Can we measure carrying capacity with foraging behavior?

Carrying capacity is one of the most important, yet least understood and rarely estimated, parameters in population management and modeling. A simple behavioral metric of carrying capacity would advance theory, conservation, and management of biological populations. Such a metric should be possible because behavior is finely attuned to variation in environment including population density. We connect optimal foraging theory with population dynamics and life history to develop a simple model that predicts this sort of adaptive density-dependent change in food consumption. We then confirm the model's unexpected and manifold predictions with field experiments. The theory predicts reproductive thresholds that alter the marginal value of energy as well as the value of time. Both effects cause a pronounced discontinuity in quitting-harvest rate that we revealed with foraging experiments. Red-backed voles maintained across a range of high densities foraged at a lower density-dependent rate than the same animals exposed to low-density treatments. The change in harvest rate is diagnostic of populations that exceed their carrying capacity. Ecologists, conservation biologists, and wildlife managers may thus be able to use simple and efficient foraging experiments to estimate carrying capacity and habitat quality.     

三峡库区回水区营养盐和叶绿素a的时空变化及其相互关系

为探讨三峡水库调度运行背景下,库区回水区营养盐和叶绿素a时空变化及其相互关系,于2013年5月~2014年5月在三峡库区北岸最大、也是库区水华频发的支流——澎溪河的回水区高阳平湖进行了定点和高频监测.结果表明水体热分层是高阳平湖水华发生的诱导因素.高阳平湖水体热分层发生于春季(3月初),消亡于夏末(9月中旬),冬季没有分层.2014年春季,随着水体分层的发生和发展,表层叶绿素a在69 d内从14.92μg·L-1骤增至183.73μg·L-1,并暴发水华,之后叶绿素a随着混合层深度增加而下降.水体没有分层时,表、中和底层营养盐浓度相近;水体分层之后,各层磷浓度有了明显差异,表层和底层总磷浓度相差(0.18±0.04)mg·L-1.高水位期(9月至次年4月),高阳平湖硝氮和溶解性磷高于低水位期(5~8月)的含量,分别占总氮、总磷浓度的71.4%~95.4%和42.7%~94.4%,是总氮和总磷的主要组成部分,干流倒灌输入的硝氮和溶解性磷是其主要来源.     

Maternal dominance rank and lifetime survivorship of male and female rhesus monkeys

Summary The longitudinal survivorship of a group of free-ranging male and female rhesus monkeys from La Parguera, Puerto Rico, was analyzed. Males had lower age-specific survivorship than females. There were no differences in the survivorship of daughters of high- and low-ranking mothers and there was no correlation between total number of offspring born and maternal rank for females. However, the sons of low-ranking mothers had lower survivorship than the sons of high-ranking females. This sex-related difference in survivorship, in conjunction with other evidence, indicates that the average lifetime reproduction of sons of low-ranking females is lower than that of daughters and vice versa for offspring of high-ranking females.     

“Egg dumping” in lace bugs (Gargaphia solani,Hemiptera: Tingidae)

Summary Data are presented which document that females of the subsocial lace bug, Gargaphia solani lay eggs in the nests of conspecifics whenever the opportunity arises. Because of an inverse relationship between time invested in maternal care and fecundity, maternal behavior in G. solani is an ecologically expensive trait that is adaptive only in the face of heavy predation on eggs and nymphs. By facultatively utilizing the maternal defensive behavior of conspecifics, it is possible for egg donors to protect their progeny from predators without limiting fecundity. Whenever possible, females oviposit in recently established egg masses of conspecifics. While guarding their own eggs, egg recipients inadvertently protect the eggs of egg donors. Egg donors need not establish and guard their own masses as long as there are females with egg masses in the vicinity. Instead, egg donors are free to lay as many eggs as physiologically possible by avoiding long periods of maternal care.Published with the approval of the Director of the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station as Miscellaneous Paper No. 1048, Contribution No. 544 of the Department of Entomology and Applied Ecology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA     

Investigation of contact vacuuming for remediation of fungally contaminated duct materials

