Passive irrigation and functional morphology of crustacean burrows in a tropical mangrove swamp

Flushing measurements and a resin cast of a burrow inhabited by Sesarma messa and Alpheus cf macklay were taken from a Rhizophoraspp. forest. The burrow had 9 openings and occupied a swamp surface area of 0.64 m². Passive irrigation of the burrow was investigated by recording change in conductivity of burrow water in a chamber 45 cm below the swamp surface during tidal inundation of the swamp. The chamber was completely flushed within approximately one hour, i.e. by a single tidal event. Burrow morphology was determined by means of resin casting. The investigated burrow was of discrete structure, with an overall depth of 1.2 m and a total volume of 68 l, i.e. ca. 9% of the volume of swamp soil. The below ground surface area of chambers and tunnels was 3.8 m². The mean and maximum chamber/tunnel diameter was 7 cm and 11 cm respectively. The soil in the close vicinity of the burrow was extensively penetrated by roots, and any two parts of the burrow were located no further than 20 cm away from each other. By reducing diffusion distances within the soil and by being well flushed, the burrows provide an efficient mechanism for removal of excess salt accumulated in the soil around mangrove roots due to exclusion.     

Advanced sub social behaviour in the scorpionHeterometrus fulvipes Brunner (Arachnida)

Scorpions arc generally non-social, solitary animals that interact with conspecifics at birth, courtship or predation only. The present study reports the presence of advanced sub social behaviour inHeterometrus fulvipes Brunner and evaluates the importance of its burrowing as a cause for such social behaviour.Heterometrus fulvipes constructed deep angular burrows at the base of plants. Burrows provided (i) protection against predation, (ii) increased availability of food and (iii) ideal microclimate for year round activity of the scorpions. No cannibalism was observed in laboratory maintained colonies. The risk of predation and the difficult by immatures to dig tunnels during dry soil conditions may have forced the mother and offspring to live together in the burrow for longer durations. The cohabitation of relative offsprings transforms the burrow into a nest. The members of a colony exhibits division of labour for nest expansion and in foraging. The mother communicates with the immatures through “Buzz” sound and may provide premasticated food. There is food sharing also among colony members. All these behaviours indicate the presence of advanced sub social behaviour inHeterometrus fulvipes.     

An assessment of the breeding range,colony sizes and population of the Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica)

Abstract

The Westland petrel (Procellaria westlandica) is an endemic New Zealand species and one of the very few burrowing seabird species still breeding on mainland New Zealand. It nests only on a series of coastal ridgelines near to Punakaiki on the West Coast of the South Island. Between 2002 and 2005, surveys were undertaken at 28 of the 29 known colonies. The area occupied by the colonies was 73 ha; most colonies had fewer than 50 burrows, but six colonies had 201–500 burrows and four colonies had more than 1000 burrows. We find that the current breeding range of Westland petrel and the location of individual colonies are similar to those reported in both the 1950s and 1970s. Based on total burrow counts at 28 colonies and burrow occupancy rates determined by annual monitoring, the annual breeding population is estimated to be between 2954 and 5137 breeding pairs.     

Unusual nonmarine burrows from the Middle Jurassic of Scotland

The Kilmaluag Formation of the Great Estuarine Group (Middle Jurassic) of Scotland represents deposition of mixed carbonate and clastic sediments in a low‐salinity coastal lagoon to floodplain lake setting. Large, unusual trace fossils occur at two horizons within the formation. One type consists of platelike structures about 50 cm in diameter, which are found on wave‐rippled sandstone. These structures, strikingly similar to burrows produced by modern mudskippers, are assigned to fish that shallowly burrowed into the lagoon‐shore sediment.

The second type of burrows, found in brecciated, dolomitic limestones, are pipelike, about 4 to 7 cm in diameter and as much as 50 cm deep. One example has a chamber at the base of the pipe. Although most features of these structures appear similar to modern lungfish burrows, the chamber is most similar to structures produced by modern crayfish. The animal probably burrowed into the moist, mudflat sediment to escape desiccation during seasonal aridity.     

