Effects of resource availability and distribution on autumn movements of the Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes in the Alps

Radiotracking was used to study the ranging behaviour and movements of the Nutcracker Nucifraga caryocatactes in the Alevé forest (northwest Italian Alps), from September to December 1994-96, when Nutcrackers collected seeds of Arolla Pines Pinus cembra. Home range size and overlap decreased from September to December. Autumn ranging behaviour was not consistent with territoriality. Nutcrackers stored seeds throughout the Alevé; many apparently stored seeds in scree at high altitudes (above 2200 m) where the forest comes to an end, and also in Larch forests opposite the Alevé (probably to avoid competition with rodents and conspecifics). Estimates of Nutcracker abundance, derived from transect counts, varied significantly among habitats, years and months, which possibly reflected differences in seed availability and abundance. The ranging behaviour observed at the Alevé was compared with that monitored at Mont Avic, another area in the northwest Italian Alps, where resources (in this case Hazel Corylus avellana nuts) were concentrated in a few zones. Home range size was significantly larger at Mont Avic, especially during late autumn. There, the home range size increased and overlap decreased from September to November, when birds abandoned Hazels and dispersed to the coniferous woods. Differences between Alevé and Mont Avic implied that the availability and distribution of resources are the major determinants of the ranging behaviour of the Nutcracker during autumn. However, differences between adults and juveniles were also found.     

Protein and oil concentration of soybean seed cultured in vitro using nutrient solutions of differing glutamine concentration

Oil and protein are the most valuable components of soybean seed. Evidence indicates that growth and composition of soybean seed are controlled by supplies of carbon and nitrogen provided by the maternal plant to the seed, but it is difficult experimentally to control and quantify the precise amount of carbon and nitrogen provided to the seed by the whole plant. To examine whether oil and protein concentrations are affected by the supply of nitrogen to the seed, immature soybean seeds (Glycine max cv. Williams 82) were grown in vitro in nutrient solutions containing 20, 40, 60 or 80 mM of glutamine. The seeds were incubated in Erlenmeyer flasks for 8 days at 25°C. The rate of dry matter accumulation changed from 7.2 to 8.3 mg seed⁻¹ day⁻¹ as the glutamine concentration increased from 20 to 80 mM but the differences were not significant (P 0.05). Seed protein concentration increased as glutamine concentration increased from 294 mg g⁻¹ at 20 mM glutamine to as high as 445 mg g⁻¹ at 80 mM glutamine. Typical in vivo protein concentration of mature soybean seeds is about 400 mg g⁻¹. Oil and protein concentrations were negatively correlated (r²= 0.44), which indicates that oil and protein synthesis are interrelated. Protein synthesis was favoured over oil synthesis when nitrogen became more abundant. The seeds used in this study clearly demonstrated a capacity to respond to nitrogen availability with changes in seed protein concentration.     

A new Spanish species of Linaria Miller (Scrophulariaceae)

Linaria arabiniana sp. nov. is described from coastal sand dunes of a very reduced area in Alicante Province (south-eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula). It is a perennial herb characterized by its 3–4-verticillate leaves, glabrous stems, large violet or rarely yellow flowers, and bicoloured usually flat seeds. Morphological characteristics and taxonomic affinities of this taxon are discussed, as are data on its ecology, phytosociology, and eventual conservation features.     

Water Uptake and Protein Synthesis in Germinating Wheat Embryos under the Osmotic Stress of Polyethylene Glycol

The effect of osmotic stress on wheat-seed germination was testedby imbibition in aqueous polyethylene glycol solutions at differentconcentrations. The experiments were designed to allow blockingand the subsequent recovery of germination by 12 h or 24 h pre-imbibitionof seeds in osmoticum, followed by transfer to water. Seedswere alternatively presoaked in water for 12 or 24 h, then transferredto polyethylene-glycol solutions to study the induced blockingof germination. Water content and [³H]leucine incorporationinto embryo tissues (as a measure of in vivo protein synthesis)were determined over a 48-h imbibition period. A close relationshipwas established overall between hydration status and proteinsynthesis rate. Osmotic stress seems to have a strong influenceupon the quantitative synthesis of proteins, suggesting thatthis biochemical activity is associated with the regulationof the germination process. Triticum durum, embryo, osmotic stress, water uptake, protein synthesis     

The Surface Charge of Tritrichomonas foetus

The surface charge of Tritrichomonas foetus was evaluated by means of the binding of colloidal iron hydroxide particles at pH 1.8 and cationized ferritin particles at pH 7.2 to the cell surface, as visualized by electron microscopy and by direct measurements of the electrophoretic mobility (EPM), of cells suspended in solutions of different ionic strength and pH. At pH 7.2, T. foetus has a negative surface charge with a mean EPM of ?1.03 μmμs^?1μV^?1μcm. At lower pH, there is a decrease in the negative surface charge with an isoelectric point at pH 1.2. At higher pH (> 9.0), there is an increase in the surface charge reaching an EPM of ?2.5 μmμs^?1μV^?1μcm. These results indicate that the surface of T. foetus contains both negatively and positively charged dissociating groups. Binding of colloidal iron hydroxide and cationized ferritin particles throughout the cell surface of the protozoon was observed. Treatment of T. foetus with neuraminidase or trypsin reduced significantly the EPM of the cells. Enzyme-treated cells recovered their normal EPM when incubated for 6 h in fresh culture medium by a process that is inhibited by puromycin.     

Encystment in the Hypotrichous Ciliate Paraurostyla weissei: Ultrastructure and Cytochemistry1

The cyst wall of Paraurostyla weissei consists of four morphologically distinct layers. It shows an ultrastructure and composition similar to that of the previously described kinetosome-resorbing cysts, and its cytoplasm displays characteristics of “urostylid-type” cysts. Therefore it is possible to consider it a “transition ciliate” between Stichotrichina and Sporadotrichina.     

Effects of age,territoriality and breeding on survival of Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata

Survival typically contributes most to population trends in long‐lived birds and its accurate estimation is therefore vital for population management and conservation. We evaluated the effects of age, territoriality and reproduction on survival in Bonelli’s Eagle Aquila fasciata through multistate capture‐mark‐recapture analyses on a long‐term dataset. Monitoring was carried out in southeast France (1990–2008) and involved the surveying of territorial Eagles, the marking of fledged chicks, and the recording of resightings and recoveries of marked non‐territorial and territorial birds. Survival improved with age, but territoriality was not retained in the best model; yearly survival was estimated at 0.479 for fledglings (to 1 year of age), 0.570 for 1‐ and 2‐year‐olds, and 0.870 for 3‐year‐old and older individuals. The second best model supported a further increase in survival from 3‐year‐olds (0.821) to older individuals (0.880). In the third best supported model, territoriality enhanced survival, but only in 2‐year‐olds (0.632 vs. 0.562 for non‐territorial). We found no correlation between the previous breeding stage and future survival, consistent with the long lifespan of the study species. Nevertheless, 4‐year‐old and older successful breeders were more likely to breed the following year than failed adult breeders (0.869 vs. 0.582), suggesting that the cost of reproduction is small in comparison with the variation in quality among individuals or their territories.