Search results for "GRI"

SPACE USE, CIRCADIAN ACTIVITY PATTERN, AND MATING SYSTEM OF THE NOCTURNAL TREE RAT THALLOMYS NIGRICAUDA

2004

We present results of a radiotracking study of the black-tailed tree rat Thallomys nigricauda, based on 3 males and 4 females in the breeding season and 2 males and 5 females in the nonbreeding season. The study was conducted in the southern Kalahari thornveld, South Africa, a savanna landscape of acacia trees and patchy acacia bush. Nocturnal activity patterns, vegetation use, space use, and interactions were followed for 8–17 days. During the breeding season, males were active with 2 synchronous activity peaks shortly after sunset and late at night. Home ranges included the nests of 8–10 females, 6 different daytime resting places, and 3–5 areas of high activity. Males were mobile within …

Testing the usefulness of habitat corridors in mitigating the negative effects of fragmentation: the soil faunal community as a model system

2004

Abstract The corridor hypothesis predicts that habitat corridors should attenuate the negative effects of fragmentation on populations or communities by enhancing the dispersal of organisms between the habitat fragments (the ‘rescue effect’). In the present 12-month mesocosm experiment, this hypothesis was tested using the soil micro- and mesofaunal community in humus patches—either connected or unconnected with humus corridors to each other—as a model system. Of particular interest was to explore whether faunal groups with differing life strategies (e.g. in trophic position and dispersal capacity) would differ in their responses to the corridors. The results showed that enchytraeid worms w…

Colonisation of newly established habitats by soil decomposer organisms: the effect of habitat corridors in relation to colonisation distance and hab…

2005

Abstract The aim of the present 2.5-year-long field experiment was to explore the ability of various members of the detrital food web to colonise newly established habitat patches in field conditions, either in the presence or absence of habitat corridors. Patch size and distance to the “mainland” (colonisation source) were manipulated to explore the scale dependency of the corridor effects. Sterilised humus patches, embedded in mineral soil regarded as uninhabitable (or non-preferred) matrix for the soil organisms, functioned as newly established habitats. Intact forest soil served as the source of colonisers. Three kinds of patches were established: large ones situated at relatively long …

A fungal perspective on conservation biology

2014

Hitherto fungi have rarely been considered in conservation biology, but this is changing as the field moves from addressing single species issues to an integrative ecosystem-based approach. The current emphasis on biodiversity as a provider of ecosystem services throws the spotlight on the vast diversity of fungi, their crucial roles in terrestrial ecosystems, and the benefits of considering fungi in concert with animals and plants. We reviewed the role of fungi in ecosystems and composed an overview of the current state of conservation of fungi. There are 5 areas in which fungi can be readily integrated into conservation: as providers of habitats and processes important for other organisms…

Onset of natal dispersal in Peregrine Falcon from Mediterranean islands (Italy)

2018

Abstract Basic information on natal dispersal of Peregrine Falcons is virtually lacking in Europe, despite increased attention on this species, and the sensitivity of this stage in the Peregrines’ life history. In this study, we collected satellite telemetry data during the onset of natal dispersal of 19 Peregrine Falcons tagged in Sicily and the Aeolian archipelago (Italy). We divided the onset of dispersal into the following 3 periods: post-fledging dependence period (PFDP), wandering, and wintering. PFDP lasted on average 47±16 days, during which young peregrines moved very little (0.167 km), and explored small areas (0.226 km2) far from the nest cliff, and showed no sex differences. The…

FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURE LEADS TO EVOLUTION OF THERMAL GENERALISM AND PREADAPTATION TO NOVEL ENVIRONMENTS

2013

Environmental fluctuations can select for generalism, which is also hypothesized to increase organisms' ability to invade novel environments. Here, we show that across a range of temperatures, opportunistic bacterial pathogen Serratia marcescens that evolved in fluctuating temperature (daily variation between 24°C and 38°C, mean 31°C) outperforms the strains that evolved in constant temperature (31°C). The growth advantage was also evident in novel environments in the presence of parasitic viruses and predatory protozoans, but less clear in the presence of stressful chemicals. Adaptation to fluctuating temperature also led to reduced virulence in Drosophila melanogaster host, which suggests…

Genetic variability in Peregrine falcon populations of the Western Palaearctic region

2018

We analyzed variation in ten polymorphic microsatellites and a portion of cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA in 4 populations of the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). living in northern and southern Italy. Spain and Czech Republic to assess species diversity in the poorly investigated Western Palearctic region. The Spanish population lives in the contact zone between F. peregrinus peregrinus and F. p. brookei. both the northern Italian and the Czech populations live within the range of F. p. peregrinus and the southern Italian is within the F. p. brookei. We added to our cytochrome b sequence dataset comprising 81 samples. previously published mitochondrial DNA sequences (n = 31) of English …

Do enchytraeid worms and habitat corridors facilitate the colonisation of habitat patches by soil microbes?

2004

Due to their high abundance and ubiquitous existence, microbes are considered to be efficient colonisers of newly established habitats. To shed light on the dispersal mechanisms of soil microbes, a controlled microcosm experiment was established. In these microcosms, the dispersal of microbes from a source humus patch to originally sterile humus patches (embedded in a mineral soil matrix) was followed for 16 months, applying 16S and 18S ribosomal DNA-based PCR-DGGE molecular methods. Specifically, the role of enchytraeid worms and habitat (humus) corridors as possible facilitators of microbe dispersal was studied. The results showed that enchytraeid worms function efficiently as vectors for…

Afforested fields benefit nutrient-demanding fungi

2015

Impaired ecosystems are converted back to natural ecosystems or some other target stage by means of restoration and management. Due to their agricultural legacy, afforested fields might be valuable compensatory habitats for rare fungal species that require nutrient-rich forest soils. Using a large-scale field experiment in Finland, we studied community composition of macrofungi (agarics and boletes) on former fields, which had been afforested as monocultures 20 years ago using native spruce Picea abies, pine Pinus sylvestris, and birch Betula pendula. We studied the effect of soil quality, tree species, and site on community composition and structure. Many nutrient-demanding as well as rare…

2021

Without insights into the threats affecting species across their distributions and throughout their annual cycles, effective conservation management cannot be applied. The Whenua Hou diving petrel Pelecanoides whenuahouensis (WHDP) is a Critically Endangered small seabird whose offshore habits and threats are poorly understood. We tracked WHDPs year-round in 2015/16, 2017/18, and 2018/19 using global location-sensing immersion loggers to identify offshore distribution, movements, behaviour, and overlap with commercial fishing effort. During the breeding period, WHDPs ranged from southern Aotearoa (New Zealand) to Maukahuka (Auckland Islands). After breeding, WHDPs migrated southwest towards…