The ultimate function of nuptial feeding in the bushcricket Poecilimon veluchianus (Orthoptera : Tettigoniidae : Phaneropterinae)

Summary During mating the males of the bushcricket Poecilimon veluchianus transfer a large spermatophore of about a quarter of their body weight to the female. Such nuptial feeding is often thought to function as paternal investment by increasing the fitness of the male's offspring. According to an alternative, though not mutually exclusive, hypothesis, the size of the spermatophore is maintained because of its function as a sperm protection device. In this case the cost to the male should be classified as mating effort. To discriminate between these two hypotheses we measured the duration of sperm transfer into the female spermatheca and the time taken for spermatophore consumption. A comparison of durations revealed that spermatophore consumption interferes with the process of sperm transfer (Fig. 4). There was no significant effect of spermatophore consumption on number of eggs laid, weight of eggs or absolute weight of hatched larvae. The relative dry weight of hatched larvae, however, was increased as a result of spermatophore consumption (Table 1). Thus spermatophylax size is adjusted in accordance with a sperm protection function and the spermatophylax therefore represents mating effort. The increase in relative dry weight indicates that there may also be a paternal investment effect of the spermatophylax, if the offspring that benefit from spermatophylax materials are fathered by the donating male. Correspondence to: K. Reinhold     

Unpacking multi-trophic herbivore-grass-endophyte interactions: feedbacks across different scales in vegetation responses to Soay sheep herbivory

Grazing can induce changes in both plant productivity and nutritional quality, which may subsequently influence herbivore carrying capacity. While research on Soay sheep (Ovis aries L.) dynamics on Hirta Island in the St. Kilda archipelago has elucidated the complexity of population drivers, including parasites, the role of herbivore-generated feedbacks as an intrinsic regulating factor remains unclear. The sheep lack large predators and every 3–9 years undergo population crashes (overcompensatory mortality). We investigated the effects of grazing on (1) sward productivity and (2) quality (toxicity) of the primary forage species, red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), which is highly infected by an alkaloid-synthesizing fungal endophyte. Grazing had a negative impact on both forage quantity and quality. At higher sheep densities, impacts on sward growth were magnified, resulting in a nonlinear relationship with plant productivity. Simultaneously, endophyte hyphal load (and by inference, toxicity) peaked close to the time of a crash. A greenhouse experiment showed that alkaloid concentration in F. rubra increased in response to artificial defoliation. We conclude that at high sheep densities, grazing-mediated reductions in productivity, together with sustained alkaloid production, are likely to influence sheep dynamics. Future research should consider the interactive effects of forage toxicity, quantity, and nutritional content.     

Uptake and accumulation of antimicrobials,triclocarban and triclosan,by food crops in a hydroponic system

Commonly used in personal care products, triclocarban (TCC) and triclosan (TCS) are two chemicals with antimicrobial properties that have recently been recognized as environmental contaminants with the potential to adversely affect human health. The objective of the study described herein was to evaluate the potential of food crops to uptake TCC and TCS. Eleven food crops, grown in hydroponic nutrient media, were exposed to a mixture of 500 μg L^?1 TCC and TCS. After 4 weeks of exposure, roots accumulated 86–1,350 mg kg^?1 of antimicrobials and shoots had accumulated 0.33–5.35 mg kg^?1 of antimicrobials. Translocation from roots to shoots was less than 1.9 % for TCC and 3.7 % for TCS, with the greatest translocation for TCC observed for pepper, celery, and asparagus and for TCS observed for cabbage, broccoli, and asparagus. For edible tuber- or bulb-producing crops, the concentrations of both TCC and TCS were lower in the tubers than in the roots. Exposure calculations using national consumption data indicated that the average exposure to TCC and TCS from eating contaminated crops was substantially less than the exposure expected to cause adverse effects, but exceeded the predicted exposure from drinking water. Exposure to antimicrobials through food crops would be substantially reduced through limiting consumption of beets and onions.     

Plant selection for a pilot phytoremediation study at a former skeet range

A pilot phytoremediation project was conducted at the Mukluk site in Sprague, Connecticut, formerly a private skeet shooting range. A series of experiments was conducted to investigate if any plants can be effective lead phytoextractors for this site that has very high soil lead concentrations and low soil pH. Greenhouse screening of plants for lead resistance and accumulation using field soil was implemented as the initial step before the field installation. Herbaceous plant species with known lead phytoextraction capabilities included Indian mustard and blue fescue; a few willow clones with purported heavy metal resistance were also tested. Based on the results of the greenhouse experiments, blue fescue appeared to be sensitive to high lead concentration in soil, and only willows and Indian mustard along with various soil amendments were selected for the field installation. Indian mustard grew poorly in most of the treatments at the site except in the compost and lime treatment. Lead accumulation by this species was low in all treatments. In contrast, willows showed tolerance to very high lead concentrations present in the soil and were able to uptake and translocate lead into aboveground tissues. However, lead content in aerial tissues was low, and no change in soil lead concentration at the site was recorded post‐harvest after one growing season. It appeared that highly unfavorable soil characteristics at the Mukluk site complicated the species selection, and no effective phytoextractors have been found for this location. These suggest that the feasibility of phytostabilization and possible production of biofuel from willow biomass on these types of sites should be further investigated. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Estimating the number of active and successful bald eagle nests:an application of the dual frame method

