Genetic Diversity, Population Size, and Fitness in Central and Peripheral Populations of a Rare Plant Lychnis viscaria

: Genetic diversity is expected to decrease in small and isolated populations as a consequence of bottlenecks, founder effects, inbreeding, and genetic drift. The genetics and ecology of the rare perennial plant Lychnis viscaria (Caryophyllaceae) were studied in both peripheral and central populations within its distribution area. We aimed to investigate the overall level of genetic diversity, its spatial distribution, and possible differences between peripheral and central populations by examining several populations with electrophoresis. Our results showed that the level of genetic diversity varied substantially among populations (  Hexp = 0.000–0.116) and that the total level of genetic …

A Trade-Off Between Current Reproduction and Moult in the Pied Flycatcher- an Experiment

1. Mechanisms causing costs of reproduction in birds are poorly understood. Here we focus on the renewing of feathers (= moult) which may be a possible physiological link between successive breeding attempts. 2. We performed clutch size manipulations to study whether the reproductive effort of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) has any effect on the initiation and progress of the moult in the late nesting period. 3. The absolute timing of breeding did not affect the onset of parents' moult, i.e. latebreeding individuals did not start moulting before nestlings were fledged more frequently than early ones. This indicates that moult was closely related to the breeding schedule of each in…

Selecting networks of nature reserves: methods do affect the long-term outcome

Data on vascular plants of boreal lakes in Finland were used to compare the efficiency of reserve selection methods in representing four aspects of biodiversity over a 63 year period. These aspects included species richness, phylogenetic diversity, restricted range diversity and threatened species. Our results show that the efficiency of reserve selection methods depends on the selection criteria used and on the aspect of biodiversity under consideration. Heuristic methods and optimizing algorithms were nearly equally efficient in selecting lake networks over a small geographical range. In addition, a scoring procedure was observed to be efficient in maintaining different aspects of biodive…

Female-female aggression and male polyterritoriality in the pied flycatcher

Low male return rate due to clutch enlargements in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca)

Abstract:Increased investment in reproduction during current breeding event may entail future fitness costs. Even though a wide array of both theoretical and empirical work has been devoted to solve the problem of optimal reproductive rate, evidence for costs of reproduction has been equivocal. In the present study we examined the survival of pied flycatcher parents after a clutch size manipulation where we altered clutch size with one or two eggs. We monitored return rates and dispersal of parents during subsequent years after manipulation. An artificial increase in reproductive effort caused lowered return rates of males. Results on breeding dispersal did not support the explanation that …

TRYPANOSOMES OF SOME FENNOSCANDIAN BIRDS

Linear measurements and derived indices of trypanosomes from species of Fennoscandian birds were compared to those reported form Trypanosoma avium, T. everetti, T. ontarioensis and T. paddae. The trypanosomes encountered in the Fennoscandian birds were identified as T. avium from Tengmalm's owl Aegolius funereus and the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, T. everetti from the great tit Parus major and collared flycatcher F. albicollis and T. ontarioensis from the collared flycatcher; T. paddae was not seen.

Leucocytozoon muscicapa n. sp. (Leucocytozoidae: Apicomplexa) from the pied flycatcherFicedula hypoleuca (Pallas) (Passeriformes: Muscicapinae)

Leucocytozoon muscicapa n. sp. is described from the pied flycatcherFicedula hypoleuca (Pallas) (Passeriformes: Muscicapinae) from Finland and compared with other leucocytozoids of the family Muscicapidae.

