Search results for "PES"
showing 10 items of 5212 documents
European catfish (Silurus glanis) as a freshwater apex predator drives ecosystem via its diet adaptability
2017
AbstractApex predators play a key role in ecosystem stability across environments but their numbers in general are decreasing. By contrast, European catfish (Silurus glanis), the European freshwater apex predator, is on the increase. However, studies concerning apex predators in freshwaters are scarce in comparison to those in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The present study combines stomach content and stable isotope analyses with diet preferences of catfish to reveal its impact on the ecosystem since stocking. Catfish niche width is extremely wide in comparison to the typical model predator, Northern pike (Esox lucius). Catfish and pike have different individual dietary specialization…
Genetic variation in the behavioural mechanisms involved in the response of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus brochymenae to contact chemical cues left b…
2021
International audience; 1. The ability of parasitoid females to perceive chemical traces left by theirhosts is of utmost importance in the host location process. The behaviours involved insuch ability have thus most likely been promoted by natural selection in the course ofthe evolutionary time. For this to happen, however, there must be signicant geneticvariation in natural populations on which natural selection could act.2. Using the isofemale line method and motion analysis, we detected signicantintra-population genetic variation for several walking behaviour traits of the eggparasitoid Trissolcus brochymenae (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) females responding tochemical traces left by its h…
Grazing and soil pH are biodiversity drivers of vascular plants and bryophytes in boreal wood-pastures
2016
Abstract Wood-pastures have been formed by traditional low-intensity livestock grazing in wooded areas. They host high biodiversity values that are now threatened by both management abandonment (ceased grazing) and agricultural intensification, and therefore these habitats are of conservation interest in Europe. In order to explore the effects of grazing on the biodiversity of boreal wood-pastures, we studied the communities of vascular plants and bryophytes in 24 currently grazed and 24 abandoned sites. In addition to the current management situation, we studied the effects of soil pH and moisture, tree density, historical land-use intensity, time since abandonment (in abandoned sites) and…
Water temperature, not fish morph, determines parasite infections of sympatric Icelandic threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
2013
Parasite communities of fishes are known to respond directly to the abiotic environment of the host, for example, to water quality and water temperature. Biotic factors are also important as they affect the exposure profile through heterogeneities in parasite distribution in the environment. Parasites in a particular environment may pose a strong selection on fish. For example, ecological differences in selection by parasites have been hypothesized to facilitate evolutionary differentiation of freshwater fish morphs specializing on different food types. However, as parasites may also respond directly to abiotic environment the parasite risk does not depend only on biotic features of the hos…
Feeding Aquatic Ecosystems : Whole-Lake Experimental Addition of Angler’s Ground Bait Strongly Affects Omnivorous Fish Despite Low Contribution to La…
2018
It is well documented that aquatic ecosystems may be subsidized by naturally derived terrestrial carbon sources. In contrast, the intentional or unintentional subsidy of animal populations by human-derived feed resources and their ecosystem effects are poorly studied. We added ground baits of the type, amount and temporal duration commonly applied by anglers targeting cyprinid fishes to a small lake, and studied behavior, diet composition and annual growth rate of the lake fish community in response to the bait addition. Based on recordings by a high-resolution ultrasonic telemetry array, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a model benthivore spend more time at the sites where ground baits wer…
Food-web structure and mercury dynamics in a large subarctic lake following multiple species introductions
2016
Summary The rate of non-native fish introductions into freshwater ecosystems has more than doubled during the past three decades, posing a serious threat to native biodiversity. Despite potential benefits for fisheries, little is known about how introduced species interact with native communities at the food-web level, or impact energy transfer dynamics and accumulation of contaminants in lake ecosystems. Here, we explored the trophic structure of a large, oligotrophic subarctic lake and assessed the trophic niche use and potential ecosystem-wide consequences of two introduced salmonid species: piscivorous lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and zooplanktivorous vendace (Coregonus albula). We…
Chironomid incorporation of methane-derived carbon in plankton- and macrophyte-dominated habitats in a large shallow lake
2018
1. While 13 C-depleted carbon derived from biogenic methane can substantially contribute to the benthic secondary production in deep stratified lakes, its role in shallow lakes is less clear. We investigated the dynamics of δ13 C and δ15 N in the larvae of Chironomus plumosus throughout an annual cycle in two ecologically distinct basins (open-water plankton-dominated and sheltered macrophyte- covered) of a large (270 km2 ), shallow, polymictic and eutrophic lake (Võrtsjärv, Estonia, North Europe). The larval stable isotopic compositions were linked to the presence of methane-oxidising bacteria (MOB) in larval guts and sediments. 2. Molecular detection of MOB revealed their presence in vari…
Whole-Lake Sugar Addition Demonstrates Trophic Transfer of Dissolved Organic Carbon to Top Consumers
2017
Terrestrial dissolved organic carbon (DOC) provides an external carbon source to lake ecosystems. However, there is ongoing debate about whether external DOC that enters a lake can pass up the food web to support top consumers. We show, from experimental manipulation of a whole lake, that externally loaded DOC can contribute appreciably to fish biomass. Monthly additions of cane sugar with a distinct carbon stable isotope value during 2 years rapidly enriched the 13C content of zooplankton and macroinvertebrates, with a more gradual 13C enrichment of fish. After sugar addition stopped, the 13C content of consumers reverted towards original values. A simple isotope mixing model indicated tha…
Lake zooplankton delta13C values are strongly correlated with the delta13C values of distinct phytoplankton taxa
2016
Article
Integration of gradient based and response surface methods to develop a cascade optimisation strategy for Y-shaped tube hydroforming process design
2010
International audience; In the last years a strong research effort was produced in order to develop and design new forming technologies able to overcome the typical drawbacks of traditional forming operations. Among such new technologies, hydroforming proved to be one of the most promising. The design of tube hydroforming operations is mainly aimed to prevent bursting or buckling occurrence and such issues can be pursued only if a proper control of both material feeding history and internal pressure path during the process is performed.In this paper, a proper optimisation strategy was developed on Y-shaped tube hydroforming process which is characterized by a quite complex process mechanics…