Search results for "Lee"
showing 10 items of 1847 documents
Effect of mass rearing on the genetic diversity of the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii
2019
Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae) is a predatory mite used to control whiteflies and thrips in protected crops. This biocontrol agent, originating from the Eastern Mediterranean region, has been mass-reared for commercial use since 2005 and is widely used in augmentative biocontrol programs. As a polyphagous predator, it has to cope with different biotic and abiotic factors. However, possible adaptation to mass rearing for production might be hindering its resilience and capacity for optimum performance in the field. In this study, we investigated the effect of long-term mass rearing on the genetic diversity of A. swirskii. We identified six microsatellite loci from w…
The preference and costs of sleeping under light at night in forest and urban great tits
2019
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasing phenomenon associated with worldwide urbanization. In birds, broad-spectrum white ALAN can have disruptive effects on activity patterns, metabolism, stress response and immune function. There has been growing research on whether the use of alternative light spectra can reduce these negative effects, but surprisingly, there has been no study to determine which light spectrum birds prefer. To test such a preference, we gave urban and forest great tits (Parus major) the choice where to roost using pairwise combinations of darkness, white light or green dim light at night (1.5 lux). Birds preferred to sleep under artificial light instead of dar…
Genomic Analysis of European Drosophila melanogaster Populations Reveals Longitudinal Structure, Continent-Wide Selection, and Previously Unknown DNA…
2020
Genetic variation is the fuel of evolution, with standing genetic variation especially important for short-term evolution and local adaptation. To date, studies of spatiotemporal patterns of genetic variation in natural populations have been challenging, as comprehensive sampling is logistically difficult, and sequencing of entire populations costly. Here, we address these issues using a collaborative approach, sequencing 48 pooled population samples from 32 locations, and perform the first continent-wide genomic analysis of genetic variation in European Drosophila melanogaster. Our analyses uncover longitudinal population structure, provide evidence for continent-wide selective sweeps, ide…
Detection of Allee effects in marine fishes: analytical biases generated by data availability and model selection
2017
The demographic Allee effect, or depensation, implies positive association between per capita population growth rate and population size at low abundances, thereby lowering growth ability of sparse populations. This can have far-reaching consequences on population recovery ability and colonization success. In the context of marine fishes, there is a widespread perception that Allee effects are rare or non-existent. However, studies that have failed to detect Allee effects in marine fishes have suffered from several fundamental methodological and data limitations. In the present study, we challenge the prevailing perception about the rarity of Allee effects by analysing nine populations of …
Next-generation biological control
2020
Biological control is widely successful at controlling pests, but effective biocontrol agents are now more difficult to import from countries of origin due to more restrictive international trade laws (the Nagoya Protocol). Coupled with increasing demand, the efficacy of existing and new biocontrol agents needs to be improved with genetic and genomic approaches. Although they have been underutilised in the past, application of genetic and genomic techniques is becoming more feasible from both technological and economic perspectives. We review current methods and provide a framework for using them. First, it is necessary to identify which biocontrol trait to select and in what direction. Nex…
Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Investigations on Psoralea Acaulis (Psoraleeae: Fabaceae) With the Description of A New Genus Kartalinia
2018
Salmeri, Cristina/0000-0002-5261-590X WOS: 000454161300003 Psoralea acaulis Hoffm. is a very peculiar and taxonomically isolated species of the tribe Psoraleeae, occurring in the Caucasian territories. Currently, this tribe contains 10 distinct genera, well differentiated morphologically. Due to some morphological similarities, P. acaulis was attributed to Bituminaria Heist ex Fabr., a genus with a Mediterranean-Macaronesian distribution. However, as it has many characters, some of which are autapomorphic, it was assigned its own subgenus: Christevenia Barneby ex C. H. Stirt. In light of detailed cladistic and phylogenetic analyses, this arrangement is taxonomically questionable and rather …
Taxonomic investigations on Psoralea palaestina (Fabaceae), a critical species of Mediterranean flora
2016
Psoralea palaestina is a critical and unappreciated species described from Palestinian territories, and currently treated as synonym of P. bituminosa, nowadays known as Bituminaria bituminosa. Nomenclatural investigations allowed to ascertain that it was validly described for the first time by Bassi (1768) and not by Gouan (1773), as previously thought. Extensive taxonomic investigations revealed that this very peculiar legume is morphologically well differentiated from the other allied known species. Therefore, it has to be properly treated at specific level and transferred to the genus Bituminaria, thus proposing a new combination: Bituminaria palaestina. Based on literature, herbarium an…
The mechanistic basis of demographic Allee effects: The search for mates
2017
In Focus: Berec, L., Kremer, A.M., Bernhauverova, V., & Drake, J.M. (2017). Density-dependent selection on mate-finding Allee effects. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87, 24-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12662 In Focus: Shaw, A.K., Kokko, H., & Neubert, M.G. (2017). Details of mate finding drive dynamics of sex structured invasions. Journal of Animal Ecology, 87, 36-46. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.12658 Lowered population growth ability at low abundances is called the demographic Allee effect. The difficulty of finding mates in a sparse population is the best documented pathway through which a demographic Allee effect might arise. The articles in focus here aim to establish the mec…
An annotated checklist of the leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) species of the Moulouya River basin, Morocco, with several new distribution records and a …
2019
A historical overview of the leech fauna of Morocco, based on both literature data, museum collections and new material, sampled in more than 100 sites in the Moulouya River basin (eastern region of Morocco), is provided. Twenty species from five families and ten genera are currently known, of which Helobdella europea Kutschera, 1987, is a new record for the country and North Africa as a whole. Herein, we add many new distribution records. The current list will need to be revised as new species distributions are recorded in the region. Notes on the species distribution are given along with comments on their habitat preferences. A concise biogeographic analysis outlines the similarities in t…
Atlantic cod recovery from the Allee effect zone : contrasting ecological and evolutionary rescue
2020
The ability of a population to recover from disturbances is fundamental for its persistence. Impaired population recovery might be associated with a demographic Allee effect. Immigration from adjacent populations could accelerate the recovery not only by promoting population growth beyond the Allee effect threshold but also by bringing in advantageous genotypes. We explore the nature and role of ecological and evolutionary rescue in an Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua Gadidae) population fished below its Allee effect threshold. We utilize an eco-evolutionary model and simulate scenarios, where the target population evolves in response to selective fishing and sample immigrants from (a) a source p…