Zur Abhängigkeit des Putzens von der Konzentration der Zuckerlösung bei der Gemeinen Wespe (Paravespula vulgaris)

Several activities of foraging wasps (Paravespula vulgaris) collecting sucrose solution at an artificial food source are described. The concentration of the solution has an influence on the number of preening movements performed per unit time (= rate of preening). The rate of preening as a function of the concentration is explained in a quantitative manner using a diagram which corresponds to the disinhibition hypothesis for displacement activities.     

Vigilance during Preening in Coots Fulica atra

In birds, vigilance during feeding is usually linked with (1) the many‐eyes‐hypothesis, (2) the dilution effect, and (3) the intraspecific scramble competition hypothesis. To exclude competition for resources as a driving force in vigilance research into activities other than feeding is necessary. Additionally, variables such as nearest neighbour distance and position within a flock are supposed to influence vigilance and vigilance of singletons should be compared with vigilance of flock members. I studied vigilance during preening in Eurasian Coots (Fulica atra) and counted the number of scans per minute. A total number of 117 coots were sampled with 16 of them preening alone. Coots preening alone showed a significantly higher scan rate. I found a significant negative correlation between vigilance and flock size while nearest neighbour distance correlated positively with vigilance. Further, vigilance was higher in individuals at the edge. A general linear model using nearest neighbour distance and flock size within 10 m as covariates also revealed a significant influence of flock size but not of nearest neighbour distance. The centre‐edge effect still remained significant. These results indicate that flock size is the most influential predictor of vigilance in preening coots, followed by spatial organization. However, using nearest neighbour distance instead of flock size also produced a significant model as did the flock size measurement within a radius of 20 m. As scramble competition could be ruled out, the flock size effect may be indeed related to predation.     

Influence of estuarine and continental shelf water advection on the coastal movements of apron ray Discopyge tschudii in the Southwestern Atlantic

Evaluated was the seasonal and inter‐annual association between habitat variables and distribution pattern of the apron ray (Discopyge tschudii) and its relationship, with the main force on the environmental condition to understand the influence of estuarine and continental shelf processes in the coastal fishes of the Southwestern Atlantic Coastal System (34°–41°S). Two winter and five spring research surveys in the SACS were analyzed and the Perry and Smith methodology applied to determine the seasonal association of depth, temperature and salinity and the abundance of apron ray. The season with the highest inter‐annual spatial distribution variation was related to the main external force on environmental conditions (e.g. wind, atmospheric temperature, and Río de la Plata discharge and shelf water intrusion). Apron ray showed persistent habitat selection, with the water temperature (<16°C) and salinity (higher than 31.8) being environmental factors most influencing its spatial distribution. In the spring, the apron ray spatial distribution showed higher inter‐annual variation than in winter. The persistence of the spring habitat selection of D. tschudii suggests that its onshore‐offshore as well as north‐south movements are influenced by water mass movements forced by a combination of local conditions (wind) and regional‐scale weather patterns (e.g. strength of the Malvinas Current). This study provides evidence on the importance of considering environmental conditions on the spatial distribution of apron ray and improves the knowledge on interactions between estuarine and shelf water dynamics as determinants of the spatial distribution of a coastal fish species in the Southwest Atlantic Coastal System.     

An analysis of displacement preening in the domestic fowl

The preening behaviour of the domestic fowl was filmed under both normal and thwarting conditions. The film was analysed frame by frame and the duration of individual preening movements was measured. It was found that preening movements in the thwarting situation were of shorter duration than those in the normal situation and it was thought that this accounted for the ‘frantic’ appearance of the displacement preening. The pattern of preening also differed in the thwarting situation with plumage areas which were easy to reach receiving more attention than in the control situation.     

Organization rules and timing in kestrel grooming

Grooming bouts were observed for 200 h in two captive American kestrels (Falco sparverius sparverius). Two types of bouts were found, long and short; the bout length distribution for long bouts approximated a geometric distribution, which can be interpreted as a discrete variant of the survival function. Transition rules in long bouts were based on anatomical proximity. Grooming movements clustered together on the basis of anatomical regions and function. Timing processes could either be accounted for by a three-level hierarchy involving two different types of distributions, or a four-level hierarchy of identical distributions. In the former model, grooming acts per cluster, clusters per preening session and preening sessions per bout all yielded frequency distributions of the geometric type, suggesting that grooming could be controlled by a hierarchy of random processes.     

