Correction to: Transmission of a novel predatory behaviour is not restricted to kin

Biological Invasions - A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-021-02548-x     

The drivers of avian‐haemosporidian prevalence in tropical lowland forests of New Guinea in three dimensions

Haemosporidians are among the most common parasites of birds and often negatively impact host fitness. A multitude of biotic and abiotic factors influence these associations, but the magnitude of these factors can differ by spatial scales (i.e., local, regional and global). Consequently, to better understand global and regional drivers of avian‐haemosporidian associations, it is key to investigate these associations at smaller (local) spatial scales. Thus, here, we explore the effect of abiotic variables (e.g., temperature, forest structure, and anthropogenic disturbances) on haemosporidian prevalence and host–parasite networks on a horizontal spatial scale, comparing four fragmented forests and five localities within a continuous forest in Papua New Guinea. Additionally, we investigate if prevalence and host–parasite networks differ between the canopy and the understory (vertical stratification) in one forest patch. We found that the majority of Haemosporidian infections were caused by the genus Haemoproteus and that avian‐haemosporidian networks were more specialized in continuous forests. At the community level, only forest greenness was negatively associated with Haemoproteus infections, while the effects of abiotic variables on parasite prevalence differed between bird species. Haemoproteus prevalence levels were significantly higher in the canopy, and an opposite trend was observed for Plasmodium. This implies that birds experience distinct parasite pressures depending on the stratum they inhabit, likely driven by vector community differences. These three‐dimensional spatial analyses of avian‐haemosporidians at horizontal and vertical scales suggest that the effect of abiotic variables on haemosporidian infections are species specific, so that factors influencing community‐level infections are primarily driven by host community composition.     

Exposure to Crystalline Silica Inhalation Among Construction Workers: A Probabilistic Risk Analysis

Crystalline silica and its presence in dust generated during various construction activities may pose a health hazard to construction workers. In this article, the occupational exposure to crystalline silica and the related long-term health (cancer and non-cancer) risks among construction workers from five different trades (activities) were evaluated using a probabilistic approach. The predicted 95th percentile of the excess lifetime cancer risk and hazard quotients for exposure to crystalline silica ranged from 4.5 × 10^?5 to 1.2 × 10^?4, and 15 to 37, respectively. The efficiency of the state-of-the-art technologies to reduce silica inhalation at construction sites are evaluated in the context of reduction in long-term health risks to the construction workers. The use of engineering controls and personal protective equipments to reduce the exposure to crystalline silica reduced the hazard quotient and excess lifetime cancer risk approximately by 65% and 78%, respectively. The sensitivity analyses showed that the exposure concentration of crystalline silica was the most significant parameter in both cancer and non-cancer risk estimates for the construction workers. The breathing rate, the exposure factor, and the daily shift hours also significantly contribute to the cancer and non-cancer risk estimates for the construction workers.     

Corvids congregate to breeding colonies of a burrow‐nesting seabird

Egg predation is a major cause of reproductive failure among birds, and can compromise the viability of affected populations. Some egg predators aggregate near colonially breeding birds to exploit the seasonal increase of prey resources. We investigated spatial and temporal variations in the abundance of an egg predator (little raven Corvus mellori; Corvidae) to identify whether ravens aggregate spatially or temporally to coincide with any of three potential prey species: burrow‐nesting little penguin (Eudyptula minor; Spheniscidae), short‐tailed shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris; Procellariidae), and surface‐nesting silver gull (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae; Laridae). We derived spatially explicit density estimates of little ravens using distance sampling along line transects throughout a calendar year, which encompassed little penguin, short‐tailed shearwater and silver gull breeding and non‐breeding seasons. High raven abundance coincided temporally with penguin and gull egg laying periods but not with that of shearwaters. The spatial distribution of raven density corresponded with the little penguin colony but not with shearwater or gull colonies. Thus, the presence of little penguin eggs in burrows correlated strongly with little raven activity, and this implies that little ravens may have learnt to exploit the plentiful subsurface food resource of little penguin eggs. Corvid management may be required to maintain the viability of this socially and economically important penguin colony.     

亚热带典型林分对表层和深层土壤可溶性有机碳、氮的影响

林分类型是影响土壤可溶性有机碳、氮库大小的重要因素,但目前对其研究主要集中在表层土壤(0～10 cm).本研究以亚热带地区天然林、毛竹林、格式栲人工林和杉木人工林为对象,用3种不同的浸提方式(冷水、热水和KCl溶液)提取表层(0～10 cm)和深层(40～60 cm)土壤中可溶性有机碳(DOC)和有机氮(DON),研究林分类型对表层和深层土壤可溶性有机碳、氮库的影响.结果表明: 林分类型对表层土壤DOC及其占土壤总有机碳(TOC)的比重有显著影响,深层土壤受林分类型的影响不显著;不同林分土壤DON含量仅在表层土壤存在显著差异,在深层土壤差异不显著.林分间土壤微生物生物量碳的差异仅在表层土壤达到显著水平.DON占土壤总氮(TN)的比重在各林分表层和深层土壤间差异均不显著.3种浸提方法得到的DOC和DON库大小顺序为热水>KCl>冷水,不同浸提方法得到的DOC库及DON库的相关性均达到显著水平,表明冷水、热水和KCl溶液浸提得到的有机碳、氮库含有相似组分.冷水和热水浸提方法得到的表层土壤DOC和DON含量及DOC占TOC比重在天然林和毛竹林均显著大于格式栲和杉木人工林,表明天然林和毛竹林土壤可溶性有机碳、氮含量高于格式栲和杉木人工林,更有利于土壤肥力的恢复.     

