Herpetologica, Volume 68, Issue 1, Page 134-145, March 2012.

Herpetologica, Volume 68, Issue 1, Page 14-21, March 2012.

Herpetologica, Volume 68, Issue 1, Page 3-13, March 2012.

Waterbirds, Volume 34, Issue 4, Page 389-399, December 2011.

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Volume 161, Issue 1, Page 87-95, October 2011.

A comparative study of byssogenesis on zebra and quagga mussels: the effects of water temperature, salinity and light-dark cycle.

Biofouling. 2012 Feb;28(2):121-9

Authors: Grutters BM, Verhofstad MJ, van der Velde G, Rajagopal S, Leuven RS

Abstract
The quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) and zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) are invasive freshwater bivalves in Europe and North America. The distribution range of both Dreissena species is still expanding and both species cause major biofouling and ecological effects, in particular when they invade new areas. In order to assess the effect of temperature, salinity and light on the initial byssogenesis of both species, 24 h re-attachment experiments in standing water were conducted. At a water temperature of 25°C and a salinity of 0.2 psu, the rate of byssogenesis of D. polymorpha was significantly higher than that of D. rostriformis bugensis. In addition, byssal thread production by the latter levelled out between 15°C and 25°C. The rate of byssogenesis at temperatures <25°C was similar for both species. Neither species produced any byssal threads at salinities of 4 psu or higher. At a salinity of 1 psu and a water temperature of 15°C, D. polymorpha produced significantly more byssal threads than D. rostriformis bugensis. There was no significant effect of the length of illumination on the byssogenesis of either species. Overall, D. polymorpha produced slightly more byssal threads than D. rostriformis bugensis at almost all experimental conditions in 24 h re-attachment experiments, but both species had essentially similar initial re-attachment abilities. The data imply that D. rostriformis bugensis causes biofouling problems identical to those of D. polymorpha.

PMID: 22296220 [PubMed - in process]

Digestive utilization of ozone-exposed forage by rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Environ Pollut. 2012 Jan 30;163C:281-286

Authors: Gilliland NJ, Chappelka AH, Muntifering RB, Booker FL, Ditchkoff SS

Abstract
A mixture of common Southern Piedmont (USA) grassland species (Lolium arundinacea, Paspalum dilatatum, Cynodon dactylon and Trifolium repens) was exposed to O(3) [ambient (non-filtered; NF) and twice-ambient (2X) concentrations] and fed to individually caged New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in a digestibility experiment. Forages and feed refusals were analyzed for concentrations of total cell wall constituents, lignin, crude protein, and soluble and hydrolyzable phenolic fractions. Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility by rabbits were significantly lower for 2X than NF forage. Decreased digestibility could not be attributed to lignin concentrations, but was associated with increased concentrations of acid-hydrolyzable and saponifiable phenolics. Exposure of forage to elevated O(3) resulted in decreased digestible dry matter intake by rabbits. Elevated O(3) concentrations could be expected to have a negative impact on forage quality, resulting in decreased nutrient utilization by mammalian herbivores in Southern Piedmont grasslands under projected future climate scenarios.

PMID: 22296918 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Biology of Reproduction, Volume 86, Issue 1, January 2012.

Biology of Reproduction, Volume 86, Issue 1, January 2012.

Canadian Journal of Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 182-192, e-First articles.

Canadian Journal of Zoology, Volume 0, Issue 0, Page 163-171, e-First articles.