Übersprungputzen bei der Larve vonAeschna cyanea Müll. (Odonata)

Zusammenfassung 1. Wird bei der Larve vonAeschna cyanea Müll. zunächst das beim Beutefangverhalten auftretende Übersprungputzen durch häufiges Auslösen ermüdet, so nimmt die Anzahl der anschließend auslösbaren Schnappreaktionen ab mit der Zunahme der Anzahl der Übersprungputzhandlungen.2. Für eine Erklärung reicht die Übersprunghypothese, wenn sie in zu einfacher Form oder ausschließlich herangezogen wird, nicht aus.

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Displacement preening in the larva ofAeschna cyanea Müll. (Odonata)

Displacement preening in larvae ofAeschna cyanea is performed in the course of searching behaviour whenever a prey-dummy is suddenly removed. Experiments with a group of animals of the same age, size and origin were carried out to show whether or not there is an influence of displacement preening on the prey-catching behaviour performed afterwards. In control tests all animals showed the snapping-response to a certain dummy 700 to 900 times. After a high number of preening actions, a reduction of the snapping activity was observed. The fact that the displacement preening, in contrast to that of the autochthonous preening, influences the prey-catching activity can be interpreted by a sparking-over of the specific action potential; but one should avoid taking a too simple approach to the conception of a sparking-over by the surplus-hypothesis.

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Herrn Professor Dr.Adolf Bückmann zum 65. Geburtstag in Verehrung gewidmet.

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Mit Hilfe der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Quantitative analysis of the importance of wind-induced circulation for the spatial structuring of planktonic populations

1. Several studies have shown that wind‐induced water movements have an important effect on the spatial distribution of crustacean zooplankton. However, few attempts have been made to quantify the effect of physical processes on these broad‐scale patterns. Much of our understanding of this spatial structure has been based on the results of isolated surveys, which do not capture the dynamic nature of the pelagic environment. 2. In this study, we have used a combination of high‐speed sampling (at a spatial resolution of 240 m) and spatial data analysis to quantify the factors influencing the horizontal spatial structure of the Daphnia galeata population in Windermere. 3. The results show that lake‐wide circulation patterns, as indicated by water temperature, account for 29–47% of the basin‐scale spatial variance in D. galeata abundance. However, these patterns are highly dynamic and change in response to the prevailing weather. This lack of temporal persistence means that the results of single‐survey sampling campaigns must be interpreted with caution.     

Internal disinhibition predicts weight regain following weight loss and weight loss maintenance

Objective: The disinhibition scale of the Eating Inventory predicts weight loss outcome; however, it may include multiple factors. The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure of the disinhibition scale and determine how its factors independently relate to long‐term weight loss outcomes. Research Methods and Procedures: Exploratory factor analysis of the disinhibition scale was conducted on 286 participants in a behavioral weight loss trial (TRIM), and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on 3345 members of the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), a registry of successful weight loss maintainers. Multivariate regressions were used to examine the relationships between the disinhibition scale factors and weight over time in both samples. Results: Using baseline data from TRIM, two factors were extracted from the disinhibition scale: 1) an “internal” factor that described eating in response to internal cues, such as feelings and thoughts; and 2) an “external” factor that described eating in response to external cues, such as social events. This factor structure was confirmed using confirmatory factor analysis in the NWCR. In TRIM, internal disinhibition significantly predicted weight loss at 6 months (p = 0.03) and marginally significantly predicted weight loss at 18 months (p = 0.06), with higher levels of internal disinhibition at baseline predicting less weight loss; external disinhibition did not predict weight loss at any time‐point. In NWCR, internal disinhibition significantly predicted one‐year weight change (p = 0.001), while external disinhibition did not. Discussion: These results suggest that it is the disinhibition of eating in response to internal cues that is associated with poorer long‐term weight loss outcomes.     

