Females’ sampling strategy to comparatively evaluate prospective mates in the peacock blenny <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salaria pavo</Emphasis>

Emerging evidence suggests the occurrence of comparative decision-making processes in mate choice, questioning the traditional idea of female choice based on rules of absolute preference. In such a scenario, females are expected to use a typical best-of-n sampling strategy, being able to recall previous sampled males based on memory of their quality and location. Accordingly, the quality of preferred mate is expected to be unrelated to both the number and the sequence of female visits. We found support for these predictions in the peacock blenny, Salaria pavo, a fish where females have the opportunity to evaluate the attractiveness of many males in a short time period and in a restricted spatial range. Indeed, even considering the variability in preference among females, most of them returned to previous sampled males for further evaluations; thus, the preferred male did not represent the last one in the sequence of visited males. Moreover, there was no relationship between the attractiveness of the preferred male and the number of further visits assigned to the other males. Our results suggest the occurrence of a best-of-n mate sampling strategy in the peacock blenny.     

The mystery of a missing bone: revealing the orbitosphenoid in basal Epicynodontia (Cynodontia,Therapsida) through computed tomography

The basal non-mammaliaform cynodonts from the late Permian (Lopingian) and Early Triassic are a major source of information for the understanding of the evolutionary origin of mammals. Detailed knowledge of their anatomy is critical for understanding the phylogenetic transition toward mammalness and the paleobiological reconstruction of mammalian precursors. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we describe the internal morphology of the interorbital region that includes the rarely fossilized orbitosphenoid elements in four basal cynodonts. These paired bones, which are positioned relatively dorsally in the skull, contribute to the wall of the anterior part of the braincase and form the floor for the olfactory lobes. Unlike procynosuchids and the more basal therapsids in which the orbitosphenoids are well developed, dense, and bear a ventral keel, the basal epicynodonts Cynosaurus, Galesaurus, and Thrinaxodon display cancellous, reduced, and loosely articulated orbitosphenoids, a condition shared with many eucynodonts. The hemi-cylindrical orbitosphenoid from which the mammalian condition is derived re-evolved convergently in traversodontid and some probainognathian cynodonts.     

Male scent-marking pheromone of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus ardens ardens</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera; Apidae) attracts both conspecific queens and males

To explore the role of the volatiles emitted from male labial gland (LG) of the bumblebee Bombus ardens ardens, we investigated the responses of virgin queens and males to volatiles using a gas chromatography–electroantennographic detector (GC–EAD) system and Y-tube olfactometer. GC–EAD analysis revealed that citronellol, the main compound detected in the male LG, caused clear electrophysiological responses in the antennae of B. a. ardens virgin queens and males although two minor compounds elicited antennal responses when applied in a high concentration. Behavioral tests using a Y-tube olfactometer showed that queens and males were significantly attracted to both LG extracts and citronellol more than to the solvent alone. This is the first study to demonstrate that citronellol as a major compound of male scent-marking pheromone in B. a. ardens functions as a sex attractant for queens. The results also suggest that this compound has another function as a trail marker used by males.     

Seasonality and microhabitat selection in a forest-dwelling salamander

Many small terrestrial vertebrates exhibit limited spatial movement and are considerably exposed to changes in local environmental variables. Among such vertebrates, amphibians at present experience a dramatic decline due to their limited resilience to environmental change. Since the local survival and abundance of amphibians is intrinsically related to the availability of shelters, conservation plans need to take microhabitat requirements into account. In order to gain insight into the terrestrial ecology of the spectacled salamander Salamandrina perspicillata and to identify appropriate forest management strategies, we investigated the salamander’s seasonal variability in habitat use of trees as shelters in relation to tree features (size, buttresses, basal holes) and environmental variables in a beech forest in Italy. We used the occupancy approach to assess tree suitability on a non-conventional spatial scale. Our approach provides fine-grained parameters of microhabitat suitability and elucidates many aspects of the salamander’s terrestrial ecology. Occupancy changed with the annual life cycle and was higher in autumn than in spring, when females were found closer to the stream in the study area. Salamanders showed a seasonal pattern regarding the trees they occupied and a clear preference for trees with a larger diameter and more burrows. With respect to forest management, we suggest maintaining a suitable number of trees with a trunk diameter exceeding 30 cm. A practice of selective logging along the banks of streams could help maintain an adequate quantity of the appropriate microhabitat. Furthermore, in areas with a presence of salamanders, a good forest management plan requires leaving an adequate buffer zone around streams, which should be wider in autumn than in spring.     

