Ecological and social determinants of spacing behaviour in desert baboon groups

This paper investigates the determinants of individual spacing behaviour in a desert baboon population (Papio cynocephalus ursinus). Patterns of neighbour proximity and neighbour density were examined among adults in four groups under different ecological and social conditions (through instantaneous sampling during focal follows). Initial analysis of these data shows that (1) the use of vertical substrates (refuges such as tall trees and cliff faces) can confound patterns of spacing, and (2) individual differences in spacing can depend on the spatial scale over which it is measured. To minimise these substrate and scale effects, this analysis focuses on animals which are off refuges and examines spacing behaviour through its underlying statistical `dimensions' (identified through factor analysis). Analysis of these dimensions indicates that sex, group size, activity-habitat and female reproductive state can all have independent effects on spacing: (1) males are more dispersed than females in smaller groups, (2) male and female dispersion increases with time spent in foraging habitats, and (3) female dispersion is reduced during lactation. According to the hypotheses tested, these results indicate that feeding competition only affects spacing behaviour during foraging while predation risk plays little or no role in spacing. Most aspects of spacing behaviour are best explained by male reproductive strategies and their social repercussions. Received: 25 May 1998 / Accepted after revision: 18 July 1998     

Trail discrimination signal of Lasius japonicus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Summary. Trail-following behavior of Lasius japonicus was colony-specific in the field, while trail pheromone activity was not. We found that the footprint substance caused colony-specific trail-following behavior only when working in conjunction with the trail pheromone. The footprint substance alone did not lead the workers to follow trails. The substance consisted mainly of hydrocarbons with composition almost identical to that of cuticular hydrocarbons, except for the absence of n-alkanes. Nestmate workers shared footprint hydrocarbon profiles as well as cuticular hydrocarbons, but the profiles differed among colonies. We therefore consider that the footprint hydrocarbon profiles serve as the trail discrimination signal in L. japonicus.     

Individual-based modelling of fishermen search behaviour with neural networks and reinforcement learning

A model to mimic the search behaviour of fishermen is built with two neural networks to cope with two separate decision-making processes in fishing activities. One neural network deals with decisions to stay or move to new fishing grounds and the other is constructed for the purpose of finding prey within the fishing areas. Some similarities with the behaviour of real fishermen are found: concentrated local search once a prey has been located to increase the probability of remaining near a prey patch and the straightforward movement to other fishing grounds. The artificial fisherman prefers areas near the port when conditions in different fishing grounds are similar or when there is high uncertainty in its world. In the latter case a reluctance to navigate to other areas is observed. The artificial fisherman selects areas with higher concentration of prey, even if they are far from the port of departure, unless a high uncertainty is related to the fishing ground. Connected areas are preferred and followed in orderly fashion if a higher catch is expected. The observed behaviour of the artificial fisherman in uncertain scenarios can be described as a risk-averse attitude. The approach seems appropriate for an individual-based modelling of fishery systems, focusing on the learning and adaptive characteristics of fishermen and on interactions that take place at a fine scale.     

The feeding behaviour of Schistocerca gregaria,the desert locust,on two starch mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana

Summary. Schistocerca gregaria, the desert locust, has been shown to regulate its dietary intake with respect to specific macronutrients in synthetic foods. This study examined the nutrients in the leaves of two starch mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, and then compared the feeding behaviour of locusts on the two starch mutants. The high-starch mutant had c. 25 times more starch than the no-starch mutant. Newly molted 5th stadium locusts were preconditioned for 3 days on one of the mutants, and then observed for 90 min while exposed to the same or the alternative mutant. Locusts pretreated with the no-starch mutant fed longer during the first meal on high-starch mutants, spent more time feeding, and had the smaller latency to begin a meal when compared to the locusts pretreated on the high-starch mutant. The results of the study are interpreted in light of an integrative model of nutrient balancing. Received 16 November 1999; accepted 23 December 1999     

Theory of planned behaviour, identity and intentions to engage in environmental activism

This study incorporated identity constructs into the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to investigate intentions to engage in environmental activism. First year students and participants of a students of sustainability conference (n=169) were administered a questionnaire survey that measured standard TPB constructs as well as environmental group membership and self-identity as an environmental activist. Consistent with predictions, environmental group membership and self-identity were positive predictors of intentions. Thus, greater involvement in environmental groups and a stronger sense of the self as an environmental activist were associated with stronger intentions to engage in environmental activism. There was also evidence that self-identity was a stronger predictor of intentions for participants with low rather than high environmental group membership. In accordance with the standard TPB model, participants with more positive attitudes toward and a greater sense of normative support for environmental activism also had greater intentions to engage in the behaviour. The implications for groups seeking to harness support for activities to protect the environment are discussed.     

Plasticity of agonistic behaviour in relation to diet and contact signals in experimentally group-living of Tegenaria atrica

Summary. The aim of this work was to investigate whether or not the predominant aggressive behaviour in spiders is stereotypic and whether there is a relation with cuticular chemicals. We compared the intraspecific behaviour of adult females of Tegenaria atrica reared in isolation and grouped. Some plasticity emerges from environmental conditions and allows spiders to tolerate each other. This switch of behaviour, in favour of “acceptance behaviour” vs. “attack”, is promoted by an increase in food resources. Learning during ontogenesis and changes in cuticular lipids could prolong it. A pattern of 6 compounds distinguishes grouped from solitary spiders. We hypothesize that a similar evolution could in part explain the emergence of certain communal species of spiders. Received 6 March 2001; accepted 22 June 2001.     

