The praying mantis (Mantodea) as predator of the poisonous red-spotted newt <Emphasis Type="Italic">Notophthalmus viridescens</Emphasis> (Amphibia: Urodela: Salamandridae)

A Chinese praying mantis, Tenodera sinensis, was observed feeding on a living red-spotted newt, Notophthalmus viridescens. Specimens of that newt’s population are known to contain high concentrations of tetrodotoxin (TTX), a specific blocker of voltage-gated sodium channels. After experimental oral administration of a TTX-solution (1 mg/ml) to adult specimens of four mantis species, all survived high TTX concentrations (up to 30.8 μg/g body mass) as revealed by analysis of their body extracts, but they are rapidly killed by intra-abdominal injection of 1 μg TTX. The toxin was found to be gradually excreted with faeces. As demonstrated by monoclonal antibody-based immunohistochemical technique, TTX does not penetrate the mid-gut membrane, since it was localized only in the gut lumen, but not in the epithelial cells. This prevents the toxin to reach its target, the sodium channels of the insect’s nervous system, and enables the mantids to feed on toxic prey without risking poisoning.     

Land-use choices: the case of conservation reserve program (CRP) re-enrollment in Kansas,USA

Among the important alternatives for land conservation is the US Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) that celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2015. This paper explores how landowners decide on alternative land-use choices made available by the expiration of CRP contracts in Kansas. The study uses survey data and multinomial Logit models to predict land-use choices. Two models were tested. The first model does not incorporate variables concerning farmer perceptions and attitudes about land-use choices, while the second model does. The results show that CRP re-enrollment depends on factors, such as years of experience in cropping and percent of cropland irrigated. However, when perception variables are added, the models become more robust in explaining other land choice alternatives. The results suggest that as the perception of unfairness of more inflexible environmental policy rises, these farmers may be more likely to re-enroll their marginal land in the CRP program.     

Lessons from seabird conservation in Alaskan longline fisheries

Although bycatch of seabirds and other long-lived species is a critical conservation issue in world fisheries, case studies documenting significant reductions in the mortality of these low-productivity species in a fishery are rare. We studied progress toward seabird conservation in the Alaskan longline fisheries, one of the largest and most diverse demersal fisheries. We generated annual seabird bycatch rates in 4 target fisheries and all fisheries combined from 23 years of fisheries observer data. We used 0-inflated negative binomial models to evaluate variables influencing seabird bycatch per unit effort (BPUE) in 2 target fisheries. Following adoption of streamer lines, at first voluntarily and then mandatorily, seabird BPUE was reduced by 77–90%, preventing mortality of thousands of birds per year. Despite this, BPUE increased significantly in 2 of 4 target fisheries since streamer lines were adopted. Although night setting yielded significant reductions (74–97%) in seabird BPUE and significant increases (7–11%) in fish catch per unit effort over daytime setting, nighttime setting increased the BPUE of Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) by 40% and nontarget fish species by 5–17%. Thus, best practices to prevent seabird mortalities in longline fisheries varied by species assemblage and fishery. Our results inform global efforts toward fisheries bycatch reduction by illustrating that successful conservation requires fishery-specific solutions, strong industry support, constant vigilance in analysis and reporting observer data, and ongoing outreach to fleets, especially to vessels with anomalously high BPUE.     

Imprägnierte Filterpapiere für die Wasserreinigung

With special filter materials it is possible to eliminate the heavy metals lead, copper and nickel and arsenic from water by sorption resp. chemical bounding. After a reaction time of 24 hours the reduction rates were between 97% and >99,9%.     

NOx- und NO2-Konzentrationen

It has been confirmed that the NO_x-concentration in air is highest over industrial areas and that it decreases by more than 75%, parallel to traffic density, over urban areas as related to forested areas. A significant correlation excists between NO₂-concentration and the parameters of “traffic density,” followed by “road density” and “number of inhabitants/km²” in urban areas. No positive correlation was found with the number of “registered cars” and the parameters of “land use”. In forested areas, the traffic density correlated with the NO₂-concentration, but the correlation was not significant. The other parameters had no positive correlation with NO₂-concentration. In forest, urban- and industrial-areas, the NO_x-concentration in the air had a fairly constant ratio to traffic density.     

Physiologische Uhren von Insekten Zur Ökophysiologie lunarperiodisch kontrollierter Fortpflanzungszeiten

Physiological clocks have been selected in various eukaryotic organisms in relation to daily, tidal, lunar and annual cycles of the environment. Insect species are appropriate experimental objects for the analysis of biological timing mechanisms and their evolutionary adaptation to the local environment. The most complex periodic environment occurs in the interface between the land and the sea, i.e., in the range of spring and neap tides. By the combination of ’circadian‘ and ’circalunar‘ clocks and their reliably perceptible ’zeitgeber‘ conditions, a few marine insects can temporally program their development to distinct tidal situations that occur only on distinct lunar days and at a distinct time of day every 14–15 days.     

Birds,berries and UV

The problem of UV vision in vertebrates is briefly discussed in its historical context. For example, UV vision has been demonstrated in some birds by several authors. Hence the reflectances of plumage, petals of bird-pollinated flowers and of berries in the near UV may play an important rôle within the visual environment of birds. Some data obtained by means of UV photography are presented, and it is shown, that the waxlayer of glaucous fruits is highly reflective in the UV.