Publication year: 2012
Source: Biological Conservation, Available online 31 January 2012

Laura M. Young, Dave Kelly, Ximena J. Nelson

Globally, bird numbers are declining, with potentially serious flow-on effects on ecosystem processes, such as seed dispersal mutualisms. However, management to maintain seed dispersal may be inappropriate if unexpected animals are the most important dispersers. Numbers of the world’s only alpine parrot, the New Zealand kea (Nestor notabilis), have declined drastically over the last 120 years after an intense period of official persecution. Today <5000 kea remain in the wild. Previously it has been assumed that like other parrots, kea would destroy most of the seeds they eat, thereby contributing little to seed dispersal. The New Zealand alpine flora is rich in fleshy-fruited species yet has a limited disperser fauna. Consequently, we investigated the relevance of kea as a seed disperser in New Zealand’s alpine ecosystems. Field-based foraging observations coupled with faecal analyses showed kea were by far the most important extant alpine avian frugivore. Kea selected more fruiting species (21 vs. 17 species), consumed more fruit, and dispersed more seeds (8137 vs. 795) than all other birds combined. Rates of seed predation by kea were extremely low, and evident in only 25% of species eaten. Kea are the only species that make frequent long-distance flights within and between mountain ranges. Hence, much of the effective long-distance dispersal of the alpine flora may be currently performed by kea. Conservation of kea is therefore important both for ensuring the survival of the species and for their role in seed-dispersal mutualisms for which there are few extant substitutes.

Highlights► Numbers of kea, the world’s only alpine parrot, have declined drastically after >100 years of intense persecution. ► We investigated the relative importance of kea and other alpine birds for seed dispersal in New Zealand’s alpine flora. ► Kea were the most important disperser, consuming more seeds of more species and excreting most intact. ► Kea conservation is vital to ensure the maintenance of a dependent flora. ► Management may be mis-targeted if assumptions about which species are key dispersers are incorrect.

Publication year: 2012
Source: FEBS Letters, Available online 1 February 2012

Yan Li, Judith H. Robins, Jianping Ye, Zhiyong Huang, Qiang Wen, ...

The short pentraxins C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid P component (SAP) constitute a group of innate immune receptors that trigger immune activation by detecting molecules of the microbial cell wall. Here, we examined the evolution of short pentraxins in Murinae lineages. By molecular evolutionary analysis,CRPandSAPhave been experiencing rapid diversification, driven by adaptive selection. Further, our protein modeling demonstrates that adaptively selected amino acids lie in the ligand-binding region and contact region between subunits. Our findings suggest that rapid diversification of these regions could contribute to the determinants of recognizing specificity and the interaction between subunits.

Highlightsâ–º The evolutionary patterns of short pentraxins among rat, mouse, and eight other Murinae species and within five species were analyzed. â–º Adaptive selection leads to rapid diversification of short pentraxins in Murinae lineages. â–º The adaptively selected amino acids lie in the ligand-binding region and contact region between subunits.

A NEW MORPHOLOGICALLY DISTINCT AVIAN MALARIA PARASITE THAT FAILS DETECTION BY ESTABLISHED PCR-BASED PROTOCOLS FOR AMPLIFICATION OF THE CYTOCHROME B GENE.

J Parasitol. 2012 Jan 30;

Authors: Zehtindjiev P, Križanauskienė A, Bensch S, Palinauskas V, Asghar M, Dimitrov D, Scebba S, Valkiunas G

