Search results for "Population"
showing 10 items of 9945 documents
Why are defensive toxins so variable? An evolutionary perspective
2012
Defensive toxins are widely used by animals, plants and micro-organisms to deter natural enemies. An important characteristic of such defences is diversity both in the quantity of toxins and the profile of specific defensive chemicals present. Here we evaluate evolutionary and ecological explanations for the persistence of toxin diversity within prey populations, drawing together a range of explanations from the literature, and adding new hypotheses. We consider toxin diversity in three ways: (1) the absence of toxicity in a proportion of individuals in an otherwise toxic prey population (automimicry); (2) broad variation in quantities of toxin within individuals in the same population; (3)…
The role of demography, intra-species variation, and species distribution models in species' projections under climate change
2014
Organisms are projected to shift their distribution ranges under climate change. The typical way to assess range shifts is by species distribution models (SDMs), which predict species’ responses to climate based solely on projected climatic suitability. However, life history traits can impact species’ responses to shifting habitat suitability. Additionally, it remains unclear if differences in vital rates across populations within a species can offset or exacerbate the effects of predicted changes in climatic suitability on population viability. In order to obtain a fuller understanding of the response of one species to projected climatic changes, we coupled demographic processes with predi…
Seed dispersal, braeding system, tree density and the spatial pattern of trees – a simulation approach
2002
Summary Tropical tree populations with low densities and with clumped spatial distributions are at risk in the face of fragmentation. It is therefore important to understand factors driving spatial patterns of tree populations. An important set of factors which may influence the spatial pattern of plants, could be the spatial distribution of possible seed sources such as the breeding system (monoecious, dioecious), tree density and the spatial pattern of the parent population. Another set of important factors might be dispersal of seeds away from the parent plants characterised by the mean dispersal distance and by the distribution of dispersal distances (either negative exponential or logn…
Changes of effective gene dispersal distances by pollen and seeds across successive life stages in a tropical tree
2013
Pollen and seed dispersal are the two key processes in which plant genes move in space, mostly mediated by animal dispersal vectors in tropical forests. Due to the movement patterns of pollinators and seed dispersers and subsequent complex spatial patterns in the mortality of offspring, we have little knowledge of how pollinators and seed dispersers affect effective gene dispersal distances across successive recruitment stages. Using six highly polymorphic microsatellite loci and parentage analyses, we quantified pollen dispersal, seed dispersal, and effective paternal and maternal gene dispersal distances from pollen- and seed-donors to offspring across four recruitment stages within a pop…
Isolation and characterization of 12 microsatellite loci for population studies of Sulawesi tarsiers (Tarsius spp.)
2007
This study reports the development and characterization of the first 12 microsatellite markers for tarsiers. Nine loci were isolated from Dian's tarsier, Tarsius dianae and three from the Philippine tarsier, Tarsius syrichta. The 12 markers were used to screen 40 individuals of Dian's tarsier and 40 individuals of the Lariang tarsier, Tarsius lariang for allelic diversity. This suite of highly polymorphic microsatellites provides the first chance to genetically study parentage patterns in tarsiers.
Resembling a Viper: Implications of Mimicry for Conservation of the Endangered Smooth Snake
2014
The phenomenon of Batesian mimicry, where a palatable animal gains protection against predation by resembling an unpalatable model, has been a core interest of evolutionary biologists for 150 years. An extensive range of studies has focused on revealing mechanistic aspects of mimicry (shared education and generalization of predators) and the evolutionary dynamics of mimicry systems (co-operation vs. conflict) and revealed that protective mimicry is widespread and is important for individual fitness. However, according to our knowledge, there are no case studies where mimicry theories have been applied to conservation of mimetic species. Theoretically, mimicry affects, for example, frequency…
Long-term changes in collembolan communities in grazed and non-grazed abandoned arable fields in Denmark
2004
Summary In order to explore long-term changes in microarthropod communities after introduction of livestock grazing in abandoned fields with herb–grass vegetation at Mols, E. Jutland, Denmark, soil and litter samples were collected from 7 pairs (blocks) of grazed and non-grazed plots over a period of 14 years. Sampling began just before fencing and initiation of cattle and sheep grazing in the spring of 1985. The total material included 76 collembolan species; 65 and 68 species were recorded in the grazed and non-grazed plots, respectively. The number of species recorded at individual sampling dates fluctuated considerably through the period. In the vegetation/litter layer the mean number o…
Harnessing productivity potential and rehabilitation of degraded sodic lands through Jatropha based intercropping systems
2016
Abstract This paper evaluates an intercropping model with J atropha curcas L. (JCL) as an alternative crop on degraded sodic land in north India. Monoculture of JCL has not proven economically viable in India in view of its poor yield; therefore, intercrops in between JCL plantations were tried to optimize land use efficiency. The results revealed that the planting of JCL at 3 × 3 m spacing with inter-cultivation of sweet basil–matricaria (SB-M) cropping system for four years was more economically viable than planting at 3 × 2 m spacing and the other rotations tested in the study. Improvements in soil properties in terms of soil pH, EC and organic carbon were found with the SB-M cropping sy…
Binding of Insecticidal Crystal Proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis to the Midgut Brush Border of the Cabbage Looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepido…
1994
The susceptibility of Trichoplusia ni larvae to several Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal proteins (ICPs) was tested. Neonatal larvae proved to be susceptible to solubilized trypsin-treated CryIA(a), CryIA(b), and CryIA(c) (50% lethal concentrations [LC 50 s], 570, 480, and 320 ng/cm 2 , respectively) but showed little susceptibility to CryIB and CryID (LC 50 s, 5,640 and 2,530 ng/cm 2 , respectively). The toxicity of ICPs was correlated to binding to the epithelial brush border of the midgut, as revealed by immunocytochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies. In vitro binding experiments with iodinated ICPs and brush border membrane vesicles indicated that CryIA(b) and CryIA(…
Does population genetic structure support present management regulations of the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in Skagerrak and the North Sea?
2014
AbstractPopulation structuring in the northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in the North Sea area (including Fladen and Skagerrak) was studied by microsatellite DNA analyses. Screening 20 sample locations in the open ocean and Skagerrak fjords for nine loci revealed low, but significant genetic heterogeneity. The spatial genetic structure among oceanic samples of Skagerrak and the eastern North Sea was weak and non-significant, consistent with the current management regime of one single stock. However, Skagerrak fjord samples generally displayed elevated levels of genetic differentiation, and significantly so in several pairwise comparisons with other fjords and oceanic samples. Although the …