Search results for "Centre for Ecosystem Studies"
showing 2 items of 2 documents
Does an ant-dispersed plant, Viola reichenbachiana, suffer from reduced seed dispersal under inundation disturbances?
2008
Many plant species use ants as seed dispersers. This dispersal mode is considered to be susceptible to disturbances, but the effect of natural, small-scale disturbances is still unknown. We investigated how small-scale disturbances due to inundation affect seed dispersal in Viola reichenbachiana, a dominant myrmecochorous herb in riparian forests. Inundation disturbances were high in depressions and low on hillocks of the forest floor. We found that V reichenbachiana was similarly abundant at highly and less disturbed sites, contrary to other, non ant-dispersed species. We also found that the motivation of ants to disperse seeds was higher at highly disturbed sites. Nevertheless, the number…
Changes in body mass and hormone levels between wintering and spring staging areas in Dark-bellied brent geese Branta bernicla bernicla
2006
International audience; Wintering migratory geese generally replenish protein stores lost during migration before building up their fat stores (Gauthier et al. 1992). Dark-bellied brent geese Branta bernicla bernicla winter mainly along the coasts of France, England and the south-western part of the Netherlands, and stage from March till late May mainly in the Wadden Sea, stretching from the northern Netherlands to Denmark (Ebbinge et al. 1999). During spring, geese accumulate body stores needed both for their long-distance migration to the breeding grounds and for reproduction (Spaans et al. 1993, Ebbinge and Spaans 1995). Dark-bellied brent geese, migrating about 5000 km between the winte…