Quantification of bird migration by radar – a detection probability problem

Besides the scientific interest in the quantification of bird migration, there is an increasing need to quantify bird movements for the assessment of bird collision risk with artificial structures. In many environmental impact studies, the radar method is used in an inappropriate manner. The processing of echoes consists often of counting blips within defined screen fields, and the surveyed volume is estimated without reference to the detection probabilities of different 'target sizes' (radar cross-sections). The aim of this paper is to present a procedure to quantify bird migration reliably using radar by stating the theoretical requirements of every single step of this procedure and presenting methodological solutions using our own radar data from extensive field studies. Our methodological solutions can be applied to various radar systems, including widely used ship radar. The procedure presented involves discriminating the echoes of birds and insects and estimating the different detection probabilities of differently 'sized' birds (radar cross-sections). By ignoring the different detection probabilities, density estimations may be wrong by as much as 400%. We fear that quantification of bird migration and predicted bird numbers affected by collisions with artificial structures are in many cases based on unreliable estimates.     

THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES FOR THE INHIBITION OF INDUCIBLE NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE—POTENTIAL FOR A NOVEL CLASS OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS

In recent years, NO, a gas previously considered a potentially toxic chemical, has become established as a diffusible universal messenger mediating cell—cell communication throughout the body. In mammals, NO is a recognized mediator of blood vessel relaxation that helps to maintain blood pressure. In the central nervous system NO acts as a non-conventional neurotransmitter and participates in the establishment of long-term plasticity required for memory formation. In addition, NO is responsible for some parts of the host response to sepsis and inflammation and contributes to certain disease states. A number of strategies have emerged with regard to a pharmacological control of pathological NO overproductions. This review will discuss these novel therapeutic approaches that may provide new means for clinical medicine.     

Major histocompatibility complex variation and age‐specific endoparasite load in subadult European rabbits

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a fundamental role in the vertebrate immune response and are amongst the most polymorphic genes in vertebrate genomes. It is generally agreed that the highly polymorphic nature of the MHC is maintained through host–parasite co‐evolution. Two nonexclusive mechanisms of selection are supposed to act on MHC genes: superiority of MHC heterozygous individuals (overdominance) and an advantage for rare MHC alleles. However, the precise mechanisms and their relative importance are still unknown. Here, we examined MHC dependent parasite load in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from a distinct population with low MHC diversity (three alleles, six genotypes). Using a multivariate approach, we tested for associations of individual MHC class II DRB constitution and the rabbits’ intestinal burden with nematodes and coccidia. Rabbits having a particular allele showed lower infestations with hepatic coccidia (E. stiedai). However, a comparison of all six genotypes in the population revealed that carriers of this allele only benefit when they are heterozygous, and furthermore, MHC heterozygosity in general did not affect individual parasite load. In conclusion, this study suggests an immunogenetic basis of European rabbit resistance to hepatic coccidiosis, which can strongly limit survival to maturity in this species. Our study gives a complex picture of MHC–parasite correlations, unveiling the limits of the classical hypotheses of how MHC polymorphism is maintained in natural systems.     

PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A PUTATIVE 110kDa MYOSIN FROM THE GREEN ALGACHARA CORALLINABYIN VITROBINDING OF FLUORESCENT F-ACTIN

Using the binding of heterologous, rhodamine phalloidin-labelled F-actinin vitro, two F-actin binding proteins were identified in protein extracts from the green algaChara corallinaafter fractionation by anion exchange chromatography. The first protein, a putative myosin, released laterally bound F-actin at ATP-concentrations as low as 1μm ; equivalent concentrations of ADP were not effective. Binding of F-actin was inhibited by the sulfhydryl-alkylating agent N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Binding of F-actin was also abolished by a monoclonal anti-myosin (J14) previously used for immunodetection and immunolocalization in internodal cells (Groliget al., 1988,Eur J Cell Biol 47 : 22–31). Immunoblotting with J14 detected a 110kDa polypeptide only in those protein fractions that had revealed ATP-sensitive binding of F-actin. The putative myosin bound with mediocre affinity to immobilized calmodulin and free Ca²⁺-concentration made no difference to this binding affinity. In contrast to the putative myosin, the second, less abundant protein revealed ATP-insensitive and end-wise binding to the microfilament and was not recognized by the anti-myosin antibody.     

