Temporal/spatial structure and the dynamical property of laboratory host-parasitoid systems

The effects of spatial structure in terms of local capacity, or the maximum number of larvae surviving competition at resource patches, and temporal structure in terms of the period vulnerable to parasitoid attack in host populations on the persistence of host-parasitoid systems were quantitatively evaluated by laboratory experiments and well-parameterized model analyses. One of two bruchid beetles,Callosobruchus maculatus andC. phaseoli, were used as a host with Heterospilus prosopidis used as the parasitoid.C. maculatus, in which few larvae survive competition to become adults in each bean, andC. phaseoli, in which many larvae become adults in each bean, along with two kinds of beans, the mung and the azuki, were combined to construct four (2×2) resource-herbivorous host-parasitoid systems that differed in local capacity and vulnerable period. The mung-C. maculatus system with the parasitoid was the most persistent, i.e., took the longest time for extinction of either the host or parasitoid to occur. Since this resource-herbivorous host combination exhibited the lowest local capacity and the shortest vulnerable period, these two conditions possibly promoted the persistence of the system. A model incorporating the host population structure supported the observed persistence. Furthermore, the possible contribution of the timing of density-dependent competition of the host on the host-parasitoid persistence is predicted.     

温度对粘虫产生和释放性信息素规律的影响

在21℃饲养的粘虫雌蛾腺体提取物中Zll－16：Aid含量峰值时间是羽化后第8～9天;25℃是羽化后第4～5天,27℃是羽化后第3～4天。低温不仅推迟了粘虫雌蛾求偶和释放性信息素的时间,而且降低了腺体中性信息素的滴度。在27℃,粘虫雌蛾腺体中Zll－16：Ald峰值的平均值达15ng;在25℃时为10ng,而在21℃时,只有5ng。由此可见,低温环境明显抑制粘虫雌蛾的性发育,延缓了性成熟。     

Early sea mortality of mark-recaptured juvenile chum salmon in open coastal waters

Estimates of instantaneous mortality rate of mark-recaptured chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta juveniles in coastal waters of the Sea of Japan ranged from 0·033 to 0·268 day⁻¹ in the 14–43 days after release. High mortality rate may have been caused by size-selective mortality or poor ability to adapt to the coastal environment inhabited by chum salmon juveniles soon after release. The results indicated that large-scale mark-recapture experiments are useful for estimating mortality during the early sea life that is considered to be a critical period for Pacific salmon.     

Is corticosterone-mediated phenotype development adaptive? Maternal corticosterone treatment enhances survival in male lizards

Hormones are an important interface between genome and environment, because of their ability to modify the phenotype. More particularly, glucocorticoids are known to affect both morphological, physiological and behavioral traits. Many studies suggest that prenatal stress (associated with an elevation of corticosterone) has deleterious effects on offspring, an altered physiology resulting in retardation of fetal growth and higher percentage of dead neonates. In this study, we investigate the consequences of an artificial increase of corticosterone in pregnant female Lacerta vivipara on two important fitness components: growth and survival. Do stressed females decrease or enhance offspring survival? In 2000 and 2001, we collected pregnant females from four populations of the Cevennes and kept them in the laboratory until parturition. We applied a corticosterone solution daily onto the backs of some females. A similar solution, but without corticosterone, was applied to the remaining females as a control. Immediately after birth, we measured juveniles' morphological characteristics and released them on the field. In September of the year of release and in May of the following year, we recaptured offspring to estimate growth and survival. The elevation of the corticosterone level in pregnant females L. vivipara had a profound impact on juvenile traits. The size, the body condition and the growth of juveniles were decreased by the corticosterone treatment. In contrast, in male juveniles, survival was higher for juveniles from corticosterone-treated females than from placebo females. Thus, corticosterone does not seem to have detrimental effects on offspring survival, suggesting that it may have an adaptive function.     

