Breeding biology and current status of the Amsterdam Island Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis

A small population of the 'Great Albatrosses' has been discovered on Amsterdam Island (Indian Ocean) and described in 1983 as a new species: Diomedea amsterdamensis (Roux et al. 1983). We present here data on the biometry, plumage variability and preliminary results of a long-term study on the breeding cycle and population dynamics of this relict population. The current population is estimated at 65 birds including 21 breeding pairs.     

Measurement and mapping of avian diversity in southern Africa: implications for conservation planning

The potential and problems of using species diversity information, derived from the Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP), are examined. Atlas data were analysed and the problem of uneven sampling effort was ameliorated through an application of an index of diversity. Maps of diversity for various suites of species are considered in relation to their implications for conservation planning. An approach to the identification of high-priority areas for conservation, based on an index of diversity, is described and called the Compatible Sets Approach. Birds in the grassland biome are used to illustrate the principles of the approach.     

Rapid methods to assess the chlorophyll and carotenoid content of leaves and fruits using a microplate reader

Rapid, small-scale, accurate and inexpensive procedures have been developed to assess pigment content of leaves and tomato fruits for plant breeding programs. New formulas allowing the use of a microplate reader instead of a spectrophotometer have been computed. The theoretical background is presented for users to calibrate their own apparatus.     

Spleen mass as a measure of immune strength in mammals

• 1 In studies of birds and their pathogens, spleen size has frequently been used to make inferences about immune system strength. However, the use of spleen size in mammals is more complicated because, in addition to having an immune function, the mammalian spleen is also a reservoir for red blood cells.
• 2 To assess the reliability of mammalian spleen mass as an indicator of immune activity, we quantified the white and red pulp mass by histology of spleens from shot red deer Cervus elaphus. We then analysed the relationships among spleen mass, the amounts of white and red pulp, and the deer's body condition relative to faecal counts of the nematode parasite Elaphostrongylus cervi.
• 3 White and red pulp mass were positively correlated so that an increase in spleen mass was a positive function of both components of the spleen. In male deer, which had significantly lower body condition and higher parasite loads than females, parasite counts were negatively correlated with spleen mass, white pulp mass, and red pulp mass.
• 4 Our findings suggest that (i) spleen mass in shot red deer is a reliable measure of white and red pulp content; and (ii) when looking at the red deer life history, which is greatly influenced by sex of the deer, splenic mass and white pulp mass could be used as reflections of immune system strength.
• 5 Future studies of mammalian spleens can contribute to the understanding of evolved strategies of immune response investment in mammals. However, determination of the white and red pulp spleen components using various sampling methods must be made prior to their application.