Life history patterns of parental and hybrid Daphnia differ between lakes

1. We investigated whether Daphnia galeata × hyalina hybrids of Lake Constance and Lake Greifensee show the same pattern of life history parameters as previously reported for D. galeata × cucullata hybrids and whether such a pattern is consistent between Daphnia populations from those two lakes. 2. Hybrids in Lake Constance were intermediate in size compared with the parental species. Hybrids in Lake Greifensee were smaller than D. galeata. The intrinsic growth rate (r) of hybrids from Lake Constance was not significantly different from the faster growing parental taxon D. galeata. However, r of hybrids from Lake Greifensee was significantly lower than that of D. galeata. 3. The observed juvenile body length differences between the taxa varied with the clutch number. The first clutch juvenile lengths of the three taxa did not differ for Lake Constance. First clutch juveniles of Lake Greifensee D. galeata were smaller than hybrid first clutch juveniles. The third clutch juvenile length did not differ between taxa from Lake Greifensee, but D. galeata juveniles from Lake Constance were bigger than those of D. hyalina. 4. The life history pattern found in Lake Constance corresponds to previous findings from other studies. The hybrids in this lake combine the faster population growth of one parental species with a relatively small size. In the case of Lake Greifensee hybrids, the relatively large size of first clutch juveniles and the small size of the adults could be interpreted as dual adaptations to invertebrate and fish predation. We speculate that the lower population growth rate of the hybrids is a trade‐off for this twofold protection.     

Influences of habitat features and human disturbance on use of breeding sites by a declining population of southern fur seals (Arctocephalus australis)

Southern fur seals Arctocephalus australis in Peru have declined gradually over the past decade, and declined dramatically (72%) as a result of low food availability during the severe El Niño in 1997–98. In 1999, seals abandoned some historically important breeding sites. This is particularly alarming because new sites were not colonized. Our objective was to examine how habitat features and human disturbance influenced whether sites were currently used, abandoned or apparently not used in the past by fur seals for breeding. Data were collected on 14 variables at 70 potential breeding sites at three guano reserves in Peru. Discriminant analysis revealed significant multivariate differences among sites currently used for breeding, abandoned sites and unused sites ( F =5.97, P <0.00001), and the model classified 74% of sites correctly. Currently used sites were less likely to have human disturbance and more likely to have offshore islands, stacked rocks, tide pools and abundant shade. Separate discriminant analyses for each reserve produced similar results. Habitat associated with thermoregulation (e.g. shade or pools) may be more important to fur seals in Peru, which breed at lower latitudes and are at greater risk of overheating on land than other populations. Habitat with minimized human access may be especially important to seals in small populations in which individuals may perceive themselves as more vulnerable because of decreased vigilance and dilution effects. Seals in our study selected breeding habitat with stacked rocks, which create shade and tide pools for thermoregulation and make human access difficult; but pups might suffer higher mortality in this habitat. We hypothesize that fur seals in Peru may exhibit an Allee effect, whereby suitability of habitat varies with population abundance.     

Nesting activity,breeding success and colony size for the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus on Heron Island

Abstract The Capricorn Group of islands in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park sustains one of the world's largest breeding populations of the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus. Heron Island, a 13.5 ha coral cay which supports tourist and research station leases as well as a national park, is the third largest nesting island in the group. Sample censuses of breeding burrows were conducted each year between 1985 and 1990 and a further survey was completed in 1993. These returned estimates of between 13 264±1387 and 16 337±1545 active burrows (Y±SE). Burrow densities within each of the habitats monitored showed no significant trends between years, although there were large differences in burrow density between habitats. There were roughly the same number of burrows in the developed (west) and national park (east) halves of the cay. A miniature video camera system (burrowscope), which allowed nesting chambers at the ends of burrows to be inspected, was used in 1989, 1990 and 1993. This demonstrated that around half the burrows were occupied by incubating birds. Variations were found in the distribution of incubating birds between habitats, although this did not remain constant between the years. In the 1993 season, breeding activity was traced from the burrow establishment to fledging stage. Fifty-one per cent of burrows were used for breeding (eggs laid), 77% of eggs hatched and 80% of chicks produced a fledgling. Overall breeding success for the island was estimated at 61%. In 1993 the area designated as Buildings was found to have significantly lower hatching success compared with natural habitats. Most mortality occurred at the egg stage; however, in the Fringe habitat, mortality was highest at the chick stage. Previous surveys have estimated the breeding population from burrow counts. It now appears that only about 30% of such burrows produce fledglings.     