1980-2018年浑善达克地区防风固沙服务时空变化及其驱动因素

防风固沙服务是干旱半干旱地区生态系统提供的最重要的防护型服务,对风蚀地区及周边区域的生态环境安全具有重要意义。基于修正的土壤风蚀方程（RWEQ）模型模拟了1980-2018年浑善达克地区防风固沙服务的时空变化,利用地理探测器分析了包括数值和类型变量的自然与社会经济因素对该区防风固沙服务空间格局的影响及交互作用。研究结果显示：（1）1980-2018年,单位面积防风固沙量波动下降,2015年单位面积防风固沙量最小,为13.01 kg/m²。同时,防风固沙保有率波动增加,2018年保有率达到最大值,为94.28%;（2）土壤类型、年末牲畜数量、年降水量与人工造林面积是影响防风固沙服务空间变化的主要因素,其中,土壤类型对防风固沙服务空间变化的影响最大,q值为75.15%;（3）各驱动因素间的交互作用都会放大单因子对浑善达克地区防风固沙服务空间分布的影响。其中,年均温对防风固沙服务空间分布变化具有较强的间接影响。因此,在土壤类型、年均温的间接作用下,1980-2018年浑善达克重点生态功能区防风固沙能力整体提高、风蚀程度有所缓解与年均风速、年降水量变化,以及2000年之后京津风沙源工程引起的人工造林面积、年末牲畜数量的空间分布格局变化有密切关系。     

Ventilation rate and behavioural responses of two species of intertidal goby (Pisces: Gobiidae) at extremes of environmental temperature

We investigated the behavioural responses of two gobiid fish species to temperature to determine if differences in behaviour and ventilation rate might explain any apparent vertical zonation. A survey of the shore at Manly, Moreton Bay revealed Favonigobius exquisitus to dominate the lower shore and Pseudogobius sp.4 the upper shore. These species were exposed to a range of temperatures (15–40°C) in aquaria for up to 6 h. At 20 °C F. exquisitus exhibited a mean gill ventilation rate of 26 ± 1.4 bpm (beats per minute) differing significantly from Pseudogobius, which ventilated at a fivefold greater rate of 143 ± 6 bpm. The ventilation rate in F. exquisitus underwent a fivefold increase from normal local water temperature (20 °C) to high temperature (35 °C) conditions, whereas that of Pseudogobius did not even double, suggesting that Pseudogobius sp. is a better thermal regulator than F. exquisitus.While both species emerged from the water at high temperatures (>30 °C) the behaviours they exhibited while immersed at high temperature were quite different. F. exquisitus undertook vertical displacement movements we interpret as an avoidance response, whereas Pseudogobius sp. appeared to use a coping strategy involving movements that might renew the water mass adjacent to its body. The thermal tolerances and behaviours of F. exquisitus and Pseudogobius sp. are in broad agreement with their vertical distribution on the shore.     

Aspects of eating behaviors "disinhibition" and "restraint" are related to weight gain and BMI in women

Objective: The causes of adult weight gain leading to obesity are uncertain. We examined the association of adult weight gain and obesity with subscales of eating behavior characteristics in older women. Methods and Procedures: Current height and weight, eating behavior subscales (disinhibition subscales—habitual, situational, and emotional; restraint subscales—flexible and rigid; hunger subscales—internal and external) as assessed using the Eating Inventory (EI), and self‐reported body weight at six prior age intervals were reported by 535 women aged 55–65 years. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between EI subscale scores and weight change from the age interval of 30–39 to 55–60 years and current BMI. Results: The strongest correlate of weight gain over 20 years was susceptibility to overeating in response to everyday cues within the environment (habitual disinhibition; partial correlation coefficient (r) = 0.25, P < 0.001); susceptibility to overeating in response to emotional states such as depression (emotional disinhibition) was a quantitatively weaker but significant correlate (partial r = 0.17, P < 0.001), and susceptibility to overeating in response to specific situations such as social occasions (situational disinhibition) was not associated with weight gain. Flexible control of dietary restraint attenuated the influence of habitual disinhibition in particular on weight gain and BMI, and was less effective in attenuating associations of emotional or situational disinhibition. Discussion: Lifestyle modification programs for prevention and treatment of adult‐onset obesity currently focus on reducing situational and emotional overeating; the results of this study suggest that a stronger emphasis on strategies that target habitual overeating may be warranted.     

