Further results on the survival of a gene represented in a founder population

This paper is concerned with gene survival in a population which may increase without density dependence according to a generalization of the Moran model for haploid individuals. A selective advantage to one allele and the possibility of differential reproductive rates are allowed. Simple conditions are given for ultimate homozygosity to be certain and for the possibility of ultimate polymorphism. The results complement and extend those of Heyde (1981, 1982).     

Community persistence in Broadstone Stream (U.K.) over three decades

1. Few detailed long-term data sets exist for fresh waters with which to examine large-scale temporal changes in community composition. Consequently, insight into community persistence has been restricted to a few, contingent case studies. We collated and analysed data for the aquatic macroinvertebrate community of Broadstone Stream in south-east England, spanning three decades. The pH of this naturally acid stream has risen progressively since the 1970s, and we sought to examine the potential effects of this environmental change upon the community.
2. Persistence within Broadstone was high when compared with other systems that have been analysed using similar methods. The stream was characterised by a `core' community of eight taxa that were always present, and contributed 75–97% of total invertebrate abundance, with a trailing limb of progressively rarer and more acid-sensitive taxa. There was little species turnover, although the time-series exceeded 20 generations for most species.
3. Despite this high persistence, a long-term response to rising pH was detected: species indicating profound acidity (identified a priori from independent studies) have declined since the 1970s, whereas indicators of moderate acidity increased. The structure of the community food web has also changed since the 1970s, with increased predator diversity and abundance, and a lengthening of food chains following the invasion of a new top predator.
4. These changes in the community appeared to be driven by an interaction between pH and climate. The unusually hot, dry summers characteristic of the 1990s may have raised pH during the more sensitive (i.e. early) stages of the life-cycle, and thus provided a window of opportunity for less acid-tolerant taxa to colonise and become established. Changes in pH appeared to set the boundaries of the available local species pool, within which biotic interactions ultimately shaped the community.     

Exclosure fences around nests of imperiled Florida Grasshopper Sparrows reduce rates of predation by mammals

Increasing nest survival by excluding predators is a goal of many bird conservation programs. However, new exclosure projects should be carefully evaluated to assess the potential risks of disturbance. We tested the effectiveness of predator exclosure fences (hereafter, fences) for nests of critically endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum floridanus) at a dry prairie site (Three Lakes; 2015–2018) and a pasture site (the Ranch; 2015–2016) in Osceola County, Florida, USA. We installed fences at nests an average of 8 days after the start of incubation, and nest abandonment after fence installation was rare (2 of 149 installations). Predation was the leading cause of failure for unfenced nests at both sites (48–73%). At Three Lakes, nest cameras revealed that mammals and snakes were responsible for 61.5% and 38.5% of predation events, respectively, at unfenced nests. Fences reduced the daily probability of predation (0.016 for fenced nests vs. 0.074 for unfenced nests). The probability that a fenced nest would survive from discovery to fledging was more than double that of unfenced nests (60.4% vs. 27.7%). However, we found no difference in daily nest survival at the Ranch between the year before nests were fenced (2015; 0.874) and the year when all but one nest were fenced (2016; 0.867) because red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) were responsible for 86% of predation events at fenced nests at the Ranch. The use of cameras at fenced nests revealed that site‐specific differences in nest predators explained variation in fence efficiency between sites. Our fence design may be useful for other species of grassland birds, but site‐specific predator communities and species‐specific response of target bird species to fences should be assessed before installing fences at other sites.     

Review: Assessment of completeness of reporting in intervention studies using livestock: an example from pain mitigation interventions in neonatal piglets

Accurate and complete reporting of study methods, results and interpretation are essential components for any scientific process, allowing end-users to evaluate the internal and external validity of a study. When animals are used in research, excellence in reporting is expected as a matter of continued ethical acceptability of animal use in the sciences. Our primary objective was to assess completeness of reporting for a series of studies relevant to mitigation of pain in neonatal piglets undergoing routine management procedures. Our second objective was to illustrate how authors can report the items in the Reporting guidElines For randomized controLled trials for livEstoCk and food safety (REFLECT) statement using examples from the animal welfare science literature. A total of 52 studies from 40 articles were evaluated using a modified REFLECT statement. No single study reported all REFLECT checklist items. Seven studies reported specific objectives with testable hypotheses. Six studies identified primary or secondary outcomes. Randomization and blinding were considered to be partially reported in 21 and 18 studies, respectively. No studies reported the rationale for sample sizes. Several studies failed to report key design features such as units for measurement, means, standard deviations, standard errors for continuous outcomes or comparative characteristics for categorical outcomes expressed as either rates or proportions. In the discipline of animal welfare science, authors, reviewers and editors are encouraged to use available reporting guidelines to ensure that scientific methods and results are adequately described and free of misrepresentations and inaccuracies. Complete and accurate reporting increases the ability to apply the results of studies to the decision-making process and prevent wastage of financial and animal resources.     

