Common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) parasitism drastically reduces the reproductive success of their hosts and selects for host discrimination of cuckoo eggs.
In a second stage of anti-parasite adaptation, once cuckoos can lay eggs that mimic those of their hosts, a high uniformity
of host egg appearance within a clutch may favour cuckoo egg discrimination. Comparative evidence provides indirect support
for this hypothesis although experimental support is currently lacking. Here, we studied the effect of experimentally decreased
uniformity of host egg appearance on cuckoo egg discrimination by great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) hosts in a population in which long-term cuckoo parasitism has led to high levels of cuckoo–host egg mimesis. We manipulated
host clutch uniformity by adding extra spots to fresh host eggs just after they were laid. Rejection of non-mimetic experimental
eggs added to these nests was compared with those in control nests in which uniformity was not altered. Previously, by over-painting
real spots in a control group of nests, we showed a negligible effect of our paints on hosts’ perception of their eggs. We
show that for the great reed warbler, non-mimetic experimental eggs were relatively more tolerated in experimental nests,
i.e. with lower uniformity (40%) than in control nests (5%). This is the first experimental study, to our knowledge, which
demonstrates a reduced discrimination of foreign eggs as a consequence of an increase of egg phenotypes variation perception
in a cuckoo host. 相似文献
Addressing one of the most vulnerable coastal communities in Bangladesh, this paper explores people’s perception and vulnerabilities
to coastal hazards. At the same time, it investigates the methods that communities apply to cope with different coastal hazards.
Findings revealed that people perceived an increase in both the intensity of hazards and their vulnerabilities. In spite of
having a number of socio-economic and locational factors enhancing their vulnerabilities, the community is creating their
own ways to cope with these hazards. For different aspects of life like shelter, employment, water supply, and health, communities
apply different coping methods that vary with the types of hazard. Efforts have also been made by governments and NGOs to
manage coastal hazards. By highlighting both community-coping methods and efforts of development organizations, this paper
attempts to devise an integrated approach for managing the coastal hazards that occur in Bangladesh. 相似文献
This paper presents a quantitative assessment of adaptation options in the context of forest fires in Europe under projected climate change. A standalone fire model (SFM) based on a state-of-the-art large-scale forest fire modelling algorithm is used to explore fuel removal through prescribed burnings and improved fire suppression as adaptation options. The climate change projections are provided by three climate models reflecting the SRES A2 scenario. The SFM’s modelled burned areas for selected test countries in Europe show satisfying agreement with observed data coming from two different sources (European Forest Fire Information System and Global Fire Emissions Database). Our estimation of the potential increase in burned areas in Europe under “no adaptation” scenario is about 200 % by 2090 (compared with 2000–2008). The application of prescribed burnings has the potential to keep that increase below 50 %. Improvements in fire suppression might reduce this impact even further, e.g. boosting the probability of putting out a fire within a day by 10 % would result in about a 30 % decrease in annual burned areas. By taking more adaptation options into consideration, such as using agricultural fields as fire breaks, behavioural changes, and long-term options, burned areas can be potentially reduced further than projected in our analysis. 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Conventional sewage treatment systems are generally not designed to remove micropollutants, requiring the development of new technologies, such as the... 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Coal extraction and processing generate environmental contamination, which has several negative impacts on human health. Hematological and biochemical... 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Imidacloprid is one of the most commercialized insecticides in agriculture in the world, with a broad spectrum of action. However, little is known... 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Plant-based biomass (CFB (carnauba fruit biomass)) obtained from the fruit exocarp of the species Copernicia prunifera (Mill.) H.E. Moore (carnauba)... 相似文献
Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Recalcitrant dyes found in textile wastewater represent a threat for sustainable textile production due to their resistance to conventional... 相似文献
This study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological quality of a mangrove estuary in the Vitória Bay region, Espírito Santo, Brazil. We analyzed the presence and concentration of enteric viruses and thermotolerant coliforms in water, mussels (Mytella charruana and Mytella guyanensis), and oysters (Crassostrea rhizophorae), collected over a 13-month period. Human adenovirus, rotavirus A (RVA), and norovirus genogroup II were analyzed by quantitative PCR. The highest viral load was found in RVA-positive samples with a concentration of 3.0 × 104 genome copies (GC) L−1 in water samples and 1.3 × 105 GC g−1 in bivalves. RVA was the most prevalent virus in all matrices. Thermotolerant coliforms were quantified as colony-forming units (CFU) by the membrane filtration method. The concentration of these bacteria in water was in accordance with the Brazilian standard for recreational waters (< 250 CFU 100 mL−1) during most of the monitoring period (12 out of 13 months). However, thermotolerant coliform concentrations of 3.0, 3.1, and 2.6 log CFU 100 g−1 were detected in M. charruana, M. guyanensis, and C. rhizophorae, respectively. The presence of human-specific viruses in water and bivalves reflects the strong anthropogenic impact on the mangrove and serves as an early warning of waterborne and foodborne disease outbreaks resulting from the consumption of shellfish and the practice of water recreational activities in the region.