黔中天龙山典型喀斯特次生林地上生物量与环境因子的关系

为探究喀斯特次生林地上生物量与环境因子的关系,该文以黔中普定县喀斯特天龙山典型次生林样地为研究对象,采取单物种及不同径级组地上生物量模型计算优势种及群落生物量,采用空间分布图描述环境因子与群落地上生物量空间分布状况,利用相关性检验(Pearson)、一般线性模型(GLM)以及冗余分析(RDA)讨论群落、生活型、物种地上生物量与环境因子的关系。结果表明：(1)喀斯特次生林群落地上生物量总量为106.94 t·hm^-2,优势种地上生物量占整个样地的91.77%,其中常绿植物高于落叶,窄叶柯(Lithocarpus confinis)与化香树(Platycarya strobilacea)地上生物量在群落中占比最高,分别为34.23%和34.37%。(2)岩石裸露率空间分布呈现明显的上下梯度差异,上坡显著大于下坡,坡度与土壤厚度空间分布不连续,无明显规律。(3)群落地上生物量与土壤厚度呈显著正相关,二者空间分布趋于一致,土壤厚度是群落地上生物量的主要影响因子,岩石裸露率与坡度对群落地上生物量的影响较低。(4)对于不同生活型,岩石裸露率对地上生物量的影响程度最高,土壤厚度...     

Movement patterns of large juvenile loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean Sea: Ontogenetic space use in a small ocean basin

Mechanisms that determine how, where, and when ontogenetic habitat shifts occur are mostly unknown in wild populations. Differences in size and environmental characteristics of ontogenetic habitats can lead to differences in movement patterns, behavior, habitat use, and spatial distributions across individuals of the same species. Knowledge of juvenile loggerhead turtles' dispersal, movements, and habitat use is largely unknown, especially in the Mediterranean Sea. Satellite relay data loggers were used to monitor movements, diving behavior, and water temperature of eleven large juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) deliberately caught in an oceanic habitat in the Mediterranean Sea. Hidden Markov models were used over 4,430 spatial locations to quantify the different activities performed by each individual: transit, low‐, and high‐intensity diving. Model results were then analyzed in relation to water temperature, bathymetry, and distance to the coast. The hidden Markov model differentiated between bouts of area‐restricted search as low‐ and high‐intensity diving, and transit movements. The turtles foraged in deep oceanic waters within 60 km from the coast as well as above 140 km from the coast. They used an average area of 194,802 km², where most individuals used the deepest part of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea with the highest seamounts, while only two switched to neritic foraging showing plasticity in foraging strategies among turtles of similar age classes. The foraging distribution of large juvenile loggerhead turtles, including some which were of the minimum size of adults, in the Tyrrhenian Sea is mainly concentrated in a relatively small oceanic area with predictable mesoscale oceanographic features, despite the proximity of suitable neritic foraging habitats. Our study highlights the importance of collecting high‐resolution data about species distribution and behavior across different spatio‐temporal scales and life stages for implementing conservation and dynamic ocean management actions.     

Influence of host ecology and morphology on the diversity of Neotropical bird lice