First DNA sequences from Asian cave bear fossils reveal deep divergences and complex phylogeographic patterns

Until recently, cave bears were believed to have only inhabited Europe. However, recent morphological evidence suggests that cave bears' geographic range extended as far east as Transbaikalia, Eastern Siberia. These Asian cave bears were morphologically distinct from European cave bears. However, how they related to European lineages remains unclear, stressing the need to assess the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationship between Asian cave bears and their European relatives. In this work, we address this issue using a 227 base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial control region obtained from nine fossil bone samples from eight sites from the Urals, Caucasus, Altai Mountains, Ukraine and Yana River region in Eastern Siberia. Results of the phylogenetic analyses indicate that (i) the cave bear from the Yana River is most closely related to cave bears from the Caucasus region; (ii) the Caucasus/Yana group of bears is genetically very distinct from both European cave bears and brown bears, suggesting that these bears could represent an independent species; and (iii) the Western European cave bear lineage reached at least temporarily to the Altai Mountains, 7000 km east of their known centre of distribution. These results suggest that the diversity of cave bears was greater than previously believed, and that they could survive in a much wider range of ecological conditions than previously assumed. They also agree with recent studies on other extinct and extant species, such as wolves, hyenas and steppe bison, which have also revealed higher genetic and ecological diversity in Pleistocene populations than previously known.     

Analysing forest recovery after wildfire disturbance in boreal Siberia using remotely sensed vegetation indices

Wildfires have major effects on forest dynamics, succession and the carbon cycle in the boreal biome. They are a significant source of carbon emissions, and current observed changes in wildfire regimes due to changes in climate could affect the balance of the boreal carbon pool. A better understanding of postwildfire vegetation dynamics in boreal forests will help predict the future role of boreal forests as a carbon sink or source. Time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Shortwave Infrared Index (NDSWIR) derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite were used to investigate whether characteristic temporal patterns exist for stands of different ages in the Siberian boreal forests and whether their postwildfire dynamics are influenced by variables such as prewildfire vegetation cover. Two types of forests, evergreen needle‐leaf (ENF) and deciduous needle‐leaf (DNF), were studied by analysing a sample of 78 burned forest areas. In order to study a longer time frame, a chronosequence of burned areas of different ages was built by coupling information on location and age provided by a forest burned area database (from 1992 to 2003) to MODIS NDVI and NDSWIR time series acquired from 2001 to 2005. For each of the burned areas, an adjacent unburned control plot representing the same forest type was selected, with the aim of separating the interannual variations caused by climate from changes in NDVI and NDSWIR behaviour due to a wildfire. The results suggest that it takes more than 13 years for the temporal NDVI and NDSWIR signal to recover fully after wildfire. NDSWIR, which is associated to canopy moisture, needs a longer recovery period than NDVI, which is associated to vegetation greenness. The results also suggest that variability observed in postwildfire NDVI and NDSWIR can be explained partially by the dominant forest type: while 13 years after a fire NDVI and NDSWIR are similar for ENF and DNF, the initial impact appears to be greater on the NDVI and NDSWIR of ENF, suggesting a faster recovery by ENF.     

Fusarium oxysporumf. sp.orthoceras, a Potential Mycoherbicide, Parasitizes Seeds ofOrobanche cumana(Sunflower Broomrape): a Cytological Study

Fusarium oxysporumf. sp.orthoceras, a potential agent for biologicalcontrol of the root-parasitic weedOrobanche cumanain sunflower,attacks underground developmental stages, such as shoots, tuberclesand seed germ tubes. The germination of inoculated seed wassignificantly reduced, and cytological investigation showedthatF. oxysporumhad penetrated and colonized dormant seeds ofO.cumana. Germ tubes of microconidia penetrated all parts of thethick, complex seed testa, and seed contents were completelydestroyed. Hyphae dissolved the endosperm cell walls and metabolizedthe cytoplasm which was rich in lipid- and protein-bodies. Thus,the inoculation of soils withF. oxysporummay be used to reducetheOrobancheseed bank.Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Fusarium oxysporum, sunflower broomrape,Orobanche cumana, seeds, electron microscopy, ultrastructure, infection process, biological control, bioherbicide, mycoherbicide.     

Modelling relationships between birds and vegetation structure using airborne LiDAR data: a review with case studies from agricultural and woodland environments

Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technology that offers the ability to collect high horizontal sampling densities of high vertical resolution vegetation height data, over larger spatial extents than could be obtained by field survey. The influence of vegetation structure on the bird is a key mechanism underlying bird–habitat models. However, manual survey of vegetation structure becomes prohibitive in terms of time and cost if sampling needs to be of sufficient density to incorporate fine-grained heterogeneity at a landscape extent. We show that LiDAR data can help bridge the gap between grain and extent in organism–habitat models. Two examples are provided of bird–habitat models that use structural habitat information derived from airborne LiDAR data. First, it is shown that data on crop and field boundary height can be derived from LiDAR data, and so have the potential to predict the distribution of breeding Sky Larks in a farmed landscape. Secondly, LiDAR-retrieved canopy height and structural data are used to predict the breeding success of Great Tits and Blue Tits in broad-leaved woodland. LiDAR thus offers great potential for parameterizing predictive bird–habitat association models. This could be enhanced by the combination of LiDAR data with multispectral remote sensing data, which enables a wider range of habitat information to be derived, including both structural and compositional characteristics.