A contribution to the distribution of some chemical elements inMolinia caerulea andEriophorum vaginatum during reinstatement of the Leegmoor,Emsland, FRG

The concentrations of Ag, Al, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sr, Ti, V and Zn were determined by AES/ICP inMolinia caerulea andEriophorum vaginatum grown in the Leegmoor, which is in reinstatement. In the soil substrate analytical detection limits were obtained for Ag, Co, Li, Mo and Rb and additionally for Al, Be, Cd, Cr, La, Li, Ni, Pb, Ti and V in plants. Compared with mineral soils, the concentration of elements in peat is low. The elements K and P were enriched byMolinia caerulea andEriophorum vaginatum, and in addition Mn and Zn byEriophorum vaginatum. Altogether the ability of accumulation essential elements seem to be more efficient byEriophorum vaginatumthan byMolinia caerulea, which can be an ecophysiological advantage on peats, whereMolinia caerulea is normally not distributed.     

Polygyny in the great reed warbler,Acrocephalus arundinaceus: a possible case of deception

Summary Polygyny was studied for 1 year in a great reed warbler population breeding in southern Germany. Data on various parameters of male and territory characteristics were collected and subjected to multivariate statistical analysis in order to assess their relative importance in female choice. Differences in territory characteristics appeared to be more important (Tab. 1), but there was a strong correlation between male and territory characteristics (Fig. 2, 3). Although the evolutionary advantages of polygyny to males are obvious (Fig. 5), those to females are far from clear. Models based upon the polygyny threshold and sexy son hypotheses predict that females should gain evolutionary advantage in either the short or long-term. Our data did not confirm such predictions, and secondary females showed greatly reduced breeding success (Fig. 4). If females were able to assess the status of mated males, they should instead select unmated males. Great reed warblers are a migrant species with a short breeding cycle in which the male plays relatively little part. They defend large territories in reed beds where visibility is reduced. These factors may permit males to practice a form of deception, by moving and attracting a second female who has little chance to assess that he is already mated.     

Invasion costs,impacts, and human agency: response to Sagoff 2020

Article impact statement: In an era of profound biodiversity crisis, invasion costs, invader impacts, and human agency should not be dismissed.     

Energy at work: A measurement validation and linkage to unit effectiveness

We introduce the notion that the energy of individuals can manifest as a higher‐level, collective construct. To this end, we conducted four independent studies to investigate the viability and importance of the collective energy construct as assessed by a new survey instrument—the productive energy measure (PEM). Study 1 (n = 2208) included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to explore the underlying factor structure of PEM. Study 2 (n = 660) cross‐validated the same factor structure in an independent sample. In study 3, we administered the PEM to more than 5000 employees from 145 departments located in five countries. Results from measurement invariance, statistical aggregation, convergent, and discriminant‐validity assessments offered additional support for the construct validity of PEM. In terms of predictive and incremental validity, the PEM was positively associated with three collective attitudes—units' commitment to goals, the organization, and overall satisfaction. In study 4, we explored the relationship between the productive energy of firms and their overall performance. Using data from 92 firms (n = 5939_employees), we found a positive relationship between the PEM (aggregated to the firm level) and the performance of those firms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations in the elemental compositions of plants,and computer‐aided sampling in ecosystems∗

To obtain comparable results of multi‐element analysis of plant materials by different laboratories, a harmonized sampling procedure for terrestrial and marine ecosystems is essential. The heterogeneous distribution of chemical elements in living organisms is influenced by different biological parameters. These parameters are mainly characterized by genetic predetermination, seasonal changes, edaphic and climatic conditions, and delocalization processes of chemical substances by metabolic activities.

The biological variations of the element content in plants were divided into 5 systematic levels, which are: 1. the plant species; 2. the population; 3. the stand (within an ecosystem); 4. the individual; and 5. the plant compartment. Each of these systematic levels can be related to: 1. genetic variabilities; 2. different climatic, edaphic and anthropogenic influences; 3. microclimatic or microedaphic conditions; 4. age of plants (stage of development), exposure to environmental influences (light, wind, pollution etc.), seasonal changes; and 5. transport and deposition of substances within the different plant compartments (organs, tissues, cells, organelles).

An expert system for random and systematic sampling for multi‐element analysis of environmental materials, such as plants, soils and precipitation is presented. After statistical division of the research area, the program provides advice for contamination‐free collection of environmental samples.