Host‐parasite systems can be powerful arenas in which to explore factors influencing community structure. We used a comparative approach to examine the influence of host ecology and morphology on the diversity of chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) among 52 species of Peruvian birds. For each host species we calculated two components of parasite diversity: 1) cumulative species richness, and 2) mean abundance. We tested for correlations between these parasite indices and 13 host ecological and morphological variables. Host ecological variables included geographic range size, local population density, and microhabitat use. Host morphological variables included body mass, plumage depth, and standard dimensions of bill, foot and toenail morphology, all of which could influence the efficiency of anti‐parasite grooming. Data were analysed using statistical and comparative methods that control for sampling effort and host phylogeny. None of the independent host variables correlated with louse species richness when treated as a dependent variable. When richness was treated as an independent variable, however, it was positively correlated with mean louse abundance. Host body mass was also positively correlated with mean louse abundance. When louse richness and host body mass were held constant, mean louse abundance correlated negatively with the degree to which the upper mandible of the host's bill overhangs the lower mandible. This correlation suggests that birds with longer overhangs are better at controlling lice during preening. We propose a specific functional hypothesis in which preening damages lice by exerting a shearing force between the overhang and the tip of the lower mandible. This study is the first to suggest a parasite‐control function of such a detailed component of bill morphology across species. Avian biologists have traditionally focused almost exclusively on bills as tools for feeding. We suggest that the adaptive radiation of bill morphology should be reinterpreted with both preening and feeding in mind.     

The Primate as a Model for the Human Temperature-Sensing System: 2. Area of Skin Receiving Thermal Stimulation (Spatial Summation)

The thermal sensitivities of three humans and one monkey were measured using the “yes-no” paradigm based on the Theory of Signal Detection. The aim was to evaluate the monkey's thermal-sensing system as a model for that of humans. Three of the principal variables of human thermal sensations—the temperature to which the skin was adapted, the rate of temperature change, and the site of application of the thermal stimuli—were held constant. The other three variables—area of stimulation, intensity, and direction of the temperature change—were varied systematically.

All tour subjects displayed spatial summation for both warming and cooling. Isodetectability curves (d′_e = 1) to small temperature changes, both for humans and for the monkey, could reasonably be fitted by the function I = kA^-b, where I is stimulus intensity, A is the area of stimulation, and b is the rate at which spatial summation occurred. The rate of summation, b, to warming stimuli for the humans ranged from 0.60 to 1.14, while that for the monkey was 0.40. The rate of summation to cooling stimuli for the humans ranged from 0.50 to 0.87, while that for the monkey was 0.43.

The main species difference was that summation on the monkey palm all but ceased for both warming and cooling stimuli applied to areas larger than 4 cm². Data from the human subjects did not demonstrate an upper limit of spatial summation. However, there was an indication that the human subjects would show a ceiling for spatial summation near the largest area tested in this study. Thus, when considering the spatial extent of a thermal stimulus and its influence upon thermal sensations, it may be more appropriate to compare areas relative to body size, rather than absolute values.     

Behavioral states help translate dispersal movements into spatial distribution patterns of floaters

Within the field of spatial ecology, it is important to study animal movements in order to better understand population dynamics. Dispersal is a nonlinear process through which different behavioral mechanisms could affect movement patterns. One of the most common approaches to analyzing the trajectories of organisms within patches is to use random-walk models to describe movement features. These models express individual movements within a specific area in terms of random-walk parameters in an effort to relate movement patterns to the distributions of organisms in space. However, only using the movement trajectories of individuals to predict the spatial spread of animal populations may not fit the complex distribution of individuals across heterogeneous environments. When we empirically tested the results from a random-walk model (a residence index) used to predict the spatial equilibrium distribution of individuals, we found that the index severely underestimated the spatial spread of dispersing individuals. We believe this is because random-walk models only account for the effects of environmental conditions on individual movements, completely overlooking the crucial influence of behavior changes over time. In the future, both aspects should be accounted for when predicting general rules of (meta)population abundance, distribution, and dynamics from patterns of animal movements.     

Embryonic vocalizations mediate parental care in Masked Lapwings (Vanellus miles) but not Red-capped Plovers (Charadrius ruficapillus)

