuncta‐developed larvae were observed moving from a non‐Bt crop to a nearby Bt crop. Although the first response of many caterpillars to xenobiotics, such as the Bt toxin, is to reduce food intake and prolong development, few studies have focused on the causes and consequences of this response in terms of resistance evolution. To clarify the causes of this response, this work compared changes in the feeding behaviour, cytochrome P450 expression and juvenile hormone titre during the last larval instar of M. unipuncta after Bt ingestion. Four P450 enzymes related to the xenobiotic metabolism of the CYP9 and CYP6 families were identified. Developed larvae fed the Bt diet reduced their food intake and CYP9 expression, experienced prolonged development and presented an altered juvenile hormone balance. The CYP9s were not increased in the larvae that consumed Bt, as previously expected, although their highest expression was observed when larval feeding increased. The high recovery capacity of the larvae contributed to their development when they were fed a non‐Bt diet. The efficiency of responses that act jointly as a defence mechanism against Bt might favour the development of field resistance to the toxin. Therefore, these responses should be further investigated for resistance management programmes.     

Rare and common species are doomed by climate change? A case study with neotropical butterflies and their host plants

Journal of Insect Conservation - Climate change is currently considered one key threat to biodiversity. Species with a restricted distribution possibly will be more affected than those with wide...