Abstract
Abstract Plasmodium polymorphum n. sp. (Haemosporida, Plasmodiidae) was found in the skylark Alauda arvensis (Passeriformes, Alaudidae) during autumnal migration in southern Italy. This organism is illustrated and described based on the morphology of its blood stages. The most distinctive feature of this malaria parasite is the clear preference of its blood stages (trophozoites, meronts and gametocytes) for immature red blood cells, including erythroblasts. Based on preference of erythrocytic meronts for immature red blood cells, P. polymorphum is most similar to species of the subgenus Huffia. This parasite can be readily distinguished from all other bird malaria parasites, including P. (Huffia) sp. due to preferential development and maturation of its gametocytes in immature red blood cells, a unique character for avian Plasmodium spp. Additionally, the margins of nuclei in blood stages of P. polymorphum are markedly smooth and distinct; this is also a distinct diagnostic feature of this parasite. Plasmodium polymorphum has been recorded only in the skylark; it is probably a rare parasite, whose host range and geographical distribution remain unclear. Microscopic examination detected a light infection of Plasmodium relictum (lineage GRW11, parasitemia of < 0.01%) in the same sample with P. polymorphum; the latter parasite clearly predominated (3.5% parasitemia). However, experienced researchers were unable to detect sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b) of P. polymorphum from the microscopically positive sample using published and newly designed primers for DNA amplification of avian Plasmodium spp. The light parasitemia of P. relictum was easily detectable using several PCR-based assays, but P. polymorphum was undetectable in all applied assays. Quantitative PCR also showed the presence of light parasitemia (0.06%) of the lineage GRW11 in this sample. This supports the conclusion that the morphologically distinct parasite observed along with P. relictum and predominant in the sample, is genetically dissimilar from the lineage GRW11 based on cyt b sequence. In samples with co-infections, general PCR protocols tend to favor the amplification of the parasite with the higher parasitemia or the one with the best matching sequence to the primers. Because the parasitemia of P. polymorphum was over 50-fold higher than that of P. relictum and several different primers were tested, we suggest that the failure to amplify P. polymorphum is a more complex problem than why co-infections are commonly overlooked in PCR-based studies. We suggest possible explanations of these results and call for additional research on evolution of mitochondrial genome of hemosporidian parasites.

PMID: 22288487 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Publication year: 2012
Source: Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde, Available online 31 January 2012

Elena Bassi, Emanuela Donaggio, Andrea Marcon, Massimo Scandura, Marco Apollonio

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and wolf (Canis lupus) are two widespread opportunistic predators living in simpatry in many areas. Nonetheless, scarce information are available on their trophic interactions. We investigated food habits of these two carnivores in a mountain area in Italy and assessed the extent of their trophic niche overlap, focusing on the consumption of wild ungulates. Thereby we analyzed the content of 669 red fox scats and 253 wolf scats collected between May 2008 and April 2009. Red foxes resulted to have a more than three times higher niche breadth than wolves. Vegetables, small mammals, wild ungulates, and invertebrates were major items (altogether 92% of volume) of the red fox annual diet. On the contrary wolf annual diet relied on wild ungulates (94% of volume) with wild boar (Sus scrofa) being the main food item. The degree of trophic niche overlap between the two species was found to be low (Pianka's O = 0.356). Diet variation between the warm and the cold seasons was limited in both species, and higher in red fox than in wolf. The two canids appeared to use wild ungulates unevenly being the former more selective for younger preys, smaller in size (newborn piglets and roe deerCapreolus capreolusfawns), whereas the latter exhibited a preference for medium-sized and large ungulates (10–35 kg wild boar and adult roe deer). Even if wild ungulates represent the main shared food category, the different use of age/weight classes by the two predators, together with their possible consumption as carrions by red fox, suggests a very limited trophic competition between wolf and red fox.This study represents a contribution to the knowledge of trophic interaction in predator–prey systems where sympatric carnivores are present.

Publication year: 2012
Source: Landscape and Urban Planning, Available online 31 January 2012

Md Lutfor Rahman, Sam Tarrant, Duncan McCollin, Jeff Ollerton

The skylark (Alauda arvensis) lost half its number after it underwent a decade of rapid decline from the mid-1970s onwards and since then has continued to decline albeit at a reduced rate. Its listing as a UK Red-List and Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Species has helped focus conservation action in an attempt to halt the decline and stabilise populations by restoring degraded habitats or by creating new habitats. Newly created grassland on restored landfill sites are semi-natural habitats that could potentially contribute to this process, however the extent to which these areas support breeding populations is unknown. Territory densities of breeding skylarks were studied on nine restored landfill sites in the East Midlands region of the UK during May to July 2008. The effects of restoration were investigated by examining how habitat quality, landscape factors and food resources determined territory densities. Mean vegetation height and size of sites were found to be significant predictors of the number of breeding skylarks at the local scale, whilst percentage of woodland, grassland and open habitat in the surrounding landscape had an influence at a larger scale. Mean larval and adult invertebrate abundance and species richness in skylark territories in restored landfill sites were found to be similar to that of reference sites of recognised nature conservation value. Restoration of landfill sites could be targeted toward species-specific goals since such sites could play a role in meeting targets for habitat and/or species restoration targets in the UK BAP.

