Dual function of allopreening in the cooperatively breeding green woodhoopoe, Phoeniculus purpureus

Allopreening is a widespread but little-studied phenomenon in birds and is particularly prevalent in species where individuals are forced into close proximity. Such a situation facilitates the transfer of ectoparasites between individuals and allopreening has therefore been proposed to serve a hygienic function. In addition, allopreening might theoretically play a role in social communication. Green woodhoopoes (Phoeniculus purpureus) are cooperatively breeding birds that roost communally every night in a tree cavity and are thus susceptible to high ectoparasite loads. Our results suggest that allopreening of the head and neck (“head”), which cannot be efficiently self-preened, serves a primarily hygienic function: all individuals, irrespective of sex, dominance status, and group size, donated and received similar rates of head allopreening and terminated a similar proportion of bouts in which they were involved. Furthermore, there was a high occurrence of reciprocation and head allopreening occurred at a constant rate throughout the year. In contrast, allopreening of the rest of the body, which is accessible to the recipient itself, is likely to serve a primarily social function: body allopreening rates were higher in larger groups; dominant individuals received more body allopreening and terminated a significantly higher proportion of bouts than subordinates; and subordinates donated body allopreening at a higher rate than dominants. Moreover, bouts initiated by dominants were more likely to be reciprocated than those initiated by subordinates and body allopreening rates varied seasonally. Allopreening in the green woodhoopoe is therefore likely to serve a dual function, depending on the part of the body involved.     

Division of labour and worker size polymorphism in ant colonies: the impact of social and genetic factors

Division of labour among workers is central to the organisation and ecological success of insect societies. If there is a genetic component to worker size, morphology or task preference, an increase in colony genetic diversity arising from the presence of multiple breeders per colony might improve division of labour. We studied the genetic basis of worker size and task preference in Formica selysi, an ant species that shows natural variation in the number of mates per queen and the number of queens per colony. Worker size had a heritable component in colonies headed by a doubly mated queen (h ²=0.26) and differed significantly among matrilines in multiple-queen colonies. However, higher levels of genetic diversity did not result in more polymorphic workers across single- or multiple-queen colonies. In addition, workers from multiple-queen colonies were consistently smaller and less polymorphic than workers from single-queen colonies. The relationship between task, body size and genetic lineage appeared to be complex. Foragers were significantly larger than brood-tenders, which may provide energetic or ergonomic advantages to the colony. Task specialisation was also often associated with genetic lineage. However, genetic lineage and body size were often correlated with task independently of each other, suggesting that the allocation of workers to tasks is modulated by multiple factors. Overall, these results indicate that an increase in colony genetic diversity does not increase worker size polymorphism but might improve colony homeostasis.     

Divided destinies: group choice by female savannah baboons during social group fission

Group living provides benefits to individuals while imposing costs on them. In species that live in permanent social groups, group division provides the only opportunity for nondispersing individuals to change their group membership and improve their benefit to cost ratio. We examined group choice by 81 adult female savannah baboons (Papio cynocephalus) during four fission events. We measured how each female’s group choice was affected by several factors: the presence of her maternal kin, paternal kin, age peers, and close social partners, her average kinship to groupmates, and her potential for improved dominance rank. Maternal kin, paternal kin, and close social partners influenced group choice by some females, but the relative importance of these factors varied across fissions. Age peers other than paternal kin had no effect on group choice, and average kinship to all groupmates had the same effect on group choice as did maternal kin alone. Most females were subordinate to fewer females after fissions than before, but status improvement did not drive female group choice; females often preferred to remain with social superiors who were their close maternal kin, rather than improving their own social ranks. We suggest that during permanent group fissions, female baboons prefer to remain with close maternal kin if those are abundant enough to influence their fitness; if they have too few close maternal kin then females prefer to remain with close paternal kin, and social bonds with nonkin might also become influential. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Racketed tail of the male and female turquoise-browed motmot: male but not female tail length correlates with pairing success,performance, and reproductive success

Both males and females of many avian species maintain elaborate plumage traits, and elaborate monomorphic plumage may convey adaptive benefits to one or both sexes as inter- or intraspecific signals. Both sexes of the turquoise-browed motmot (Eumomota superciliosa) are elaborately plumed with long racket-tipped tail. I investigated whether the racketed tail functions as a sexually selected signal in one or both sexes by testing the predictions that males and/or females with the largest tails have: (1) greater pairing success, (2) greater reproductive performance (clutch-initiation date, clutch size, and hatching success), and (3) greater reproductive success. Yearling males with longer denuded rachises (wires) on the central tail feathers had greater pairing success. In addition, adult males with longer wires paired with females who laid larger clutches, had greater hatching success independent of clutch size, and fledged more young. There was no relationship between female tail plumage and pairing success, reproductive performance, or fledgling success. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that male tail plumage functions as a mate choice or status signal, but that the tail of the female does not function in a sexually selected context. I discuss alternative hypotheses for the evolutionary maintenance of the elaborate female tail plumage.     

