Climate change impacts in Central Asia and their implications for development

Regional Environmental Change - This paper synthesizes what is known about the physical and biophysical impacts of climate change and their consequences for societies and development under...     

The microhabitat of Symbion pandora (Cycliophora) on the mouthparts of its host Nephrops norvegicus (Decapoda: Nephropidae)

The microhabitat of Symbion pandora (Cycliophora) was described by recording the prevalence and distribution of two life cycle stages, namely feeding individuals and chordoid cysts on the mouth appendages of 65 Norway lobsters. The commensals infested lobsters with a carapace length >35 mm, while the intensity of the commensals increased with host size up to more than 1,100 feeding individuals and 173 chordoid cysts. Feeding individuals and chordoid cysts were found on all six pairs of mouth appendages, but were rare on Mxp3. A Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance showed that the distribution of the two stages over individual segments deviated significantly from random expectations (P<0.001). Feeding individuals densely aggregated on a few medial segments, generally those that are pervaded by suspended food particles during host feeding. Chordoid cysts, which arise from non-feeding females occurred in low numbers and were more evenly distributed over the segments, often aggregating on the lateral parts and in the articulations of the segments. Based on these findings we suggest that the feeding activity of S. pandora is synchronized with that of the host.     

从德国前总理施罗德洪灾后当选看媒体与危机公关

谈起善于利用媒体的政客,德国前总理施罗德一定名列前茅.就在2002年德国大选数周前,面临连任的他在民调中仍然大幅落后.然而一场百年不遇的洪灾过后,施罗德赢得了国民以及以刁钻刻薄闻名的德国媒体的一片好评,最终在大选中成功实现大逆反.这一成功很大程度上取决于施罗德的危机公关处理能力.     

A major increase in snake pipefish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Entelurus aequoreus</Emphasis>) in northern European seas since 2003: potential implications for seabird breeding success

Since the early 2000s routine fish surveys have recorded increasing numbers of snake pipefish, Entelurus aequoreus, in the northeast Atlantic. Fishermen and divers have also commented on this increase and pipefish have started to appear in the diet of seabirds and other marine predators. This paper collates information from these diverse sources and assesses the current status of snake pipefish. We found compelling evidence of a dramatic increase in the abundance of snake pipefish starting around 2003 and continuing up to the present (2006) and a range expansion northwards to Spitzbergen and the Barents Sea. Since 2004 snake pipefish have been increasingly recorded in the diet of many species of seabird breeding in colonies around the coast of the UK, and in Norway, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. Information on the nutrient value of snake pipefish is currently lacking but their rigid, bony structure makes them difficult for young seabirds to swallow and there are numerous records of chicks choking to death. Thus, in the case of avian predators during the breeding season, it appears unlikely that increased abundance of snake pipefish will provide a useful alternative prey. The reason for the rapid and dramatic increase in numbers of snake pipefish is currently unclear but such events are characteristic of marine ecosystems and will almost certainly have an effect on food web dynamics.     

Land Consumption by Urban Sprawl—A New Approach to Deduce Urban Development Scenarios from Actors’ Preferences

A new modelling approach to urban sprawl dynamics is introduced which allows representing qualitative knowledge on relations between moving actor populations and properties of locations. The results of this Qualitative Attractiveness Migration (QuAM) Model are scenario-like sets of possible future developments of the urban system, much in contrast to quantitative forecasts gained by traditional modelling approaches. QuAM models allow for the interaction between internal dynamics and external influences. The application of the new approach is exemplified by the case of urban sprawl in Leipzig since 1990. It was possible to reproduce the observed qualitative development and to calculate future scenarios. The scenario runs project a new wave of middle class driven residential sprawl and suggest implications for sprawl reducing policy interventions.     

Editorial team and Arnold Berliner Award 2019

Behavioral studies of gynandromorphism, also called as sex mosaic, contribute to the understanding of the relationship between morphological gender and sexual identity of an animal. Few studies have focused on the behaviors of gynandromorphic spiders because of a scarcity of gynandromorphic individuals in the field. In this study, we collected a gynandromorphic spider, Myrmarachne formicaria (De Geer 1778) (Araneae: Salticidae), from the field and examined its morphology and sex-specific behavior in the laboratory. The right half of the gynandromorphic spider presented male characteristics and the left half female characteristics. It showed courtship behavior to M. formicaria females and agonistic behavior to the males. These results indicate that the gynandromorphic spider’s sexual identity is male. Our findings suggest that a spider can exhibit behaviors of male sexuality, although the external morphology has the characteristics of both sexes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a gynandromorphic individual and its behavior in the genus Myrmarachne.

     

Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change - The assessment of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants emitted to and removed from the atmosphere ranks high on international...