Analysis of Mineral Segregation in Euzonus mucronata Burrow Structures: One Possible Method Used in the Construction of Ancient Macaronichnus segregates

Mineralogical segregation of sand grains distinguishes the trace fossil Macaronichnus segregatis, which is composed of a felsic burrow infill with a mafic-and mica-rich burrow mantle. This study focuses on determining the mechanism by which M. segregatis trace-makers segregated mineral grains during deposit feeding. A modern opheliid polychaete, Euzonus mucronata, from Pachena Bay, Vancouver Island (Canada), was examined to explain the activities of their ancient counterparts. Microscopic videotaping of deposit feeding allowed for collection of data on ingestion and excretion through visual grain counts of felsic, mafic, and shell components. Normalization of these grain counts to the composition of the host sediment illustrates preferential ingestion of felsic grains over mafic. Shell fragments were generally avoided and visually mantled the burrows, obscuring the paucity of mafic grains in burrow infills. The avoidance of shell fragments is potentially a function of the large grain size, angular shape, surface texture, and/or associated low nutritive value. The preferential ingestion of felsic grains is attributed to en masse feeding in felsic-rich locales identified through sediment probing. This form of mineral segregation likely reflects the specific nature of the sediment and worm population. Accordingly, en mass deposit feeding in selected felsic-rich localities is one possible mechanism used in the construction of Macaronichnus segregatis and M. segregatis-like structures.     

COMPACT DISC REVIEW

ABSTRACT

In previous studies, calling sites of two species of burrowing frogs Eupsophus in southern Chile have been shown to amplify conspecific vocalizations generated externally, thus providing a means to enhance the reception of neighbour's vocalizations in breeding aggregations. In the current study the amplification of vocalizations of Eusophus roseus was investigated to explore the extent of sound enhancement reported previously for two congeneric species. Advertisement calls broadcast through a loudspeaker placed in the vicinity of a burrow, monitored with small microphones, are amplified by up to 14 dB inside cavities relative to outside. The fundamental resonant frequency of burrows, measured with broadcast noise and pure tones, ranges from 345–1335 Hz; however it is not correlated with burrow length. The spectra of incoming calls are altered inside burrows by predominantly increasing the amplitude of lower relative to higher harmonics. The call amplification effect inside burrows of E. roseus parallels the effect reported previously for two congeneric species and reinforces the suggestion that sound enhancement inside calling sites has a widespread effect on signal reception by burrowing animals.     

The depth of Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea burrows varies with habitat and increases with competition for space

The Sooty Shearwater Ardenna grisea, an abundant but declining petrel, is one of many seabird species that construct breeding burrows, presumably because these confer protection from predators and the elements. Little is known about the causes of variation in Sooty Shearwater burrow architecture, which can differ markedly both within and between breeding sites. We hypothesize that burrow architecture varies in response to habitat type and competition for space. To address these hypotheses, we recorded Sooty Shearwater burrow dimensions on Kidney Island, the largest Sooty Shearwater colony in the Falkland Islands, South Atlantic, and modelled these as functions of burrow density (a proxy for competition) and habitat indices. Our models suggest that Sooty Shearwaters burrow further underground in response to competition for breeding space, and that soil underlying dense tussac grass Poa flabellata is more easily excavated than other substrates, indicating how vegetation restoration could aid the conservation of this species.     

High air humidity is sufficient for successful egg incubation and early post‐embryonic development in the marbled crayfish (Procambarus virginalis)

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Comparison Between Tidally Driven Groundwater Flow and Flushing of Animal Burrows in Tropical Mangrove Swamps

Tidal groundwater in a mangrove swamp can return to the mangrove creek by one of two mechanisms: (a) it can either flow through the swamp soil due to the water table difference between the creek and the groundwater in the swamp; or (b) it can flow via tidal flushing of animal burrows. This paper compares the magnitude of these two mechanisms for different regions of a mangrove swamp. Direct groundwater flow rates resulting from water stored in the sediment as a consequence of infiltration, especially during and after tidal inundation, were calculated for every square meter in the surface of a mangrove forest from piezometer data. Flow rates of water due to burrow flushing were determined based on published surveys, by estimating the burrow volume and the percentage of the burrow water that is flushed at each tidal inundation. Although direct groundwater flux was found to decrease further away from the creek compared to close to the creek, it was also found to have a similar range as burrow flushing flow. Specifically, direct groundwater flow ranged from 0.004 to 0.04 m³/m²/day, whilst burrow flushing flux ranged from 0.01 to 0.04 m³/m²/day.Considering the errors involved in the experiments and calculations, these ranges can be considered as being the same and neither of the two processes can be considered as negligible compared to the other. As a consequence, surveys of groundwater processes in mangrove areas, and more generally in swamp and tidal areas where animal burrows are present, will need to consider both mechanisms. Investigations of the influence over flushing mechanisms of different residence times of the water in burrows and in the sediment body would also be recommended in order to establish salt and nutrient budget in mangrove swamps.