The effect of a large-scale irrigation scheme on the fish community structure and integrity of a subtropical river system in South Africa

Large scale irrigation schemes are vitally important for food security in developing countries. This is especially relevant in subtropical countries where there is pressure on their water resources. However, the potential impacts on the fish communities of the rivers associated with these irrigation systems are extensive and potentially devastating. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme (VHIS) on the fish community of two rivers (Harts and Vaal rivers) in the subtropical region of South Africa. The fish community was assessed during a three year period from 2007 to 2009 together with environmental and habitat quality parameters. A multivariate approach together with a local biotic index was used to determine the present ecological state and the environmental drivers responsible for the fish community structure. The results indicated that the fish community was in a largely natural state at the start of the VHIS and increasingly became modified due to various environmental parameters being affected by the irrigation scheme. Annual variation in the fish community structures was high while nitrate, zinc and sulphates corresponded with changes in the fish community. The outcome of the study highlighted that a lack of long term monitoring of fish community structures together with environmental and habitat parameters are a major challenge in many developing countries that can potentially affect management of irrigation schemes and the fish communities associated with the aquatic ecosystems.     

Spatial and temporal factors associated with nest survival of Gray Flycatchers in managed ponderosa pine forests

Gray Flycatchers (Empidonax wrightii) breed in a variety of habitats in the arid and semi‐arid regions of the western United States, but little is known about their breeding biology, especially in the northern portion of their range where they nest in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests. From May to July 2014 and 2015, we conducted surveys for singing male Gray Flycatchers along the eastern slope of the Cascade Range in Washington, U.S.A, monitored flycatcher nests, and quantified nest‐site vegetation. We used a logistic‐exposure model fit within a Bayesian framework to model the daily survival probability of flycatcher nests. During the 2 yr of our study, we monitored 141 nests, with 93% in ponderosa pines. Mean clutch size was 3.6 eggs and the mean number of young fledged per nest was 3.2. Predation accounted for 90% of failed nests. We found a positive association between daily nest survival and both nest height and distance of nest substrates from the nearest tree. Flycatchers that locate their nests higher above the ground and further from adjacent trees may be choosing the safest alternative because higher nests may be less exposed to terrestrial predators and nests in trees that are farther from other trees may be less exposed to arboreal predators such as jays (Corvidae) that may forage in patches with connected canopies. Nests in trees farther from other trees may also allow earlier detection of approaching predators and thus aid in nest defense.     

Suitability of some Lantana camara varieties as host plants for the root-feeding flea beetle, Longitarsus bethae

Compatibility between the root-feeding agent Longitarsus bethae Savini & Escalona and the varieties of the target weed Lantana camara L. could influence the chances of successful establishment and effectiveness of this agent as a biocontrol agent of lantana in South Africa. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the influence of major South African lantana varieties on feeding, colonization, oviposition preference and larval survival of L. bethae. Feeding preference and the number of adults per plant varied among the varieties. The most damaged and colonized varieties were 150 Orange, 009 Light Pink and 113 Dark Pink. Variety 018 Dark Pink was the least damaged, while 021 Total Pink and 029 White Pink were the least colonized. Females laid the highest number of eggs on variety 150 Orange. The lowest number of eggs was recorded on Australian Richmond Pink and the closely related species Lippia wilmsii. Larval survival differed significantly among the varieties. The highest survival was recorded on 150 Orange. Duration of development also varied significantly among the varieties, with the slowest rate of development recorded on variety 029 Light Pink and the quickest on variety 015 White Yellow. Although variations in female body size were less significant among varieties, males emerging from variety 150 Orange were slightly smaller than those emerged from other varieties. There was a significant tendency for females to select varieties that enhanced the survival of their offspring, which met the predictions of the preference-performance hypothesis. The data suggest that the chances of establishment and successful control of the weed are expected to be much greater on those varieties that were preferred for oviposition and provided better larval performance.     

Fish population structuring in the North Sea: understanding processes and mechanisms from studies of the movements of adults

Few fish species form single, panmictic populations throughout their geographic range, most form subpopulations or 'stocks' with differing levels of interconnectivity. Different patterns of interconnectivity between subpopulations will give rise to different responses to exploitation and management, but they will also have different capacities to generate the genetic and phenotypic differences often used to discriminate between stocks. Consequently, knowledge of ontogenetic and seasonal patterns in the distribution, movement and behaviour of individuals is crucial to identifying population substructure. This paper considers the evidence gathered about movements and behaviour of adult fishes from mark-recapture and electronic tagging studies for a number of fish species in the North Sea and elsewhere in U.K. waters in an attempt to understand population structure and the processes that may give rise to it.