Highlightsâ–º Skylark (Alauda arvensis) density on restored landfill grassland sites was comparable to that on farmland. â–º Mean vegetation height and the size of the sites were significant predictors of the density of breeding skylarks at the local scale. â–º Percentage of woodland, grassland and open habitat in the surrounding landscape had an influence at a larger scale. â–º No differences in abundance nor species richness of skylark invertebrate prey groups were detected between occupied territories and reference sites. â–º Recommendations for management include extensive cutting and use of species-rich seed mixes.

Publication year: 2012
Source: Environmental Pollution, Volume 163, April 2012, Pages 281-286

Nicholas J. Gilliland, Arthur H. Chappelka, Russell B. Muntifering, Fitzgerald L. Booker, Stephen S. Ditchkoff

A mixture of common Southern Piedmont (USA) grassland species (Lolium arundinacea,Paspalum dilatatum,Cynodon dactylonandTrifolium repens) was exposed to O3[ambient (non-filtered; NF) and twice-ambient (2X) concentrations] and fed to individually caged New Zealand white rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in a digestibility experiment. Forages and feed refusals were analyzed for concentrations of total cell wall constituents, lignin, crude protein, and soluble and hydrolyzable phenolic fractions. Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber digestibility by rabbits were significantly lower for 2X than NF forage. Decreased digestibility could not be attributed to lignin concentrations, but was associated with increased concentrations of acid-hydrolyzable and saponifiable phenolics. Exposure of forage to elevated O3resulted in decreased digestible dry matter intake by rabbits. Elevated O3concentrations could be expected to have a negative impact on forage quality, resulting in decreased nutrient utilization by mammalian herbivores in Southern Piedmont grasslands under projected future climate scenarios.

Highlightsâ–º Exposure of forage to elevated O3resulted in decreased digestibility by rabbits. â–º Elevated O3could be expected to have negative impacts on forage quality. â–º This study is believed to be the first of its kind. â–º A mechanism of action of decreased intake/digestion in animal herbivores is proposed.

Publication year: 2012
Source: Biological Conservation, Available online 29 January 2012

R. Brand Phillips, Brian D. Cooke, Victor Carrión, Howard L. Snell

Alien species can negatively affect global biodiversity, especially on islands. Significant advances in methods for eradicating mammals from islands have been achieved. In contrast, development of methods for eradicating birds from islands has lagged and few islands have had alien birds successfully eradicated. We report on a 7 year campaign to remove rock pigeons from the Galapagos Islands. To date this is the largest successful eradication of an alien bird from an island system and the only eradication of rock pigeons from an island. Multiple methods were tested and used, including alpha-chloralose, however, shooting with a high-powered air rifle was the most efficient removal technique. Incorporating the support of the community and local agencies into the campaign was critical to the success of the project.

Highlights► Rock pigeons were eradicated from the Galápagos Islands. ► Shooting with a high-powered air rifle was the most effective technique. ► Support from the community and local agencies was critical to project success.

B. L. Allen, P. J. S. Fleming

The direct risk of dingoes to threatened fauna has often been undervalued in studies promoting dingoes as a fauna restoration tool. Risk assessments of dingo predation have seldom been undertaken, but we assessed the potential risk of dingoes to populations of 80 threatened vertebrates and found that up to 94% of them are susceptible to dingo predation. These results suggest that foxes, feral cats and dingoes each present similarly high risks of predation to most threatened vertebrates. Photograph by Peter Fleming.