Environmental fungi become a potential Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problem when adequate moisture and nutrients are present in building materials. Because of their potential to rapidly spread contamination throughout a building, ventilation system materials are of particular significance as potential microbial contamination sources. Current recommendations are to discard fibrous glass insulation that appears to be wet or moldy. Unfortunately, this advice is not always followed. Instead, cleaning is sometimes being used in buildings to remediate fibrous glass duct liner that is already contaminated with microbial growth. The objectives of this research program were to: 1) determine, under dynamic test conditions, whether fungal spore levels on heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) duct material surfaces could be substantially reduced by thorough vacuum cleaning, 2) evaluate whether subsequent fungal growth could be limited or contained by mechanical cleaning, and 3) provide data concerning the advisability of cleaning duct materials. The constant high relative humidity (RH) environment to which the test materials were exposed during this study was selected as a favorable growth environment that is frequently found in Southeastern United States HVAC systems. The results showed that, following cleaning, the levels of the two test fungi, A. versicolor and P. chrysogenum, recovered to preclean levels within 6 weeks. Therefore, mechanical cleaning by contact vacuuming alone was able to only temporarily reduce the surface fungal load. The current guidelines to discard contaminated materials should be followed.     

Immobilizing a light,nonaqueous phase liquid

A new technique has been developed to immobilize organic chemicals at a Superfund site. In the course of predesign studies in preparing the Remedial Design for the Pioneer Sand Superfund site in Pensacola, Florida, a light, nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) was discovered floating on the groundwater within the on-site landfill. The liquid, with a viscosity similar to SAE 20 motor oil, was made up of heavy organic chemicals and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), but no pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The volatiles present included toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes. Regulatory agencies expressed concern over the possibility of LNAPL migration and asked that a method of LNAPL immobilization be devised.     

WOODY VEGETATION AND RIPRAP STABILITY ALONG THE SACRAMENTO RIVER MILE 84.5–1191

ABSTRACT: Stability of vegetated and bare riprap revetments along a Sacramento River reach during the flood of record was assessed. Revetment damages resulting from the flood were identified using records provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and verified by contacts with local interests. Vegetation on revetments along a 35.6-mile reach was mapped using inspection records and stereo interpretation of aerial phoths taken shortly before and after the flood. A follow-up field inspection was conducted in September 1989. Revetment age, material, bank curvature, vegetation, and damage were mapped from a boat. Mapping results from both 1986 and 1989 were placed in a data base. About 70 percent of the bank line of the study reach was revetted. About two-thirds of the revetment was cobble; one-third was quarry stone. Revetment vegetation varied from none to large (> 50-inch diameter) cotton-woods. About 10 percent of the revetted bank line supported some type of woody vegetation. Damage rates for revetments supporting woody vegetation tended to be lower than for unvegetated revetments of the same age located on banks of similar curvature. Chisquared tests indicated damage rates were greater for older (pre-1950 construction) revetments, but were unable to detect differences based on vegetation or bank curvature. Research is needed to generate design criteria and construction techniques to allow routine use of woody plants in bank protection structures.     

RUNOFF VOLUME ESTIMATION USING GIS TECHNIQUES1

ABSTRACT: Rainfall runoff of six watersheds was modeled via the Soil Conservation Service runoff curve number model in two ways: conventionally (manually) and via a geographic information system (GIS). Input data (elevation, soils, and landcover) were digital for the latter method. In contrast to previous studies, the GIS was ised for all phases of the modeling process, including watershed delineation and routing of runoff. A comparison between the two methods was consistent with results reported by others and indicates that the use of a GIS is an acceptable alternative to the conventional method for watersheds lacking relatively flat terrain. Given this limitation, the GIS method may prove advantageous over manual methods when study areas are large or numerous, runoff is modeled repetitively, alternative landcover scenarios are explored, or a digital database already exists for the study area.     

Short femur length associated with severe intrauterine growth retardation

Four fetuses with a femur measuring greater than two standard deviations below the mean compared with the biparietal diameter are presented. These four fetuses were subsequently determined to have severe intrauterine growth retardation and no evidence of skeletal dysplasias.