Cold weather events provoke egg ejection behaviour in open‐nesting passerines

We analysed 25 conspecific egg ejection events from a large sample of nests (n = 762) of three passerine species. In two species, most of the events could not be explained by intraspecific brood parasitism or nest sanitation behaviour. At least some of these cases were behavioural responses to unfavourable weather conditions in the spring of 2017. We conclude that clutch size adjustment through egg ejection may be more widespread among passerines than previously thought.     

Osmotic adjustment in three succulent species of Zygophyllaceae

Three species, Zygophyllum album L., Z. coccineum L. and Z. simplex L., from family Zygophyllaceae were collected from two locations in Egypt to study their response to environmental conditions. Organic solutes (amino acids, soluble proteins and soluble sugars) and inorganic solutes (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^?, PO₄^3? and SO₄^2?) were estimated to study their role in osmotic adjustment under the effect of drought and salinity. The study showed that Z. coccineum is most tolerant for drought and salinity than Z. simplex. Z. coccineum was dependent on soluble proteins and soluble sugars, to increase its content of bound water, to undergo water deficit in desert. Z. simplex accumulated inorganic solutes more than Z. coccineum and less organic solutes. Amino acids content increased in Z. coccineum and Z. simplex survived in saline conditions to play a role in osmotic adjustment. Under the effect of salinity, all the studied species showed a tendency and high capacity to accumulate inorganic solutes. The main inorganic salutes were Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Cl^?. The role of Na⁺ was less than Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. Z. album and Z. simplex preferred Mg²⁺ more than Z. coccineum which preferred Ca²⁺.