平菇丰收一号高产特性的研究

通过野生种分离选用的平菇丰收一号,染色体数为９（ｎ＝９）,菌丝生长速度比一般品种快２—３４ｃｍ／ｈ,平均投料０．５ｋｇ（块）产鲜菇０．６～２．５ｋｇ,个别单株重１０～２０ｋｇ左右,生物效率１００～１５０％,高者达２００％以上,是一种高产优质、适应性强的新菌种。     

关中小麦品种产量构成因素的相互关系和产量育种目标

对关中地区不同年代及当前大面积推广的小麦品种（系）的产量及其构成因素进行了遗传分析和通径分析。结果表明：陕西关中地区近期小麦品种的产量育种目标的趋势是在提高现有穗粒数的基础上,保持现有的穗数（７００万／ｈｍ＾２）及千粒重（３８ｇ左右）,以求在提高品种产量潜力的同时,保持或增加品种的稳定性能;或是大幅度提高穗粒数（３５粒左右）,适当提高千粒重（４０ｇ左右）,适当降低穗数（６００万／ｈｍ＾２左右）,以     

超低能重离子注入作物育种的原初物理机制

从原子核物理学观点出发,采用理论分析与实验测量并举的方法对超级能（〈２００ｋｅｖ）重离子（Ｚ≥６）注入作物（小麦）种子进行诱变育种的原初物理机制进行了研究,结果表明,无论是注入离子本身的射程,还是次级电子,自由基扩散,高温热穗,级联原子和冲击波等次级作用范围都无法触及表皮下面的胚细胞,但注入离子在麦胚内主要元素（Ｃ,Ｎ,Ｏ,Ｓ,Ｐ,Ｋ,Ｃａ）上激发出的特征Ｘ－射线,在其强度减弱为原来的１０＾－３时     

Fitness consequences of helping behavior in the western bluebird

We examined the fitness consequences of helping behavior inthe western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) at Hastings Reservationin Carmel Valley, California, USA, and tested hypotheses forhow helpers benefit from engaging in alloparental behavior.Both juvenile and adult western bluebirds occasionally helpat the nest During a 12 year period, all adult helpers and mostjuvenile helpers were male. Helpers usually fed at nests ofboth their parents and rarely helped when only one parent waspresent. The frequency of pairs with adult helpers was only7%, but nearly one-third of adult males helped among those withboth parents on the study area. At least 28% were breeders whosenests failed. The propensity to help appears to depend uponparental survival, male philopatry, and the breeding successof potential helpers. Feeding rates were not increased at nestswith juvenile helpers, apparendy because breeding males reducedtheir feeding rates. In contrast, adult helpers increased theoverall rates of food delivery to the nest in spite of a reductionin the number of feeding trips made by both male and femaleparents. Helpers did not derive any obvious direct fitness benefitsfrom helping, but they had greater indirect fitness than nonhelpersdue to increases in nestling growth rates and fledging successat their parents' nests. Helpers fledged fewer offspring intheir first nests than did nonhelpers, suggesting that theywere birds with reduced reproductive potential. Although wehave not yet measured the effect of extrapair fertilizationson the fitness benefits of helping, we calculated the differencein fitness between helpers and nonhelpers as a function of thepotential helper's paternity when breeding independently andhis father's paternity in the nest at which he might help. Inconjunction with constraints on breeding and indirect fitnessbenefits, we predict that relatedness of males to the youngin their own as well as their parents' nests will influencehelping behavior in western bluebirds.     

Influence of helping and breeding experience on reproductive performance in the Seychelles warbler: a translocation experiment

Reproductive success of the cooperative breeding Seychelleswarbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis) increases with age. Thisage effect is not due to differential survival or increasedreproductive effort, but to accumulated helping and breedingexperience. In their first year of breeding, reproductive performanceof inexperienced warblers with neither helping nor breedingexperience was significandy lower than that of warblers of thesame age with either previous helping or breeding experience.Reproductive performance was the same for primiparae with helpingexperience and for birds with breeding experience. Female primiparaewith helping experience or breeding experience built betternests and spent more time incubating than inexperienced females,which led to increased hatching success. Male primiparae withhelping experience or males with breeding experience guardedthe clutch better than inexperienced males, which led to reducedegg predation. Even-aged warblers with different previous experienceswere transferred to unoccupied islands, where birds startedbreeding immediately in high-quality territories. The experimentshowed that birds with helping experience produced their firstfledgling as fast as experienced breeders, and significandyfaster than inexperienced birds. Breeding performance did notimprove further with experience after the first successful breedingattempt. Only birds with previous breeding experience who pairedwith inexperienced birds, were likely to change mate. The otherpair combinations remained stable. Thus, primiparous birds withhelping experience have greater lifetime reproductive successthan inexperienced primiparae of the same age. This experimentshows that helping behavior has not only been selected for inthe context of promoting an individual's indirect fitness, butalso in the context of gaining helping experience which translatesinto improved reproductive success when a helper becomes a breeder.[Behav Ecol 7: 326-333 (1996)]