Reproducibility and the influence of age on interspecimen determinations of blood pressure in the horse

1. The reproducibility of blood pressure determinations on 103 male horses gave an average coefficient of variation of 5.0%. 2. Different parameters affecting the methodology of blood pressure measurements were separately analysed; i.e. size of specimen, size of cuff in relationship to tail circumference and temperature of the environment. 3. A strong positive linear correlation between age and blood pressure in the horse was established for two breeds with widely varying genetic background--Swedish Warmbloods and Arabians.     

Spatial behaviour of sheep during the neonatal period: Preliminary study on the influence of shelter

Effective shelter has been demonstrated to reduce neonatal lamb mortality rates during periods of inclement weather. Periods of high wind speed and rainfall have been shown to influence shelter usage; however, it is not yet known how ewe factors such as breed, age and body condition score influence shelter-seeking behaviour. This study, conducted on a working upland farm in the UK, examined impact of artificial shelter on the biological and climatic factors that influence peri-parturient ewe behaviour. Pregnant ewes (n = 147) were randomly allocated between two adjacent fields which were selected for their similarity in size, topography, pasture management, orientation to the prevailing wind and available natural shelter. In one field, three additional artificial shelters were installed to increase the available shelter for ewes, this field was designated the Test field; no additional artificial shelter was provided in the second field which was used as the Control field. Individual ewes were observed every 2 h between 0800 and 1600 for 14 continuous days to monitor their location relative to shelter. Ewe breed (Aberfield and Highlander), age (2–8 years) and body condition score were considered as explanatory variables to explain flock and individual variance in shelter-seeking behaviour and the prevalence of issues which required the intervention of the shepherd, termed ‘shepherding problems’. Any ewe observed with dystocia, a dead or poor vigour lamb or who exhibited mismothering behaviour was recorded as a shepherding problem. The prevalence of these shepherding problems which necessitate human intervention represents arguably the most critical limiting factor for the successful management of commercial sheep flocks in outdoor lambing systems. Overall, ewes in the Test field with access to additional artificial shelter experienced fewer shepherding problems than those in the Control field (P < 0.05). A significant breed effect was also observed, with Highlander ewes more likely to seek shelter than Aberfield ewes (P < 0.001), and experiencing significantly fewer shepherding interventions (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate the substantial and significant benefits to animal welfare and productivity that can be achieved through the provision of shelter in commercial, upland, outdoor lambing systems in the UK.     

Spatial scale mediates the influence of habitat fragmentation on dispersal success: Implications for conservation

Increasingly, conservationists are seeking insights from ecological theory to choose strategies of habitat management that will best maintain threatened species. Often, these questions revolve around ways of mitigating the dangers posed by habitat fragmentation. Problems involving the scale of both animal movement and spatial heterogeneity inexorably arise when assessing the effects of fragmentation. We present results from a simple spatial model that simulates the dispersal of animals in a landscape of stochastically clustered habitat fragments. Varying the number of clusters and the spatial scale at which clustering occurs illustrates that heterogeneity has different and conflicting effects on animal movement when it occurs at different scales. Indeed, the scale of clustering is the most important feature in determining disperser performance in our model. Seeking to compare our modeling results with actual data, we review empirical studies of fragmented populations and habitats. Surprisingly, we conclude that very few studies have addressed the mechanisms by which fragmentation will influence population dynamics or, in particular, the ways in which spatial scale mediate these effects. We conclude that the explicit consideration of scale is essential in discussions of habitat fragmentation and of optimal conservation strategies.     

Spatial patterns and infestation processes in the horse chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella: a tale of two cities

Spatial patterns of the horse chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella Deschka & Dimic (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) population density was analysed in the cities of Bern and Brussels in order to explore its spatial population dynamics. The surveys were carried out in Bern in 1998 and 2000 and in Brussels in 2001 to assess population density in relation to local characteristics. In Brussels, population density was also measured using pheromone traps distributed over the city and collected twice per moth generation. A quantitative relationship was found between local population density (measured by pheromone traps and survey observations) and the amount of leaves left on the ground the previous fall. Several other factors were related to observed infestation levels: the occurrence of the pathogen Guignardia aesculi was inversely related to infestation by C. ohridella in Bern in 1998 and 2000, the number of horse chestnut trees within 800 m distance was positively related to infestation level in Bern in 2000, and the proportion of green areas within 100 m and the number of other horse chestnut trees within 2000 m were positively related to infestation levels in the 2001 Brussels survey. The pattern of infestation levels as a function of distance to potential population reservoirs suggested that C. ohridella re‐invades areas where overwintering leaves have been cleaned from refuge areas such as parks or urban forests. Our results indicate that the removal of leaves is a feasible first aid control measure to reduce moth population densities. However, leaf removal may not reduce moth densities when done improperly. In places where proper leaf removal is not feasible, other control measures are needed.     