Postnatal nutrition influences male attractiveness and promotes plasticity in male mating preferences

Poor early-life nutrition could reduce adult reproductive success by negatively affecting traits linked to sexual attractiveness such as song complexity. If so, this might favor strategic mate choice, allowing males with less complex songs to tailor their mating tactics to maximize the reproductive benefits. However, this possibility has been ignored in theoretical and empirical studies. By manipulating the micronutrient content of the diet (e.g., low or high) during the postnatal period of male zebra finches, we show for the first time (1) that males reared on a poor (low) micronutrient diet had less complex songs as adults; (2) that these males, in contrast to the high micronutrient diet group, were more selective in their mating strategies, discriminating against those females most likely to reduce their clutch size when paired with males having less complex songs; and (3) that by following different mating strategies, males reared on the contrasting diets obtained similar reproductive benefits. These results suggest that early-life dietary conditions can induce multiple and long-lasting effects on male and female reproductive traits. Moreover, the results seem to reflect a previously unreported case of adaptive plasticity in mate choice in response to a nutritionally mediated reduction in sexual attractiveness.     

Critical enablers and inhibitors for economic sustainability in the supply and demand of end-of-life vehicles in Malaysia: a SWOT analysis

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - End-of-life vehicles (ELV) management is essential for sustainable development and waste minimization. However, the ELV recycling companies are...     

土地利用变化对流域水文过程时空分异的影响 ——以赣江流域为例

土地利用变化引起的水文分量时空变化对认识流域产汇流过程,优化流域土地利用结构和水资源规划具有重要意义。基于SWAT模型,本研究以赣江流域为例,结合1980、2000、2015年3期土地利用数据从水文响应单元的角度,系统分析了单纯土地利用变化对流域产流、蒸发、入渗以及径流等主要水文过程时空分布的影响。结果表明：1980~2015年间,流域内的土地利用变化主要表现为耕地和林地的减少,城乡建设用地的增加;林地的减少和城乡建设用地的增加是产流增加,蒸发和入渗减少的主要原因;总体上,土地利用变化对局部地区水文过程影响较大,但因土地利用类型之间的相互转化和其影响的叠加,流域尺度上的综合水文效应明显降低;土地利用变化导致整个赣江流域平均径流量增加了2.33×108m3,相比较近年来赣江径流的减小幅度其影响十分有限。近年来,赣江入湖径流量的下降主要是由气候变化和其他人类活动作用特别是流域工农业用水的大幅增长所致。流域水文过程模拟应充分考虑土地利用变化水文效应的时空分异,注重天然和社会水循环的耦合,才能更为真实的反映流域水文过程,更好的为流域土地利用结构优化和水资源的高效管理提供科学依据。     

淮海经济区PM2.5时空特征及影响因素

PM2.5对区域环境和人体健康有着重要影响,淮海经济区作为东部沿海经济发展带的重要支撑部分,剖析其PM2.5时空特征及其影响因素对于京津冀和长三角城市群开展区域空气污染的联防有着重要意义.首先采用时间序列分析对研究区PM2.5浓度特征进行分析,其次利用空间分析方法分析了淮海经济区PM2.5时空特征,最后基于淮海经济区PM2.5空间自相关特征,进一步采用地理加权回归模型探究了PM2.5浓度的影响因素及其空间异质性.结果 表明:(1)淮海经济区逐日PM2.5浓度值呈现出周期性的脉冲型起伏变化规律,整体呈现出冬秋季高、春夏低的"U"型趋势.逐日PM2.5浓度振荡周期短周期为2～3d,长周期为6～7d.(2)淮海经济区PM2.5浓度的空间局部相关性呈现出周期性的变化规律.全年热点区域主要集中在研究区西北的菏泽市和西南的徐州市,冷点区则主要集中在沿海区域.(3)淮海经济区PM2.5浓度影响因素主要包括平均气温、平均降水、平均风速、林地比例和路网密度等因素,不同因素对PM2.5浓度影响存在显著的空间异质性.     

磺酰脲类除草剂的微生物降解研究进展

磺酰脲类除草剂属于高效、低毒、高选择性的新型除草剂,被广泛应用于水稻、玉米、小麦、大豆等田间杂草的防控,其用量也呈逐年增加的趋势,但其微量的除草剂残留易对后茬敏感作物产生药害.利用微生物降解土壤中的除草剂残留有望成为一种修复污染的有效方法.本文综述了近几年国内外筛选出的能够降解磺酰脲类除草剂菌株的来源和所属微生物类群,以及除草剂降解酶的研究进展,此外,对相关微生物对不同除草剂的降解途径也进行了简要介绍,最后提出了目前有待解决的问题并对未来该领域的研究趋势进行了展望,可为后续寻找高效的微生物降解菌种及利用基因工程法修复受污染的土壤、水源提供参考.