大样本水环境监测数据中异常数据的筛选方法研究

在对较长时间跨度内的大样本水环境监测数据进行具体分析的基础上,提出了在水环境中污染物组分变化不大的区域,运用散点分布边界特征曲线,结合计算机程序对大样本水环境监测数据中的异常数据进行筛选的方法。以期能在保证工作质量的基础上节省大样本监测数据中异常数据筛选所需时间,并为监测数据合理性分析方法的规范化、科学化奠定基础。     

Complex dynamics in the uptake of new farming practices: a case study for organic waste application

Adverse environmental effects of intensive agriculture, together with scarcity in phosphates and water, urge farmers to find more sustainable practices. An example of such a sustainable practice is on-farm processing of organic waste. This paper explores three mechanisms that can lead to a widespread uptake of this technique: (1) economies of scale, (2) information sharing, and (3) adjustment of social norms. Although each of these mechanisms has been studied before, this paper provides new insights by considering the interactions that might exist between the different mechanisms when they are applied to real-life situations. Based on a pilot study, we developed a multi-criteria mathematical programming model at individual farm level. We used this model to simulate the uptake of on-farm processing of organic waste, as a result of the three mechanisms and their interactions. Our results show that each mechanism results in an increased uptake, but is not likely to cause a widespread uptake. Interaction between the mechanisms, will lead to a much higher uptake. This result suggests that simultaneous consideration of multiple mechanisms is essential to understand the behaviour of social–ecological systems.     

亚热带典型小流域总氮最大日负荷(TMDL)及影响因子研究——以金井河流域为例

本研究以亚热带红壤丘陵区为研究区域,选取10个典型小流域,根据土地利用和畜禽养殖密度分为4种类型(森林、森林-种植、养殖和种植-养殖小流域),并基于近3年小流域把口站的原位观测数据,采用负荷历时曲线模型(LDC)计算了不同类型小流域水体总氮(TN)的最大日负荷(TMDL),运用灰度分析法定量研究了不同流量阶段小流域主要因子对TN负荷消减率的影响.结果表明,小流域TN负荷特征与流域类型密切相关,10个小流域TN年均负荷为739.0~2798.4 kg·km-2·a-1,由小到大依次为森林、森林-种植、养殖、种植-养殖小流域,其中,养殖、种植-养殖小流域水质整体超标严重,且应针对中、低流量条件下(秋、冬季节)负荷进行消减,而森林-种植小流域TN负荷超标情况略好,但高流量阶段(春、夏)超标率过高.灰度分析结果表明,TN负荷消减率在高、中流量阶段下主要受农田面积比例影响,而低流量阶段受畜禽密度影响.农田面积比例对高、中流量段TN消减率影响显著,而畜禽养殖密度在低流量段具有更大影响,小流域景观越破碎、类型越丰富、斑块分布越零散、形状越复杂,TN负荷通量则越大.     

A critical discussion of research on the social acceptance of renewable energy generation and associated infrastructures and an agenda for the future

Social sciences’ research on the social acceptance of renewable energy generation and associated technologies (RET), such as high voltage power lines, has been growing in the last decades. In fact, while RET are considered one of the main mitigation measures of climate change, opposition to their construction, and namely from the local communities living nearby, is often found. Important conceptual proposals have been made for a better understanding of opposition, however, this literature still presents some limitations. Here, I will discuss two of them: first, the main focus on the local and, with it, the lack of a relational and critical approach, which recognizes opposition and other types of responses to RET as public participation in RET-related issues; second, the focus on the individual and the consequent lack of examining people’s material practices and engagements.     

Barriers and enablers to climate change adaptation in hierarchical governance systems: the case of Vietnam

Governments fulfil important roles in increasing the adaptive capacity of local communities to respond to climate change impacts, particularly in developing countries. Existing studies on how governments enable and constrain the ways in which local level communities learn and build their adaptive capacity, however, generally adopt network or market-oriented types of governance. However, the most vulnerable regions to climate change impact in the world are generally governed through hierarchical policy systems. This research aims to understand how the hierarchical policy system in Vietnam creates enables and/or constrains the policy capacity of policy actors to contribute to effective climate change adaptation. We conducted interviews (n?=?26) with key actors at multiple levels of government. Our findings show the importance of clear legal institutions, available financing for implementing policies, and the training of governmental staff, particularly at district and commune levels where the policy capacities are generally too low to deal with climate change impacts. We conclude that any efforts to support local actors (i.e. smallholder farmers) should include investments in policy capacity to ensure uptake and upscaling of adaptation actions more broadly.     

矿化垃圾柱吸附能力预测模型

建立数学模型对矿化垃圾柱的吸附能力进行理论预测。通过改变模型参数得到矿化垃圾柱的不同吸附穿透曲线，分析穿透曲线的变化规律，判定参数的优劣，确定垃圾柱吸附运行最优工况。为矿化垃圾柱的设计提供一定的理论依据。