城市景观多样性的空间尺度分析——以上海市外环线以内区域为例

景观生态学研究的就是某一空间尺度范围内的景观格局与生态过程。因为景观格局与生态过程中存在的尺度多样性 ,导致尺度成为理解景观格局和生态过程相互作用的关键 ,其已经成为景观生态学的一个重要概念 ,但是由于理论和方法的限制 ,对景观生态学的尺度研究还不够 ,特别是景观格局综合性指标在不同幅度上的变化特征和效应。在 GIS与 RS技术支持下 ,采用基准分辨率为 5 m的 SPOT遥感图像作为数据源 ,对不同幅度下的城市景观多样性的空间分布格局进行了分析 ,并进一步利用半变异函数对其空间异质性进行定量描述。结论揭示 :随着空间尺度的增加 ,景观多样性程度也不断增加 ,另外多样性的空间分布格局也具有显著变化 ,由于受城市发展历史和目前城市扩展方向的影响 ,多样性在总体上是不平衡的 ,尺度越大 ,不平衡越明显 ;不同尺度下景观多样性空间格局的变化 ,与城市景观的特点和城市景观的功能息息相关 ,不过其受经济效益和社会文化效益的影响更大 ;随着尺度增加由于掩盖了更小尺度上的变异 ,导致块金效应增强 ,空间自相关部分对系统总的变异则明显下降 ;景观多样性具有尺度依赖性 ,可以说景观多样性也是尺度的函数 ,在不同的尺度上 ,结果差异显著 ,所以在景观生态学的研究中绝对不能忽略尺度对格局的影响     

Cell polarity: squaring the circle

Recent studies have found that Drosophila gene products required for zonula adherens formation in the ectoderm are also involved in the asymmetric cell division of the neuroblast. The results illustrate the reiterated use of groups of proteins to dictate cell polarity in epithelial and non-epithelial cells.     

Spatial consistency in susceptibility of prey species to predation by two Accipiter hawks

Predators impose strong selection on their prey, regulate prey populations and engage in coevolutionary interactions with their prey. The intensity of selection and the strength of coevolutionary interactions will depend on how stringent predators are in their choice of prey. We estimated susceptibility of different species of birds to predation by two common raptors, the northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis and the Eurasian sparrowhawk A. nisus, in an agricultural landscape in Denmark and boreal forests in Finland. We estimated susceptibility to predation as the deviation of the log₁₀‐transformed observed frequency of prey of different species from the log₁₀‐transformed expectation based on population density during the breeding season. We found a high degree of consistency in susceptibility to predation by the goshawk in two areas in Finland. More importantly, there was significant consistency in susceptibility to predation between Denmark and Finland, albeit the degree of consistency in the goshawk was higher than in the sparrowhawk. There was considerable overlap in susceptibility to predation between goshawk and sparrowhawk in Denmark, but not in Finland, implying differences in intensity of interspecific competition as reflected by a much higher extent of goshawk predation on sparrowhawks in Denmark than in Finland. Our findings suggest that hawks impose similar selection pressures on their prey populations, and that the degree of consistency has implications for intensity of interspecific killing.     

A study of the hygienic aspects of the pedagogic process

A knowledge of the laws governing changes in the functional state of the organism of pupils during lessons at school is one of the principal bases for solving the hygienic problems of organizing the teaching. The main concern is the dynamics of changes in the actual functional state of the CNS as a result of a whole complex of endogenous and exogenous factors as well as the school work of the pupil itself. Changes in the functional state of the optic and acoustic analysors deserve special attention in this respect because of their great exposure in pedagogical work. The existing interindividual differences in performance and in the work rate of pupils should be solved by an adequate pedagogical approach. Correct use of the principle of differentiated tuition can be a positive contribution to solving some of the topical problems of hygiene of the pedagogical process.     

Spatial synchrony in stream fish populations: influence of species traits

Spatial synchrony in population dynamics has been identified in most taxonomic groups. Numerous studies have reported varying levels of spatial synchrony among closely‐related species, suggesting that species' characteristics may play a role in determining the level of synchrony. However, few studies have attempted to relate this synchrony to the ecological characteristics and/or life‐history traits of species. Yet, as to some extent the extinction risk may be related to synchrony patterns, identifying a link between species' characteristics and spatial synchrony is crucial, and would help us to define effective conservation planning. Here, we investigated whether species attributes and temperature synchrony (i.e. a proxy of the Moran effect) account for the differences in spatial population synchrony observed in 27 stream fish species in France. After measuring and testing the level of synchrony for each species, we performed a comparative analysis to detect the phylogenetic signal of these levels, and to construct various multi‐predictor models with species traits and temperature synchrony as covariates, while taking phylogenetic relatedness into account. We then performed model averaging on selected models to take model uncertainty into account in our parameter estimates. Fifteen of the 27 species displayed a significant level of synchrony. Synchrony was weak, but highly variable between species, and was not conserved across the phylogeny. We found that some species' characteristics significantly influenced synchrony levels. Indeed, the average model indicated that species associated with greater dispersal abilities, lower thermal tolerance, and opportunistic strategy displayed a higher degree of synchrony. These findings indicate that phylogeny and spatial temperature synchrony do not provide information pertinent for explaining the variations in species' synchrony levels, whereas the dispersal abilities, the life‐history strategies and the upper thermal tolerance limits of species do appear to be quite reliable predictors of synchrony levels.     

