Roles of photoperiod and testosterone in seasonal plasticity of the avian song control system

The song control nuclei of songbirds undergo pronounced seasonal changes in size and neuronal attributes. The mechanisms by which seasonal changes in environmental variables such as photoperiod mediate seasonal changes in these brain regions are not known. Manipulations of photoperiod and/or testosterone in captive songbirds induce seasonal changes in the size of song nuclei comparable to those observed in wild songbirds. It is unclear, however, whether the effects of photoperiod on the song nuclei are mediated by testosterone or by steroid-independent mechanisms. We independently manipulated photoperiod and testosterone in castrated male Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) to determine the contributions of steroid-dependent and -independent actions of photoperiod to seasonal changes in the size and neuronal attributes of song nuclei. Testosterone implants increased the size of several song nuclei, regardless of photoperiod. Photoperiod exerted small but significant steroid-independent effects on the volume of the higher vocal center and the size of neurons in the robust nucleus of the archistriatum. Photoperiod also modulated the effect of testosterone on the size of area X; testosterone treatment had a more pronounced effect on the size of area X on short days than on long days. These results suggest that although testosterone is the primary factor mediating seasonal changes in neural attributes of the song nuclei, photoperiod may act via mechanisms that are independent of steroid levels to supplement or modulate the actions of testosterone. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 32: 426–442, 1997.     

The role of food quality and competition in shaping the seasonal cycle in the reproductive activity of the sycamore aphid

The hypothesis that seasonal changes in sycamore aphid,Drepanosiphum platanoidis (Schr.), recruitment are determined by changes in food quality and aphid population density was tested. There was no clear association between the reproductive activity of the sycamore aphid and the seasonal changes in specific amino acids or groups of amino acids in extracts of sycamore,Acer pseudoplatanus L., leaves. Seasonal changes in reproductive activity tracked the changes in total amino acids of the leaf tissue of the host, but with a short time delay. High numbers of adult aphids appeared to depress reproductive activity. A regression analysis of the results revealed that total amino acids the previous week and current numbers of adult aphids significantly affected sycamore aphid reproductive activity. The results of this analysis support the above hypothesis, that the marked seasonal changes in the total quantity of amino acids in sycamore leaves and intraspecific competition for this resource, through its effect on adult weight, shape the seasonal cycle in the reproductive activity of the sycamore aphid.     

An analysis of the peripheral blood picture in the suslik and the white rat at different seasons of the year

New data are presented concerning seasonal changes in the peripheral blood of hibernating and non-hibernating rodents. In non-hibernating rats, seasonal changes in the blood are mainly phenotypical. Hibernating mammals are capable periodically to renew cellular composition of the blood during winter and summer hibernation.     

Seasonal changes of the ultrastructure of the pars tuberalis of the hypophysis of Rana temporaria

Summary In the pars tuberalis of the hypophysis of Rana temporaria, which shows the ultrastructural characteristics of a polypeptide hormone secreting endocrine gland, seasonal changes of the ultrastructure are described. In accordance with the literature, these seasonal changes of ultrastructure are interpreted as the morphological expression of seasonal changes of endocrine activity of the pars tuberalis.     

Seasonal dynamic variation of pollination network is associated with the number of species in flower in an oceanic island community