Complex Vocal Responses to Conspecific Calls in Whistling Frogs Eleutherodactylus johnstonei: Playback Experiments in the Field

We simulated the presence of an acoustic competitor by broadcasting conspecific playbacks to males of Johnstone's whistling frog, Eleutherodactylus johnstonei, in the field. We broadcast calls that differed in duration (short, typical, and long), dominant frequency (high, typical, and low), and period (short, typical, and long), and analyzed male vocal responses. We tested the hypothesis that males respond by escalating vocally when they are exposed to female‐attractive calls and by ignoring unattractive ones. At the population level, males responded to playbacks in ways that would potentially increase their attractiveness with regard to solo calling: males increased the duration, reduced the dominant frequency, and increased their calling effort (duty cycle), despite an increase in call period. The modification of call duration occurred only in response to playbacks of low‐frequency calls, long calls, and short‐period calls (selective response), while the modification of the dominant frequency was independent of the characteristic of the playback (fixed response). Contrary to the expected, males did not reduce the call period when they were exposed to attractive playbacks. At the ultimate level, the results suggest energy‐saving strategies. In addition, males seem to trade off call period for the avoidance of acoustic interference with attractive calls as calling effort was typically increased by increasing call duration but only rarely by reducing the call period. Interactive playbacks are necessary to better understand the calling strategies of males of E. johnstonei.     

圈养马来穿山甲的怀孕期

马来穿山甲(Manis javanica)为极度濒危物种,已报导该物种的怀孕期长度差异较大,需要更多的直接观察案例来确定其怀孕期长短。广西林业科学研究院穿山甲人工救护与繁育基地通过室内圈养方式驯养穿山甲,记录了14例马来穿山甲产仔情况:其中圈养前野外受孕、场内产仔9例;野外受孕、圈养死亡的母体1例;不确定受孕情况母兽产仔1例;圈养条件下交配怀孕并产仔3例,其中2例是母兽进场后第2次产仔。根据初步观察结果,估计马来穿山甲孕期为5~6个月。     

望天树学名研讨

经考证,新组合的望天树学名Ｓｈｏｒｅａ ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ Ｈ．Ｚｈｕ ｃｏｍｂ．ｎｏｖ．是不合法的晚出同名,它的合法正确学名应为Ｓｈｏｒｈａ ｗａｎｇｔｉａｎｓｈｕｅａ Ｙ．Ｋ．Ｙａｎｇ ｅｔ Ｊ．Ｋ．Ｗｕ ｎｏｍ．ｎｏｖ．。对其进行订正的明确目的是：根据现行的《国际植物命名法规》的原则,规则,辅则和规程来解决分类及鉴定中可能被混淆的问题。     

Movement patterns of the White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla): post-fledging behaviour,natal dispersal onset and the role of the natal environment

Exploratory movements and natal dispersal form essential processes during early life history stages of raptors, but identifying the factors shaping individual movement decisions is challenging. Global positioning system (GPS) telemetry thereby provides a promising technique to study movement patterns on adequate spatio-temporal scales. We analysed data of juvenile White-tailed Sea Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla (WTSE) in north-east Germany (n = 24) derived from GPS tracking to extensively analyse movements between fledging and emigration from the natal territory. Our goal was to determine the time point of fledging, characterize pre-emigration movements and the onset of natal dispersal while investigating the influence of the natal environment. WTSE fledged at an average age of 72 days and showed strong excursive behaviour during the post-fledging period regarding the number, distance and duration of excursions, yet with high individual variability. Excursive behaviour did not differ between sexes. On average, WTSE left the parental territory 93 days after fledging. The quantity of excursive behaviour delayed the timing of emigration and WTSE tended to postpone their emigration when foraging water was accessible within the boundaries of their parental territory. The overall results suggest that young WTSE assess the quality of the natal environment via pre-emigration movements and stay in their territory of origin for as long as internal and external conditions allow for it. Our study is one of the first to characterize post-fledging and natal dispersal movements of young WTSE to such an extent and applies modern techniques to understand related movements in relation to the natal environment. The results emphasize the urgent necessity for the extension of currently existing nest protection periods and guaranteeing sustainable management of potential breeding and foraging grounds for WTSE. Ultimately, the results are relevant for all large raptor species sensitive to human-related disturbance, as they support the increasing importance of regulations with spatio-temporal specifications for breeding populations of large raptors in densely human-inhabited areas with increasing alteration of land.