Monitoring the number of animals in a wildlife population is an important task. In this paper, we estimate the number of active and successful bald eagle nests in a specific region using dual frame sampling techniques. The dual frame method combines independent samples from an incomplete list frame and an area frame that is assumed to be complete. Hartley's screening estimator is used to combine sample information from both frames. This methodology will be useful for monitoring any wildlife population where the breeding individuals have highly visible nesting territories which tend to be stable over many years.     

Comparison of recidivism rates for a teenage trauma prevention program after the addition of high-fidelity patient simulation

Objectives: We evaluated the benefits of adding high-fidelity simulation to a teenage trauma prevention program to decrease recidivism rates and encourage teens to discuss actionable steps toward safe driving.

Methods: A simulated pediatric trauma scenario was integrated into an established trauma prevention program. Participants were recruited because they were court-ordered to attend this program after misdemeanor convictions for moving violations. The teenage participants viewed this simulation from the emergency medical services (EMS) handoff to complete trauma care. Participants completed a postsimulation knowledge assessment and care evaluation, which included narrative data about the experience. Qualitative analysis of color-coded responses identified common themes and experiences in participants' answers. Court records were reviewed 6 years after course completion to determine short- and long-term recidivism rates, which were then compared to our program's historical rate.

Results: One hundred twenty-four students aged 16–20 years participated over a 2-year study period. Narrative responses included general reflection, impressions, and thoughts about what they might change as a result of the course. Participants reported that they would decrease speed (30%), wear seat belts (15%), decrease cell phone use (11%), and increase caution (28%). The recidivism rate was 55% within 6 years. At 6 months it was 8.4%, at 1 year it was 20%, and it increased approximately 5–8% per year after the first year. Compared with our programs, for historical 6-month and 2-year recidivism rates, no significant difference was seen with or without simulation.

Conclusions: Adding simulation is well received by participants and leads to positive reflections regarding changes in risk-taking behaviors but resulted in no changes to the high recidivism rates This may be due to the often ineffectiveness of fear appeals.     

Sources and spatial distribution of heavy metals in scleractinian coral tissues and sediments from the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

Marine ecosystems worldwide are threatened by aquatic pollution; however, there is a paucity in data from the Caribbean region. As such, five heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, zinc, mercury) were measured in tissues of the scleractinian corals Porites furcata and Agaricia tenuifolia and in adjacent sediments in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama. Samples were collected from five reef sites along a gradient of distance from an international shipping port and were analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry for mercury. Copper and zinc were the most abundant metals and ranged from 11 to 63 mg kg^?1 and from 31 to 185 mg kg^?1 in coral tissues, respectively. The highest concentration of each metal was measured in P. furcata tissues, with copper and mercury concentrations significantly higher in P. furcata than in A. tenuifolia at every site. These results suggest that P. furcata has a higher affinity for metal accumulation and storage than A. tenuifolia. With the exception of cadmium, metal concentrations in coral tissues were generally elevated at coral reefs in closer proximity to the port; however, this pattern was not observed in sediments. Hard coral cover was lowest at reefs in closest proximity to the port, suggesting that metal pollution from port-related activities is influencing hard coral abundance at nearby coral reefs.     

Conservation geopolitics

We reviewed recent work concerning the impact of geopolitics on wildlife conservation (and vice versa) and identified future priorities in conservation geopolitics research. Geopolitics is understood as both an analytical focus on geopolitical practices (especially concerning the behavior) of countries with respect to territory and national security and a set of theories developed to explain and predict those behaviors. We developed a typology of core geopolitical practices of relevance to conservation: territorial practices of colonization and the management of migrations and borders, and security practices relating to military, economic, and environmental security. We identified research that considers how these practices affect conservation situations and outcomes, noting the recent emergence of conceptual developments such as “environmental geopolitics” and “geopolitical ecology” that draw on multiple fields within the social sciences to theorize the links between geopolitics and environmental management. We defined a "geopolitical perspective" as a focus on geopolitical practices combined with an explicit engagement with geopolitical theory and identified conservation situations where this perspective could contribute to analytical clarity. We suggest the most pressing questions in conservation research to which the geopolitical perspective might contribute are how political and economic differences between countries affect biodiversity outcomes, how geopolitical practices to address those differences facilitate or frustrate conservation efforts, how national borders and human and wildlife movements can be better managed for the benefit of both, and how the most effective conservation strategies can be best selected to suit existing (and future) geopolitical realities.