植物与传粉者相互作用的传粉网络是一个动态的实体,植物开花物候的季节性变化可以在短时间和长时间内重塑其结构。然而,很少有研究考虑到这种季节性动态变化,特别是海洋岛屿群落的传粉网络。本研究探讨了海洋岛屿群落的植物与传粉者间传粉网络的结构是如何随群落内花资源丰富度的季节性变化而动态变化的。利用春夏秋冬四个季节的植物与传粉者间相互作用的数据,分析了四个季节定性的传粉网络结构的动态变化,研究了中国南海西沙群岛的永兴岛群落传粉网络的季节性动态变化。在这四个季节中,分别收集了连续两个月的植物与传粉者相互作用的数据,并计算了四个网络水平的指标来表征传粉网络的总体结构。采用群落差异性统计分析方法,对群落四个季节的网络结构参数进行比较分析,探讨影响这种动态变化格局的潜在因素。同时计算并比较了植物和传粉功能群在物种水平的网络指标的季节动态变化。研究结果表明,永兴岛群落网络水平的特化性和模块化在四个季节的变化均与植物物种丰富度的变化呈明显相反的变化趋势。开花植物种类的增加可能促进了传粉者之间更激烈的竞争,从而导致生态位重叠的增加,引起传粉网络特化性和模块化的下降,反之亦然。进一步分析表明,传粉网络的季节动态变化的内在驱动力是植物与传粉者间连接的重新组合。因此,传粉者之间生态位重叠的季节性变化导致了植物与传粉者间相互作用的重组,从而推动了该群落内植物与传粉者间相互作用的更替变化。在物种水平上,与其它传粉功能群相比,天蛾类传粉者最特化,而蜜蜂科传粉者的物种作用强度最大。因此,在探索孤立的海洋岛屿生态系统以及其它生态系统中的植物与传粉者间相互作用时,应适当考虑到这些新的发现。     

Genetic and seasonal characteristics of the effect of stress on pain sensitivity in mice

The role of genetic and seasonal factors in stress-induced changes of pain sensitivity, evaluated by latency in hot plate test was studied. Significant interstrain differences in restriction effect on pain sensitivity was established. Analgesia, hyperalgesia or lack of influence on pain sensitivity in mice of different strains was observed in response to emotional stress. Interstrain differences in seasonal variance of stress-induced changes in pain sensitivity were shown. It is suggested that changes in pain sensitivity of mice after restriction are season-dependent and controlled by hereditary mechanisms.     

Seasonal changes of heart weight and erythrocytes in the Djungarian hamster, Phodopus sungorus

Djungarian dwarf hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) show an annual cycle in weight-specific metabolic rate with a high level during winter. These seasonal changes in oxygen demand are met by hematological adjustments, primarily based on an increased number of erythrocytes, but a decreased erythrocyte volume during winter. Subsequently, the diffusion area for blood gas exchange is increased during this time of high metabolic capabilities. Blood oxygen capacity (hemoglobin, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) does not change with the season. However, seasonal changes in heart weight suggest changes in cardiac output, causing an increased blood flow per unit tissue weight during winter. This increase in circulatory efficiency, as well as changes in erythrocyte surface, are primarily controlled by photoperiod, since it occurred in hamsters living indoors at thermoneutrality but subjected to seasonal changes in photoperiod to the same extent as in hamsters living outdoors.     

Seasonal changes in adiposity: the roles of the photoperiod,melatonin and other hormones,and sympathetic nervous system

It appears advantageous for many non-human animals to store energy body fat extensively and efficiently because their food supply is more labile and less abundant than in their human counterparts. The level of adiposity in many of these species often shows predictable increases and decreases with changes in the season. These cyclic changes in seasonal adiposity in some species are triggered by changes in the photoperiod that are faithfully transduced into a biochemical signal through the nightly secretion of melatonin (MEL) via the pineal gland. Here, we focus primarily on the findings from the most commonly studied species showing seasonal changes in adiposity-Siberian and Syrian hamsters. The data to date are not compelling for a direct effect of MEL on white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) despite some recent data to the contrary. Thus far, none of the possible hormonal intermediaries for the effects of MEL on seasonal adiposity appear likely as a mechanism by which MEL affects the photoperiodic control of body fat levels indirectly. We also provide evidence pointing toward the sympathetic nervous system as a likely mediator of the effects of MEL on short day-induced body fat decreases in Siberian hamsters through increases in sympathetic drive on WAT and BAT. We speculate that decreases in the SNS drive to these tissues may underlie the photoperiod-induced seasonal increases in body fat of species such as Syrian hamsters. Clearly, we need to deepen our understanding of seasonal adiposity, although, to our knowledge, this is the only form of environmentally induced changes in body fat where the key elements of its external trigger have been identified and can be traced to and through their transduction into a physiological stimulus that ultimately affects identified responses of white adipocyte physiology and cellularity. Finally, the comparative physiological approach to the study of seasonal adiposity seems likely to continue to yield significant insights into the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon and for understanding obesity and its reversal in general.     