Consumer understanding of product lifetimes

Throwing products away before they fail or are broken is at the heart of consumer behaviour in developed economies such as the UK. Products are often discarded for reasons of fashion, or to keep up with technological advances, rather than because they have reached the end of their functional life. Such behaviours contribute to resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and physical waste which needs to be managed. Extending the length of time that products are kept in use (whether by their original or subsequent owners) can contribute to greater resource efficiency, with significant potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This research was undertaken to support the development of evidence-based policy in the UK on the role of longer product lifetimes in achieving sustainable consumption and waste prevention. Twelve qualitative discussion groups, involving 115 consumers, were carried out to explore consumer influences on product lifetimes including: which factors influence purchase decisions; the care of products in use; and disposal decisions. A new typology was developed to describe how products meet consumers’ various needs for ‘workhorses’, ‘investment’ and ‘up-to-date’ products; and how lifetime is an outcome of the ‘nature’ of a product (functional life) and its ‘nurture’ (lifetime in use) by consumers. The results demonstrate that consumers have come to expect constant and rapid up-dating of products. In particular, having the latest versions of products is strongly associated with personal identity and feelings of success in life. There is little evidence of concern about the environmental consequences of a ‘throwaway society’. The low cost of new products, which enables rapid updating for reasons of fashion, is a key barrier to encouraging consumers to keep products in use for longer. Some opportunities were identified however for certain ‘workhorse’ and ‘investment’ products that are valued more for their functionality than fashion.     

Learning to recognize novel predators under weakly acidic conditions: the effects of reduced pH on acquired predator recognition by juvenile rainbow trout

Summary. Recent studies have demonstrated that under weakly acidic conditions (pH 6.0), many prey fishes, including juvenile rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss), do not exhibit overt antipredator responses to conspecific chemical alarm cues. In laboratory trials, we investigated the potential effects of reduced pH on the ability of hatchery reared, predator naïve juvenile rainbow trout to acquire the recognition of a novel predator (yellow perch, Perca flavenscens). Initially, we exposed trout to the odour of a predatory yellow perch, buffered to pH 6.0 (weakly acidic) or pH 7.0 (neutral) paired with conspecific skin extracts (also buffered to pH 6.0 or 7.0) or a distilled water control. Juvenile trout exhibited significant increase in antipredator behaviour when exposed to neutral skin extract (pH 7.0). When retested 48 hours later to perch odour alone (pH 7.0), only trout initially conditioned with neutral skin extracts (pairs with either neutral or acidic perch odour) exhibited a learned recognition of perch odour as a predator risk. Those initially exposed to weakly acidic skin extract or the distilled water control did not show a learned response to predator odour. These results demonstrate that the ability to acquire the recognition of novel predators is impaired under weakly acidic conditions, as would occur in natural waterways affected by acidic precipitation.     

The strategic gap in air-quality management

The successful management of atmospheric pollution is best achieved when the benefits of controls can be clearly demonstrated to those who the controls affect. There is a need to demonstrate to a population that change will benefit the social and biophysical aspects of that population’s environment as a whole. This paper suggests that policy-makers need to demonstrate clearly the advantages of a change in behaviour for the local environment while concurrently minimising the life-style costs of the people whose co-operation is needed to bring that change about. This requires an improved understanding of the activities affected and the message and media by which environmental benefits can be communicated in the light of that understanding.Using the example of tropospheric ozone, this paper argues that air-quality management requires close regional co-ordination which can facilitate the establishment and implementation of local policy options. The ability of the UK National Air Quality Strategy to achieve this in its present form is discussed and the existence of a strategic gap between the current approach to air-quality management and the major issues surrounding air quality considered.     

Respect for Animal Autonomy in Bioethical Analysis: The Case of Automatic Milking Systems (AMS)

An analysis of the ethical impacts of the use of anAutomatic Milking System (AMS) is employed as a casestudy to illustrate the use of a form of bioethicalanalysis in technology assessment. The approach isbased on the Ethical Matrix, where `impacts' areassessed in terms of (lack of) respect for threeethical principles as applied to interest groups. Inthis case, only impacts on dairy cows are examined,and principally in terms of their behaviouralfreedom.In contrast to traditional milking systems, AMS, inprinciple, allow cows to present for milkingvoluntarily. So with AMS, it is claimed that dairymanagement relies on the autonomous interaction of thecow with her environment.One of the roles of bioethical analysis is to identifythe influence of rhetoric and symbolism in technologyassessment, e.g., with respect to the claimed`voluntariness' of cows' presentation. The AMS can beinstalled to allow cows three types of access, viz., i)free choice ii) rewarded access (RA) iii) obligatoryaccess (OA). Studies suggest the desire for milkremoval per se is not critical in the cow'sattendance at the AMS. Continued motivation to bemilked, required for the system to function,principally relies on RA and OA. Both RA and OA aresubject to numerous factors, such as: design of theAMS, location, etc. In turn, these can affect thecows' behavioural freedom and welfare.One of the aims of this approach is to illustrate theethical basis on which public policy is or can beformulated.