Small Scale Geographical Variation in Plumage Colour of Pied Flycatcher Males

Ecology -94". A cruise report. Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, Stockholm, pp. 311-316. Lundgren, B., Hedenstr6m, A. and Pettersson, J. 1995. Correlation between some body components and visible fat index in the Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus (L.). Ornis Svecica 5: 75-79. Pettersson, J. and Hasselquist, D. 1985. Fat deposition and migration capacity of Robins Erithacus rubecula and Goldcrests Regulus regulus at Ottenby, Sweden. Ring. & Migr. 6: 66-76. Piersma, T., Bruinzeel, L., Drent, R., Kersten, M., Van der Meer, J. and Wiersma, P. 1996. Variability in basal metabolic rate of a long-distance migrant shorebird (Red Knot, Calidris canutus), reflects shifts in organ sizes. Physiol…

Association between haematozoan infections and reproduction in the Pied Flycatcher

1. Parasites may affect breeding success of their host since they compete for the same resources as their hosts. Reproduction may also increase the susceptibility of a host to parasite infections owing to lowered resistance to parasites during breeding. 2. We studied the association between breeding performance and haematozoan parasite infection in the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) by using both natural data on reproduction and data from clutch size manipulations. 3. The most frequent blood parasites of the Pied Flycatcher in central Finland were Haemoproteus pallidus, Haemoproteus balmorali and Trypanosoma avium complex. 4. We did not find evidence that these haematozoan parasites h…

Absence of Sex Differential Plasticity to Light Availability during Seed Maturation in Geranium sylvaticum

Sex-differential plasticity (SDP) hypothesis suggests that since hermaphrodites gain fitness through both pollen and seed production they may have evolved a higher degree of plasticity in their reproductive strategy compared to females which achieve fitness only through seed production. SDP may explain the difference in seed production observed between sexes in gynodioecious species in response to resource (nutrients or water) availability. In harsh environments, hermaphrodites decrease seed production whereas females keep it relatively similar regardless of the environmental conditions. Light availability can be also a limiting resource and thus could theoretically affect differently femal…

Limitation of Reproductive Success by Food Availability and Breeding Time in Pied Flycatchers

Seasonal variation in reproductive success is a common phenomenon in many taxa. In birds, the costs and benefits associated with alternative breeding dates cause variation in clutch size, which is a main cause of seasonal decline in reproductive success. An immediate cause for this might be seasonal variation in the environment, or alternatively, but not mutually exclusively, date-independent differences in the parental/territory quality of early and late parents. The predictions of these hypotheses on seasonal reduction of reproductive success were tested by manipulating the hatching date and the amount of food during the nestling period of Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca). Delay in t…

Consequences of plant population size and density for plant-pollinator interactions and plant performance

Summary 1  Habitat fragmentation and the resulting decline in the local abundance of plant species can affect biological interactions. We examined the effects of abundance on plant–pollinator interactions by observing the pollinator service and subsequent reproductive output of a mostly outbreeding, but self-compatible, plant, Lychnis viscaria, in experimental populations of different sizes (number of individuals) and densities (distance between individuals). 2  Bumblebees, the main pollinators of L. viscaria, preferred larger populations, but visitation rates were higher in sparser populations. Pollinators were attracted to the larger inflorescences in sparse populations, which were also m…

Species immigration, extinction and turnover of vascular plants in boreal lakes

Dictated by limited resource availability for land acquisition, a central question in conservation biology is the ability of areas of different size to maintain species diversity. The selected reserves should not only be species rich at the moment, but should also maintain species diversity in the long run. We used two sets of data on vascular plant species in boreal lakes collected in 1933/34 and 1996 to test the relationships between lake area and the extinction, immigration and turnover rates of the species. Moreover, we investigated, whether the number of species in 1933/34 or water connection between lakes was related to extinction, immigration and turnover rates of species. We found t…

Properties of food loads delivered to nestlings in the pied flycatcher: effects of clutch size manipulation, year, and sex.