Embryonic vocalizations in birds may enable communication between embryos and incubating parents but responses of parents to embryonic vocalizations have not been measured experimentally. In two ground-nesting shorebirds, we compare parental care of eggs without embryonic vocalizations, those with natural embryonic vocalizations, and those in which we experimentally introduced embryonic vocalizations, while accounting for prevailing temperatures. We continuously recorded nests (one block of up to 24 h per nest) of two ground-nesting shorebirds, the Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus and Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles and quantified parental behaviours. We predict an increase in egg thermoregulation behaviours (time spent incubating or shading) and ‘fussing’ (a combination of rising and re-settling, shuffling, orientation change and egg turning) when vocalizations were naturally present or when they were experimentally introduced in comparison to when no vocalizations were present (control). In Lapwings, the rate of fussing increased at the nest only when natural vocalizations were present; however, preening increased when natural or introduced vocalizations were present. Additionally, the frequency of bill to egg touches (inspections) increased only in the presence of introduced vocalizations. For Plovers, treatment had no influence on parental behavioural; however, the frequency of fussing, bill to egg touches and shell tossing increased with air temperature. For both species, there was no influence of the presence of the embryo’s vocalizations (natural or introduced) on the parent’s egg thermoregulation behaviours. Our results highlight that acoustic communication across the eggshell may occur and can influence parental care in shorebirds, but this appears to be species-specific.     

Binge Eating and Eating‐Related Cognitions and Behavior in Ethnically Diverse Obese Women

Objective: To examine binge eating and eating‐related cognitions and behavior in a sample of ethnically diverse women who are severely obese and seeking bariatric surgery. Research Methods and Procedures: Female bariatric surgery candidates (62 African Americans, 18 Latinas, 130 whites) completed questionnaires on binge eating and eating‐related cognitions and behavior and completed a structured clinical interview to confirm binge‐eating disorder diagnosis. Results: Ethnic minorities and whites did not differ in rates of binge‐eating disorder (26.3%), binges per week (M = 0.95), or dietary restraint. Ethnic minorities reported less disinhibition, and there was a trend to report less hunger awareness than whites. After controlling for BMI and education, ethnicity accounted for significant variance in disinhibition (4%; p < 0.01). Ethnic minorities were younger, became overweight at a later age, and were overweight for fewer years than whites. Discussion: Results suggest that ethnicity exerts an important influence on disinhibition and that ethnic differences are not caused by BMI or education. Findings point to the need to continue to investigate the role of ethnicity, binge eating, and disinhibition in severely obese women, so that culturally appropriate services can be provided.     

Habitat use by singing voles and tundra voles in the southern Yukon

Summary We investigated how far competitive interactions influence the use of habitats and relative abundance of two species of Microtus in the southwestern Yukon. We worked in the ecotone between alpine tundra and subalpine shrub tundra where populations of singing voles (Microtus miurus) and tundra voles (M. oeconomus) overlap little.We removed tundra voles from shrub tundra on one live-trapping area to look at the effect on the contiguous population of singing voles in alpine tundra. The removal of tundra voles did not affect the distribution or relative abundance of singing voles. The spatial distribution of these species and their movements within habitats suggest that they have a strong habitat preference.Populations of small mammals in the area are extremely dynamic and the relative importance of competitive interactions may change as density varies. At present we have no evidence that competition affects habitat use in M. miurus.     

How effective is preening against mobile ectoparasites? An experimental test with pigeons and hippoboscid flies

Birds combat ectoparasites with many defences but the first line of defence is grooming behaviour, which includes preening with the bill and scratching with the feet. Preening has been shown to be very effective against ectoparasites. However, most tests have been with feather lice, which are relatively slow moving. Less is known about the effectiveness of preening as a defence against more mobile and evasive ectoparasites such as hippoboscid flies. Hippoboscids, which feed on blood, have direct effects on the host such asanaemia, as well as indirect effects as vectors of pathogens. Hence, effective defence against hippoboscid flies is important. We used captive Rock Pigeons (Columba livia) to test whether preening behaviour helps to control pigeon flies (Pseudolynchia canariensis). We found that pigeons responded to fly infestation by preening twice as much as pigeons without flies. Preening birds killed twice as many flies over the course of our week-long experiment as birds with impaired preening; however, preening did not kill all of the flies. We also tested the role of the bill overhang, which is critical for effective preening against feather lice, by experimentally removing the overhang and re-measuring the effectiveness of preening against flies. Birds without overhangs were as effective at controlling flies as were birds with overhangs. Overall, we found that preening is effective against mobile hippoboscid flies, yet it does not eliminate them. We discuss the potential impact of preening on the transmission dynamics of blood parasites vectored by hippoboscid flies.