Seevögel im Südpolarmeer

Seabirds face a number of challenges in Antarctic and Subantarctic breeding areas, such as variations in food supply and changes in the ecosystem due to climate change, aggregation and competition from the limited number of suitable breeding areas, and inaccessible breeding areas due to changes in precipitation. Adjustments to irregular food supplies, such as flexible incubation and nesting times, and torpor in chicks can help seabirds keep pace with changes occurring due to climate change. Data loggers are used to better understand the responses of adult birds to changes in the ecosystem and the resulting population trends. Various data loggers are used for a variety of applications, from one gram light loggers for long‐term tracking across large scales to high‐resolution GPS loggers with acquisition of acceleration data that can also be used to model energy expenditure. In order to fully understand the movement ecology of seabirds, several approaches need to be considered: ecological segregation in space, time and choice of food, energy landscapes and the non‐lethal effects of predation (landscapes of fear).     

Fettsäuremuster im pflanzlichen Acyl-Steringlycosid

Fatty acids of acyl steryl glycoside (acyl SG) of different plants producing both green and photosynthetically inactive tissue have been analyzed. The major components are in all cases 16:0, 18:2 and 18:3 acids. The fatty acid composition of acyl SG of green parts is very similar to that of etiolated, pale or storage tissue of the same plant. Generally the degree of saturation of acyl SG is higher than that of the corresponding total lipid. Acyl SG tends to be more saturated in green parts than in colorless tissues of the same plant. Conversely, total lipid of green tissue containing large amounts of galactolipids and 18:3 acid is much less saturated than that of photosynthetically inactive tissue. Though containing smaller amounts of 18:3, and in some cases unsaturated C₁₆ acids, acyl SG does not reflect the drastic increase of these acids in the total lipid of green tissue. It is concluded that fatty acids of acyl SG originate mainly from an acyl donor other than chloroplast galactolipids.     

Madagaskar‐Fauchschaben im Unterricht

Madagascar hissing cockroach in class The use of animals represents a special challenge and teaching‐learning situations in the classroom. There are sometimes high organizational costs and furthermore animals can cause different emotions such as happiness, but also disgust and fear. Despite their dissuasive effect, Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) are well suitable for accomplishing education goals, such as the teaching and learning of competences in the area of scientific inquiry. On the basis of bizarre phenomena, like their hissing and their nocturnal lifestyle, the learners can perform observations and experiments. In addition they've got no special requirements in the care and keeping, so they can also become a permanent guest in the classroom.