The bright incubate at night: sexual dichromatism and adaptive incubation division in an open-nesting shorebird

Ornamentation of parents poses a high risk for offspring because it reduces cryptic nest defence. Over a century ago, Wallace proposed that sexual dichromatism enhances crypsis of open-nesting females although subsequent studies found that dichromatism per se is not necessarily adaptive. We tested whether reduced female ornamentation in a sexually dichromatic species reduces the risk of clutch depredation and leads to adaptive parental roles in the red-capped plover Charadrius ruficapillus, a species with biparental incubation. Males had significantly brighter and redder head coloration than females. During daytime, when visually foraging predators are active, colour-matched model males incurred a higher risk of clutch depredation than females, whereas at night there was no difference in depredation risk between sexes. In turn, red-capped plovers maintained a strongly diurnal/nocturnal division of parental care during incubation, with males attending the nest largely at night when visual predators were inactive and females incubating during the day. We found support for Wallace''s conclusion that reduced female ornamentation provides a selective advantage when reproductive success is threatened by visually foraging predators. We conclude that predators may alter their prey''s parental care patterns and therefore may affect parental cooperation during care.     

Additions to the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Massariothea</Emphasis> in Diaporthaceae

Massariothea is a coelomycetous genus that produces brown, distoseptate conidia with species commonly reported on grasses (Poaceae) worldwide. Two undescribed Massariothea species associated with grass hosts were collected in Thailand, Chiang Rai province. Phylogenetic analysis of ITS, LSU, and EF1-α sequence data revealed that the new taxa nested in the family Diaporthaceae. Massariothea thailandica and M. thysanolaenae are therefore introduced as novel species and compared with other Massariothea species. Detailed accounts of the morphological characters of the new species are provided with illustrations.     

A phage display‐selected peptide inhibitor of Agrobacterium vitis polygalacturonase

Agrobacterium vitis, the causal agent of crown gall of grapevine, is a threat to viticulture worldwide. A major virulence factor of this pathogen is polygalacturonase, an enzyme that degrades pectin components of the xylem cell wall. A single gene encodes for the polygalacturonase gene. Disruption of the polygalacturonase gene results in a mutant that is less pathogenic and produces significantly fewer root lesions on grapevines. Thus, the identification of peptides or proteins that could inhibit the activity of polygalacturonase could be part of a strategy for the protection of plants against this pathogen. A phage‐displayed combinatorial peptide library was used to isolate peptides with a high binding affinity to A. vitis polygalacturonase. These peptides showed sequence similarity to regions of Oryza sativa (EMS66324, Japonica) and Triticum urartu (NP_001054402, wild wheat) polygalacturonase‐inhibiting proteins (PGIPs). Furthermore, these panning experiments identified a peptide, SVTIHHLGGGS, which was able to reduce A. vitis polygalacturonase activity by 35% in vitro. Truncation studies showed that the IHHL motif alone is sufficient to inhibit A. vitis polygalacturonase activity.     

Case studies of motion-sensing cameras to study clutch survival and fate of real and artificial ground-nests in Australia

Capsule: Trail cameras monitoring clutches of ground-nesting birds in Australia revealed survival rates and new causes of egg loss. We also show that nests with artificial eggs versus real eggs do not reveal the same information on predators.

Aims: We describe the application of trail cameras for monitoring real and artificial clutches of ground-nesting birds through a series of case studies. We rate the degree of inference used when defining nest outcomes and assigning fates.

Methods: Four case studies are presented, based on 326 deployments of cameras on real and artificial nests.

Results: The probability of hatching varied between species and populations (40.0–83.3% hatched), but not between urban and rural habitats. The ‘degree of inference’ scores did not differ between species and contexts. Two case studies which examined habitat-mediated survival (ecological hypotheses) found no difference in survival between urban and rural habitats, nor between open and covered microhabitats. Another case study (a management hypothesis) found that predator exclusion cages increased clutch survival even though predators sometimes breached the cages and cages altered the assemblage of predators visiting the area. A fourth study revealed that the assemblage of predators eating eggs differed between real and artificial nests.

Conclusion: Cameras enabled the survival and fate of most nests to be determined.     

核基因组微卫星标记揭示大理茶参与了普洱茶的驯化过程?

利用11个核基因组微卫星标记对普洱茶3个居群、大理茶3个居群及过渡型大理茶2个居群共104株古茶树进行了遗传学分析。研究表明,普洱茶、大理茶和过渡型大理茶居群的遗传多样性相对较低,平均等位基因(Na)为4?852,平均香农多样性指数(I)为1?17,平均期望杂合度(He)和观测杂合度( Ho)分别为0?59和0?52,其中大理茶的遗传多样性水平低于普洱茶和过渡型大理茶。 AMOVA分析表明,普洱茶和大理茶之间遗传分化显著( FST＝0?305),遗传变异主要在居群内(分别为93?51％和89?41％),而居群间的遗传变异较低(分别为6?49％和10?59％)。主成分分析和STRUCTURE聚类分析均支持大理茶和普洱茶为不同的组,过渡型大理茶主要由大理茶驯化而来,并在栽培过程中与大理茶产生了遗传分化。在混栽的大理茶和普洱茶居群间存在由大理茶向普洱茶的明显基因渐渗,证实了大理茶参与了普洱茶的驯化过程。最后,讨论并提出了对大理茶和普洱茶古茶树资源保护的相关建议。