Search results for "quotation"
showing 10 items of 18815 documents
Plant species identities and fertilization influence on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonisation and soil bacterial activities
2016
International audience; Plant species influence soil microbial communities, mainly through their functional traits. However, mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood, and in particular how plant/ microorganism interactions are affected by plant identities and/or environmental conditions. Here, we performed a greenhouse experiment to assess the effects of three plant species on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) colonization, bacterial potential nitrification (PNA) and denitrification activities (PDA) through their functional traits related to nitrogen acquisition and turnover. Three species with contrasting functional traits and strategies (from exploitative to conservat…
Short-term benefits, but transgenerational costs of maternal loss in an insect with facultative maternal care
2015
A lack of parental care is generally assumed to entail substantial fitness costs for offspring that ultimately select for the maintenance of family life across generations. However, it is unknown whether these costs arise when parental care is facultative, thus questioning their fundamental importance in the early evolution of family life. Here, we investigated the short-term, long-term and transgenerational effects of maternal loss in the European earwig Forficula auricularia , an insect with facultative post-hatching maternal care. We showed that maternal loss did not influence the developmental time and survival rate of juveniles, but surprisingly yielded adults of larger body and force…
Understanding the coexistence of competing raptors by Markov chain analysis enhances conservation of vulnerable species.
2016
Understanding ecological interactions among protected species is crucial for correct management to avoid conflicting outcomes of conservation planning. The occurrence of a superior competitor may drive the exclusion of a subordinate contestant, as in Sicily where the largest European population of the lanner falcon is declining because of potentially competing with the peregrine falcon. We measured the coexistence of these two ecologically equivalent species through null models and randomization algorithms on body sizes and ecological niche traits. Lanners and peregrines are morphologically very similar (Hutchinson ratios <1.3) and show 99% diet overlap, and both of these results predict …
Prolonged diapause has sex-specific fertility and fitness costs
2019
AbstractDiapause in seasonal environments allows insects to survive adverse seasons. However, individuals can sometimes enter a prolonged diapause for more than a year, and also skip favourable seasons, which can bring additional costs through e.g. loss of metabolic resources. At the same time, prolonged diapause can be beneficial if it allows individuals to have a risk-spreading strategy to skip potentially suboptimal breeding seasons. We studied if prolonged diapause (2-year diapause) negatively affects the fertility and fitness of female and male Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) compared to control (1-year diapause) beetles. We also tested the parental effects on the s…
Trans-generational immune priming is constrained by the maternal immune response in an insect.
2012
5 pages; International audience; Immune-challenged vertebrate and invertebrate females can transfer immunity to their off spring. Th is trans-generational immune priming (TGIP) is benefi cial for the off spring if the maternal infection risk persists across generations. However, because immunity is costly, fi tness consequences of TGIP have been found in primed off spring. Furthermore, transferring immunity to off spring may be costly for immune-challenged females who are also carrying the costs of their immune response. A negative relationship between levels of immunity between mothers and off spring might therefore be expected. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that in the insect, …
Can biological structures be natural and sustainable capsules?
2015
Flavor and fragrance molecules are used in many industrial fields such as food, cosmetics, tissues, pharmacy, agriculture (pheromones) etc. As most actives have a specific target and are fragile molecules, encapsulation processes have been developed for their use. These technologies are efficient to avoid loss of actives, dissemination out of the target and subsequent pollution, and to protect molecules up to their target. Several processes have been developed responding to the numerous situations encountered (e.g., protection against air, temperature, light, pH; masking or revealing sensorial properties of the molecule; release during the process, in the plate, in the mouth, etc.). However…
Data-Based Forest Management with Uncertainties and Multiple Objectives
2016
In this paper, we present an approach of employing multiobjective optimization to support decision making in forest management planning. The planning is based on data representing so-called stands, each consisting of homogeneous parts of the forest, and simulations of how the trees grow in the stands under different treatment options. Forest planning concerns future decisions to be made that include uncertainty. We employ as objective functions both the expected values of incomes and biodiversity as well as the value at risk for both of these objectives. In addition, we minimize the risk level for both the income value and the biodiversity value. There is a tradeoff between the expected val…
Interactions between invading benthivorous fish and native whitefish in subarctic lakes
2013
SUMMARY 1. Many species are expanding their distribution towards higher latitudes and altitudes in response to climate change. These range shifts are expected to change fish community structure and alter food-web dynamics in subarctic lakes. However, the impacts of invading species on native fish and invertebrate prey communities remain understudied. 2. The trophic ecology of invasive species determines the likelihood of direct resource competition with native taxa. In Northern Europe, perch (Perca fluviatilis), a trophic generalist, and ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus), a benthic specialist, are expanding their distribution ranges northwards, colonising lakes inhabited by a native generalist,…
Integrated membrane bioreactors modelling: A review on new comprehensive modelling framework
2021
International audience; Integrated Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) models, combination of biological and physical models, have been representing powerful tools for the accomplishment of high environmental sustainability. This paper, produced by the International Water Association (IWA) Task Group on Membrane Modelling and Control, reviews the state-of-the-art, identifying gaps for future researches, and proposes a new integrated MBR modelling framework. In particular, the framework aims to guide researchers and managers in pursuing good performances of MBRs in terms of effluent quality, operating costs (such as membrane fouling, energy consumption due to aeration) and mitigation of greenhouse gas…
Larval personality does not predict adult personality in a holometabolous insect.
2017
10 pages; International audience; Although personality (consistent inter-individual differences in behavioural traits across time and/or contexts) and behavioural syndromes (suites of correlated personality traits) have been widely studied in the last decades, the origin and development of these traits during ontogeny are still underexplored. In this context, species undergoing metamorphosis are of special interest. To date, however, the persistence of personality traits has been only little investigated in organisms undergoing complete metamorphosis such as in holometabolous insects, although this kind of studies may provide important insights from a functional point of view. Here, we test…