Seasonal variation in the composition of fish assemblages in small Amazonian forest streams: evidence for predictable changes

1. The effects of seasonal inundation on the biology of fishes on floodplains of large Amazonian rivers are well studied. However, the small seasonal changes in headwater streams are generally considered to have little effect on fish assemblages. 2. In this study, we analysed seasonal changes in the species composition and abundance of fish in small Amazonian forest streams. We sampled fish with hand and seine nets in headwater streams in a 10 000 ha terra‐firme forest reserve near Manaus, Brazil. Each stream was surveyed at the end of the 2005 dry season, at the beginning of the 2006 rainy season and at the beginning of the 2006 dry season, by means of a standardized sampling effort. 3. The numbers of individuals and species caught were higher in the dry season, but rarefaction analyses indicated that greater species numbers could have been due simply to the larger number of individuals caught. 4. Between the dry and rainy season, the direction of changes in species composition in multivariate space varied among sites, especially for quantitative (abundance) data. However, the observed variation among sites was the less than expected if the directions of change were random. 5. Fish assemblages in the second dry season were more similar to those in the previous dry season than expected if changes in species composition among seasons were random. This indicates that a general seasonal pattern in fish assemblages can be detected, despite the existence of some erratic site‐specific changes. 6. Most of the species that showed large seasonal variations in density occupy temporary ponds during the rainy season, when much of the valley is inundated and pond networks form adjacent to streams. Short‐duration lateral migrations to these ponds may play an important role in the seasonal fish‐assemblage dynamics in Amazonian headwater streams. 7. Our results contrast with previous studies on small Amazonian streams, which have found little seasonal change in fish assemblages, and highlight the importance of the abundance of common species as an indicator of general fish assemblage structure in biological monitoring programmes.     

Seasonal pattern in the rate of growth in height of children living in Guatemala.

Monthly increments of height for a sample of 164 Guatemala City school children are analyzed for the presence of a seasonal pattern in rates of growth. It is found that pre and post adolescent children follow a seasonal pattern of growth but adolescent children do not. It is suggested that the results are due to an effect of seasonal changes in ultraviolet light availability and the synthesis of vitamin D3 as mediated by the level of maturation of each child.     

Seasonal changes of the opiliones (Arachnida Opiliones) population structure in the yew and box tree grove of the Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve (Russia)

This article reviews data on studies devoted to the seasonal changes of the opiliones populations in the yew and box tree grove of the Caucasian State Nature Biosphere Reserve. This study touches upon the structure of populations, seasonal changes in populations, and gives data on opiliones distribution and occurrence.     

Seasonal activation and inactivation of song motor memories in wild canaries is not reflected in neuroanatomical changes of forebrain song areas

Seasonal, testosterone-dependent changes in sexual behaviors are common in male vertebrates. In songbirds such seasonal changes occur in a learned behavior--singing. Domesticated male canaries (Serinus canaria) appear to lose song units (syllables) after the breeding season and learn new ones until the next breeding season. Here we demonstrate in a longitudinal field study of individual, free-living nondomesticated (wild) canaries (S. canaria) a different mode of seasonal behavioral plasticity, seasonal activation, and inactivation of auditory-motor memories. The song repertoire composition of wild canaries changes seasonally: about 25% of the syllables are sung seasonally; the remainder occur year-round, despite seasonal changes in the temporal patterns of song. In the breeding season, males sing an increased number of fast frequency-modulated syllables, which are sexually attractive for females, in correlation with seasonally increased testosterone levels. About 50% of the syllables that were lost after one breeding season reappear in the following breeding season. Furthermore, some identical syllable sequences are reactivated on an annual basis. The seasonal plasticity in vocal behavior occurred despite the gross anatomical and ultrastructural stability of the forebrain song control areas HVc and RA that are involved in syllable motor control.     