Experimental manipulation of the number of altricial offspring is supposed to modify parental expenditure in birds. In addition to the observed increase in parental feeding rate, it is also possible that the choice of prey or the size of load may change with the changing demand for food. Sexual differences in the provisioning response are also expected, on the basis of earlier studies. We examined the effect of brood size manipulation on choice of prey brought to nestlings and load size in the pied flycatcher. The composition and size of loads differed between years, possibly depending on varying availability of different prey types. Males responded to brood size enlargement by gathering he…

Fluctuating Asymmetry in Central and Marginal Populations of Lychnis viscaria in Relation to Genetic and Environmental Factors

Developmental instability in the form of increased fluctuating asymmetry can be caused by either genetic or environmental stress. Because extinctions can be attributed broadly to these factors, fluctuating asymmetry may provide a sensitive tool for detecting such stresses. We studied the level of fluctuating asymmetry of flowers of a perennial outcrossing plant species, Lychnis viscaria, both in natural and common-garden populations. The degree of flower asymmetry was higher in small, isolated, and marginal populations of the species range. These marginal populations also were the most homozygous. In the core area of the species' range, flowers were more symmetrical The level of asymmetry w…

Nestling growth and mortality of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in relation to weather and breeding effort

The growth pattern and mortality of young Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca were studied to focus on the mechanisms and constraints behind the widely studied optimization of clutch size. The clutch sizes were modified, and the growth and survival of chicks from different clutch sizes were monitored along with the prevailing weather during the nestling period to detect the effect of weather on reproductive success. The weather conditions during the feeding period of the nestlings varied within a season as well as between breeding seasons. The prevailing weather markedly affected both the growth rate and the survival of chicks, yet, the effects of weather on growth were not greater in enlar…

Inbreeding depression in perennial Lychnis viscaria (Caryophyllaceae): effects of population mating history and nutrient availability.

We studied inbreeding depression in a perennial plant, Lychnis viscaria, in three populations differing in their inbreeding history and population size by measuring several traits at two nutrient levels over the plant's life cycle. The observed levels of inbreeding depression (cumulative inbreeding depression, from -0.057 to 0.629) were high for a plant with a mixed mating system. As expected, the population with a low level of isozyme variation expressed the least inbreeding depression for seed germination. Highest inbreeding depression for germination was found in the largest and genetically most variable population. No clear differences between populations in expression of inbreeding dep…

The role of local adaptation in the relationship between an endangered root hemiparasite Euphrasia rostkoviana, and its host, Agrostis capillaris

We experimentally studied the role of local adaptation and the co-evolutionary relationship between an annual, endangered root hemiparasite Euphrasia rostkoviana and its main host Agrostis capillaris. According to our hypothesis, the existence of local adaptation in hemiparasites should be observable in better hemiparasite performance when attached to A. capillaris hosts originating from Euphrasia populations. After one month of growth, the height and the number of leaves of hemiparasites were not affected by the origin of their hosts. The differences in growth were due to between population effects. The situation remained constant after three months. Hemiparasite biomass was not affected b…

Black Grouse leks on ice: Female mate sampling by incitation of male competition?

Male-male competition is assumed to limit female choice of mates, but it may also help females to choose the most vigorous males. We studied the mate sampling behaviour of female black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) at spatially unstable leks on ice-covered lakes. In the absence of territories and site-dependence in outcomes of fights, the male dominance hierarchy is very evident on ice. When being courted by dominant males, females frequently tried to approach other males. This was frequently prevented because (1) the courting male and the approached male were involved in physical fight, or (2) the dominant male followed the female and the approached male escaped and avoided contact with him. Thes…

Geographical patterns of species turnover in aquatic plant communities

1. A classic theory in biogeography predicts that high latitude communities are unstable. This may be because of decreased species richness or decreased environmental predictability and productivity towards the poles. 2. We studied latitudinal patterns in long-term community persistence of aquatic vascular plants in 112 Finnish lakes, situated within a 1000-km range from the northernmost to the southernmost lake. 3. Contrary to theoretical predictions, we found that the turnover rate of plant species in 45 years was inversely related to latitude. That is, plant communities in northern lakes were more persistent than communities in southern lakes. When we used multiple regression to find the…