Spatial and temporal trends in stream macroinvertebrate communities: the influence of catchment disturbance

Macroinvertebrate communities of five headwater streams in catchments disturbed by wildfire were compared with five similar streams with no catchment disturbance. Over the five years of observation, communities in disturbed streams were more similar to one another than they were to reference streams. Communities in disturbed streams exhibited more year-to-year variation than reference streams, although some indication of decreasing variation was evident through time, and species richness was greater in reference streams than disturbed streams. No increasing trend in richness over time was observed in disturbed streams. Stability of the relative abundance structure and persistence of dominant taxa through time may be characteristic of temperate streams over moderate time intervals. Local effects of catchment-wide disturbance have persistent effects that alter these trends.     

The orientation behaviour of horse flies and deer flies (Tabanidae: Diptera) IV. The influence of some physical modifications of visual decoys on orientation of horse flies

It was shown that the orientation of adult tabanids to visually attractive glossy black targets is little influenced by temperature and wind-actuated movement of the targets. The size of the targets was critical only for small targets provided that the black silhouette area was reduced without dappling or without striping by light-coloured areas.

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Die orientierung der bremsen (Tabanidae: diptera). IV. Der einfluss einiger physikalischer veränderungen der optischen ziele bei der orientierung der bremsen

Zusammenfassung Es wurde gezeigt, dass die Orientierung von Tabaniden-Imagines auf hoch attraktive, glänzende, schwarze Ziele durch die Temperatur und Bewegung der Ziele wenig beeinflusst wird. Die Grösse der Ziele war nur bei kleinen Ziel kritisch, vorausgesetzt dass die Fläche der schwarzen Silhouette nicht durch weiße Fleckung oder Streifung verkleinert wurde.

     

排水沟渠影响下的高原泥炭地土壤氮空间分布特征

通过分析排水沟渠影响下的泥炭地土壤氮空间分布特征,阐明全球变化背景下排水沟壑对高原泥炭地退化的影响,为若尔盖高原退化湿地区的生态恢复提供决策支持。将若尔盖湿地自然保护区内的一条排水沟渠作为研究区,在11个垂直于沟渠的断面上,通过环刀法在沟渠两侧取样,分析排水沟渠对阶地沼泽土壤全氮和碱解氮的影响。结果表明:土壤全氮含量0.34～21.86 g·kg^-1,平均值为11.26±6.22 g·kg^-1;土壤碱解氮含量28.35～1965.60 mg·kg^-1,平均值为889.53±470.31 mg·kg^-1;纵向上,以高海拔和靠近河流的含量较低,碱解氮与全氮的比值与高程呈正相关;横向上,与沟渠不同距离间存在差异,越靠近沟渠的样点,其全氮含量越高,但统计上不显著(P>0.05),高程更低的左岸碱解氮含量低于右岸;表层土壤的碱解氮以靠近沟渠1 m的距离最低(P<0.05),左、右岸的碱解氮/全氮比值均呈"V"型变化,与沟渠的距离增加先降低再升高;垂向上,土壤全氮和碱解氮以表层最高,随着深度增加而降...     

Spatial patterns of sapling mortality in a moist tropical forest: consistency with total density‐dependent effects

Density‐dependent mortality (DDM) is major driver of species coexistence in tropical forests. We assessed the occurrence and strength of this mechanism among saplings (i.e. trees with a diameter of 1–4 cm) in the moist tropical forest of Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, over six inter‐census periods (26 years), by using spatial point pattern analysis. We considered conspecific density‐dependent mortality, but also total DDM (i.e. the effects of conspecific and heterospecific neighbours all together) upon saplings of all species (i.e. at the community level), and on saplings of light‐demanding and shade‐tolerant ones, separately (i.e. at the light‐guild level). We also analysed the effects of conspecific DDM at the community and light‐guild levels. Conspecific density‐dependent mortality affected a lower proportion of species than was to be expected. Its strength was not significantly related with species abundance, and it had relatively weak effects at the community and light guild levels. Conversely, we detected a significant spatial signature of total DDM among all saplings, and among saplings of the light‐demanding and shade‐tolerant species, but its strength showed pronounced temporal variation. Total DDM among light‐demanding saplings was stronger than among shade‐tolerant ones and its effects were particularly marked 10–15 years after the occurrence of unusually severe droughts associated with El Niño events. Our study indicates that conspecific DDM is relatively unimportant among saplings in comparison with total DDM at community and light‐guild levels. This finding contrasts strongly with the results for seedlings, where conspecific DDM was constituted the dominant process. The pronounced temporal variations observed in the occurrence and strength of total DDM among saplings indicate that time‐varying events associated with climatic disturbances such as canopy openings or episodes of high recruit emergence might be important drivers of this process. They also emphasize the importance of considering time frames longer than one decade to study density‐dependent effects among saplings in tropical forests.