Seasonal changes in the amount of carbohydrate and crude protein in the rhizome ofMiscanthus sacchariflorus

In the herbaceous perennials, seasonal changes in the amount of reserve substances play an important role in the production processes of whole plants. Mutohet al. (1968) indirectly estimated the amount of reserve substances stored in the rhizome ofMiscanthus sacchariflorus by measuring the bulk density of the rhizome, and found aarked seasonal changes. In the present study seasonal changes in the carbohydrate and crude protein content of the rhizome were determined and the results obtained were compared with the changes in the total amount of reserve substances estimated by means of changes in the bulk density. A good parallel seasonal relationship was confirmed between the amount of consumable carbohydrate determined chemically and the quantity of reserve substances estimated from the changes in bulk density. The total yields of carbohydrate and crude protein were ca. 75% of the available reserve substances estimated from the changes of bulk density for the old rhizomes and ca. 65% for the new rhizomes in the middle of December.     

A longitudinal large-scale objective sleep data analysis revealed a seasonal sleep variation in the Japanese population

In the contemporary era, when life habits are largely determined by social needs and individual preferences, sleep is nevertheless affected by seasonal environmental changes. Japan has large seasonal and geographical alterations of photoperiod and climate. Japan does not adopt the daylight saving time (DST) system, making it a suitable country for the study of seasonal variations in natural human sleep. The aim of this study was to analyze the seasonal changes in the sleep properties (timing and quality) and identify their relationship with environmental changes. Here, we report an analysis of objective sleep data of 691 161 nights collected from 1856 Japanese participants (age 20–79 years, male 91%, female 9%) for 3 years using contactless biomotion sensors. Sleep onset time did not show clear seasonal variation, but sleep offset time showed a seasonal change with a single latest peak in winter. Seasonal variation was larger during weekends than during weekdays. Sleep offset time well correlated with sunrise time but was different in spring and autumn even when the sunrise time was same, suggesting the role of temperature difference. Sleep quality, estimated by wake time after sleep onset and sleep efficiency, showed seasonal changes with the lowest trough around mid-summer. In conclusion, despite profound social influences, the timing and quality of sleep showed seasonal fluctuation indicating that they were influenced by climate factors even in the developed country.     

Smoke Rising from the Villages of the Dead: Seasonal Patterns of Mood in a Papua New Guinea Society

This article discusses seasonal patterns of mood in a Papua New Guinea society, showing how these are connected with beliefs relating to cosmology and the afterlife, and with more abstract conceptions of personhood, sociality, and attachment. The argument suggests that cultural factors may play an important role in mediating the influences of seasonal changes on everyday moods, and that such moods may be complex socio-cultural constructs.     

Go with the flow: water velocity regulates herbivore foraging decisions in river catchments

Foragers typically attempt to consume food resources that offer the greatest energy gain for the least cost, switching between habitats as the most profitable food resource changes over time. Optimal foraging models require accurate data on the gains and costs associated with each food resource to successfully predict temporal shifts. Whilst previous studies have shown that seasonal changes in food quantity and quality can drive habitat shifts, few studies have shown the effects on habitat choice of seasonal changes in metabolic foraging costs. In this study we combined field and literature data to construct an optimal foraging model to examine the effect of seasonal changes in food quantity, food quality and foraging costs on the timing of a switch from terrestrial to aquatic habitat by non‐breeding mute swans Cygnus olor in a shallow river catchment. Feeding experiments were used to quantify the functional response of swans to changes in aquatic plant biomasses. By sequentially testing alternative models with fixed or variable values for food quantity, food quality and foraging cost, we found that we needed to include seasonal variance in foraging costs in the model to accurately predict the observed habitat switch date. However, we did not need to include seasonal variance in food quantity and food quality, as accurate predictions could be obtained with fixed values for these two parameters. Therefore, the seasonal changes in foraging costs were the key factor influencing the behavioural decision to switch feeding habitats. These seasonal changes in foraging costs were driven by changes in water velocity; the profitability of aquatic foraging was negatively related to water velocity, as faster water required more energy to be expended in swimming. Our results demonstrate the importance of incorporating seasonal variation in foraging costs into our understanding of the foraging decisions of animals.     

