Spatial organization of the North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis mantelli: sex, pairing status and territoriality

In Waitangi State Forest, 51 North Island Brown Kiwi Apteryx australis mantelli were tagged with radio transmitters and observed for an average of 2.3 months. All females and the majority of males were paired and maintained territories of 6.7 and 5.5 ha, respectively. Territories overlapped widely between partners but only narrowly with those of paired neighbours. Unpaired males had territories of 12.8 ha and extensively overlapped those of paired males. Territories were maintained by long distance calls and rare aggressive encounters. Males were more territorial than females. Within pairs, males called 1.5 times more often than females and initiated most pair calls. 60% of female calls were responses to their mates. Observers could often induce aggressive behaviour (calling, fast approach) in male kiwi (by playback, for example) but hardly ever in females. Kiwi territoriality cannot be explained by the distribution and availability of food and shelter sites, but seems to serve mainly a reproductive function.     

Effects of short chain fatty acids on seedlings

Abstract. Primary roots of lettuce show no appreciable diminution of sensitivity of SCFA between 24 and 72 h, so it is likely that all actively growing primary roots are susceptible to inhibition by SCFA. While roots do not recover from long exposures to high concentrations of SCFA, partial recovery is seen following exposure to intermediate levels.
SCFA inhibit elongation of lettuce and turnip hypocotyls as well as roots. However, higher concentrations are required to produce a given inhibition of hypocotyl. In contrast with the inhibition of roots, inhibition of shoots is markedly dependent on the chain length of the fatty acid. Thus, either access to sites of action or action at the sites differs between shoots and roots of the same seedling plants.     

Multiple Character Analysis of Canis lupus, latrans, and familiaris, With a Discussion of the Relationships of Canis niger

A multiple character analysis was undertaken of a broadly representativesample of three species:Canis lupus (wolf), C. latrans (coyote),and C. familiaris (dog). These species are clearly and significantlydistinguished by the technique of linear discrimination. Theanalysis provides a basis for the identification of skulls notobviously distinguishable by size or other diagnostic characters. Early populations of Canis n. niger and C. n. gregoryi (redwolf) are compared with the three species above and are foundto form a cluster with lupus and to be sharply distinct fromthe other two species. Additional comparisons show that whilelupus lycaon and niger both overlap with lupus, they are distinctfrom each other. This entire cluster is quite distinct fromlatrans, with niger being the farthest removed. A sample populationof C. n. gregoiyi, from the edge of the extending range of C.latrans, was examined and found to show too great a range ofvariation to be attributed to a single species.     

Habitat selection as a source of inter‐specific differences in recruitment of two diadromous fish species

• 1 For aquatic species with highly dispersive offspring, the addition of new individuals into an area (recruitment) is a key process in determining local population size so understanding the causes of recruitment variability is critical. While three general causative mechanisms have been identified (the supply of individuals, habitat selection and mortality), we have a limited understanding of how variation in each is generated, and the consequences this may have for the spatial and temporal distribution of recruits.
• 2 We examined whether active habitat selection during settlement could be the cause of variability in populations of two diadromous fish species using a field survey and laboratory‐based choice experiments. If larval behaviour is important, we predicted there would be inter‐specific differences in abundance between sites during the survey, and that larvae would prefer water collected from sites with higher conspecific abundances during the experiments.
• 3 During the field survey, significant differences were detected between two rivers (the Cumberland and Grey), with one species (Galaxias maculatus) found in higher abundances at one site (the Cumberland River) while comparable numbers of a closely related species (Galaxias brevipinnis) were caught at both sites. Laboratory choice experiments were conducted to determine whether larval preferences during settlement could be the cause of these differences. G. maculatus larvae showed a preference for freshwater over saltwater, indicating that the fish may be responding to reduced salinities around river mouths during settlement. The results of a second experiment were consistent with the notion that larval preferences could be the mechanism driving differences in the populations of the two rivers, with G. maculatus preferring water collected from the Cumberland River while G. brevipinnis did not prefer water from either river.
• 4 These results demonstrate that active habitat selection may be important in establishing spatial patterns of larvae at settlement, and that multiple cues are likely to be involved. This study also demonstrates that the behaviours exhibited by individuals can strongly influence the structure and dynamics of populations of aquatic species with complex life cycles.

     

Invertebrate diet of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis [undulata] macqueenii in Abu Dhabi from calibrated faecal analysis

The ecology of the Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis [undulata] macqueenii is poorly known and populations are declining due to hunting and habitat loss. As wintering populations in Abu Dhabi may be limited by habitat and food, we studied the diet using calibrated faecal analysis. Prey were categorized into 16 groups and fed to captive birds under controlled conditions. We calculated the recovery rates of prey following digestion and identified consistent fragments for each group. Wild Houbara Bustard faeces were collected and examined for key fragments, and initial prey intake was calibrated. Plant remains were identified and their contribution was estimated. Fewer than 28% faeces contained >50% plant material by volume and only 12% contained 95% or more. Numerically, the most important prey were: ants (64%), large nocturnal tenebrionids (14.5%), small climbing tenebrionids (12%) and diurnal tenebrionids. However, the Tenebrionidae contributed 97% of the animal biomass. The relative proportions of prey in the diet were similar to relative abundance as assessed by pitfall trapping. Estimates of the energetic value of the prey suggested that on average Houbara Bustards must consume around 670 desert invertebrates/day to meet energy needs. The effort required to catch these prey may vary at least ten-fold seasonally. On average plants could provide a further 6.4–14% energy but more work is needed on this. Whether Houbara Bustards wintering in Abu Dhabi are prey-limited depends on prey densities and renewal rates which remain unknown.     

Characterization of dinucleotide microsatellite loci in the living fossil tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis (Crustacea Branchiopoda Notostrace)

Five dinucleotide markers were obtained from a microsatellite genomic library of the tadpole shrimp Triops cancriformis. The number of alleles at each locus was low (maximum three alleles) but all loci were polymorphic. The presence of null alleles could not be disregarded. Heterozygosity levels were indicative of selfing in the studied populations whose real sexuality will be further tested using these markers.     

Human Health Risk Assessment at a Depleted Uranium Site

Human health risk assessments for depleted uranium are common for Department of Defense (DOD) sites since the metal has various military uses. At a training and experimental site, DU was evaluated in soil in order to make decisions regarding cleanup and future use of the site. At this site, concentrations were found to be protective of human health; DU is less toxic than uranium. Other data important to this decision were the type of receptors likely to be exposed, the amount of time spent by the receptor on-site, the acceptable yearly radiation dose, and other non-radiation associated effects to the kidney. Total uranium concentrations in soil were calculated for the 90th percentile and the 50th percentile. The highest soil concentration used as an exposure point was 3500 ug/g (90th percentile). Short exposure timeframes contributed to the risk results.