Modelling seasonal changes in the distribution of Common Quail Coturnix coturnix in farmland landscapes using remote sensing

Species’ distribution models are widely used in landscape ecology but usually lack explicit information about species’ responses to ecosystem dynamics, leading to uncertainty when applied to the prediction of seasonal change in distributions. In this study, we aimed to build a species’ distribution model for the Common Quail Coturnix coturnix, a farmland species that shows changes in its distribution in response to seasonal changes in habitat suitability. During the course of three breeding seasons we collected temporal replicates of presence–absence data in 13 sampling locations in four countries (Morocco, Portugal, Spain and France). We used generalized linear mixed models to relate the species’ presence or absence to environmental variables and to the normalized difference vegetation index at each sampling location through the seasons, the latter variable being an indicator of within‐ and between‐season habitat changes. The preferred model showed that occurrence was highly dependent on habitat changes associated with crop seasonality, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index. Common Quail selected areas with dense vegetation and warm climate and tracked spatial changes in these two parameters. The model allows accurate mapping of within‐ and between‐season distribution changes. Such changes are related to habitat variations caused mainly by drought and agricultural practices. Our results demonstrate that seasonal changes in farmland ecosystems can be incorporated into a simple distribution model, and our approach could be applied to other species to predict the effects of agricultural changes on the distribution of birds inhabiting farmland landscapes.     

Seasonal changes in the activity of rhodanese in frog (Rana temporaria) liver.

1. The investigators studied annual changes in rhodanese activity in mitochondria and cytosol of frog liver cells (Rana temporaria) and found that the value of the enzyme-specific activity was higher in mitochondria than in cytosol, showing significant seasonal fluctuations. 2. The character of changes in the rhodanese activity in mitochondria, regardless of the sex of the studied animal, was demonstrated to be dependent upon the seasonal changes in frog thyroid gland function. 3. In the supernatant fraction of R. temporaria liver homogenate, seasonal changes of rhodanese specific activity seemed to be related to changes in hepatic function.     

Seasonal changes in the testis and epididymis of the American Grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis

The histological changes in the testis and epididymis of the American Grey squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis (Gmelin) during development and the testicular cycle are described. It was observed that male Grey squirrels, as a population, did not undergo a pronounced seasonal reproductive cycle, however, individual males did experience periods of reproductive inactivity which were asynchronous and not related to seasonal changes in the environment. It is suggested that the individual sexual cycles are due to an endogenous rhythm of gonadotrophin secretion by the pituitaries of these animals.     

Mate preference in males of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae crucivora, changes seasonally with the change in female UV color

We initially investigated whether females of the cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae crucivora, exhibit a seasonal change in ultraviolet wing color, which is a key stimulus for mate recognition by conspecific males, and whether and how a seasonal change affects the mating behavior of the males. We found that female UV wing color changes seasonally, the color being more pronounced in summer than in spring or autumn. We also demonstrated that male mate preference changes seasonally, concomitantly with the change in female UV color. Specifically, males appearing in summer exhibit a mating preference for summer-form females over spring- or autumn-form females, while those appearing in spring or autumn exhibit no seasonal preference, thereby facilitating more effective mate location. Our results suggest that this field of study will require more strictly controlled experimental investigation in which the seasonal change in UV color is considered when UV-influenced mating behaviors such as mate choice are investigated.