Sperm characteristics associated with different male reproductive tactics in bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus)

We examined the availability and motility of sperm from parental and sneaker male bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus), a colonially nesting sunfish (Family Centrarchidae) with male parental care and a high incidence of cuckoldry by both sneaker and satellite males. We found no differences between sneakers and parentals in length and swimming speed of sperm, or percent and duration of sperm activity. In sneaker milt, however, sperm was almost 50% more concentrated than in parental milt (16.5×10⁶ vs 11.5×10⁶ sperm/μl of milt, respectively). Despite this difference in sperm concentration, stripped ejaculates from sneakers contained almost 400 million fewer sperm (only 32% as many sperm) than those from parentals due to their much smaller stripped ejaculate volumes (only about 19% that of parentals). Thus unless sneakers can compensate by releasing more sperm or gaining closer proximity to eggs at the time of spawning, they may be at a disadvantage with respect to sperm competition. We discuss these results in relation to models for the evolution of alternative reproductive behaviours in this species and suggest that the cuckolders may be making the best of a bad situation. Received: 18 February 2000 / Revised: 23 March 2000 / Accepted: 14 September 2000     

Effects of female mating status on copulation behaviour and sperm expenditure in the freshwater crayfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Austropotamobius italicus</Emphasis>

Sperm competition models predict that males should adjust their sperm expenditure according to the risk and/or intensity of sperm competition. In this paper, we analysed copulatory behaviour of both sexes and sperm expenditure in relation to female mating status (virgin or mated) in the freshwater crayfish Austropotamobius italicus, a species where males have been reported to feed on and remove sperm laid by other males. The same females were allowed to be inseminated sequentially by two males, and we compared the sexual behaviours of partners between the first (virgin females) and the second mating (mated females). We found that female resistance did not differ between the first and the second mating, nor males refused or took more time to mount a mated female. However, when mating with a mated female, males reached an effective copulation position significantly later. This occurred because second-mating males removed, by eating, all or most spermatophores previously deposited by first males. As removal was often incomplete, this resulted in a larger amount of sperm being deposited on female ventral parts after the second mating, although second males did not allocate more sperm to mated females than first males did. Thus, the peculiar mode of sperm competition, where males remove previously deposited sperm, and the consequent predictable strong last male prevalence in paternity likely led to the observed lack of adjustment of sperm expenditure to female mating status in this species.     

Male-male interference competition decreases spawning rate in the European bitterling (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodeus sericeus</Emphasis>)

We investigated the consequences of male-male interference competition associated with alternative male mating tactics in a freshwater fish, the European bitterling (Rhodeus sericeus). Male bitterling defend territories around living mussels and attract females to lay their eggs in the gill cavities of mussels. We experimentally manipulated spawning-site abundance and male density at two spatial scales. We showed that the total number of eggs spawned by females was constrained by the number of mussels available for oviposition. The effect was mediated by behavioral interactions among competing males because of variation in the Operational Sex Ratio (OSR) in close proximity to a mussel and not by a direct limitation in mussel capacity to accommodate the eggs. Both total and local male densities affected spawning behavior, and interacted in their effect on female spawning rate. Territorial male aggression caused courtship interruptions that prolonged the time until successful spawning and increased with male density. However, territoriality broke down at the highest male density, with a consequent stabilizing effect on spawning rate.Communicated by J. Krause     

复杂网络视角下世界石油流动的竞合态势演变及对中国石油合作的启示

世界石油流动的规模和复杂性日益增加,从复杂网络分析视角考察石油流动中主要贸易国及其所处地缘区之间的相对地位及变动,并分析中国在其中的竞合关系,有利于从与出口地缘区合作和与进口地缘区合作两个方面,全面审视中国石油合作的总体格局、重点合作国家和可能的模式创新。研究结果表明：（1）世界石油流动仍由主要出口地缘区主导,逐步演变为俄罗斯—中亚、美国—加拿大和中东三足鼎立的出口竞争格局,但出口地缘区的多元化和地位相对变动也为进口国调整合作关系提供了机遇;（2）亚太地区逐步成为世界石油流动的竞合焦点,但由于区内大国缺乏互济交流,降低了地区的整体核心地位和对石油流动的调控力,中国也深陷进口分散化、出口大国博弈和进口大国制衡三大困境中;（3）中国应与核心出口地缘区重点合作,与其他出口地缘区稳定合作并创新合作模式,与亚太其他进口国基于进口份额协调机制、来源错位竞争机制和国际贸易中心分工协作机制,开展区内互济交流合作,以改善中国在世界石油流动格局中的竞合环境,保障石油供需平衡、降低供给风险。     

The politics of interbasin transfers: socio‐environmental impacts and actor strategies in Tunisia

Mediterranean wetlands are of key interest in the preservation of biodiversity. However, their ecological water requirement is in constant competition with human uses, particularly in a context of aridity and climate change. This paper examines the case of the Ichkeul Lake‐Lagoon system located in the north of Tunisia in a river basin that is heavily contributing to the water supply of southern regions through water transfers. It maps out the various actors involved, their stakes, discourses and strategies, and explains the current degradation of the Ichkeul system by unpacking the decision‐making power of these actors. It confirms that marginal social groups, ecosystems and next generations are the main parties affected by current water allocation patterns.     

The role of conjugation in the gene-individual-population relationships in increasing eco-exergy

The genotypic and phenotypic processes were incorporated into one system in the gene-individual-population relationships under the framework of Individual based models (IBMs). The gene types addressing different degrees of metabolic efficiency and toxin susceptibility were provided as attributes in the individuals. Subsequently ecological processes such as food competition and movement were allowed concurrently on the 2-D space to determine the suitable species adapted to the system. The integrative gene-individual-population model accordingly responded to gene exchanges between the neighboring individuals through conjugation. At a substantially low level of gene exchange, system heterogeneity increased to produce high levels of eco-exergy, being presented by species diversity and total population size in the system. The issues related to genetic and ecological effects in the integrative gene-individual-population relationships were further discussed.     

不同磷质量浓度体系中pH变化对铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻竞争的影响

铜绿微囊藻和四尾栅藻分别是太湖中最为常见的蓝藻和绿藻.微囊藻在湖泊中形成优势是微囊藻水华发生的重要条件.在模拟太湖水的竞争实验(ρ(磷)分别为0.012,0.112,0.412和1.612 mg/L)中,四尾栅藻均形成优势,而且在稳定期时pH达到10以上.但用0.04 mol/L HCl将pH都降到5.8后,2种藻的增殖都出现明显的变化,在ρ(磷)低于0.412 mg/L时,四尾栅藻优势变得更加明显;而在ρ(磷)为1.612 mg/L时,铜绿微囊藻则形成优势.说明pH对蓝藻和绿藻竞争的影响在不同ρ(磷)的水体中是不同的.      

UV-B辐射增强对亚历山大藻和赤潮异弯藻种群竞争的影响

通过共培养的方法,研究了亚历山大藻和赤潮异弯藻种群竞争关系对UV-B辐射增强的响应变化．结果表明,不同的接种密度对亚历山大藻和赤潮异弯藻种群竞争有明显的影响．当亚历山大藻(A)和赤潮异弯藻(H)的接种比例为A：H=1：4时,赤潮异弯藻在与亚历山大藻的竞争中占优势;当接种比例为A：H=1：1和A：H=4：1时,亚历山大藻在竞争中占优势．UV—B辐射增强可改变亚历山大藻和赤潮异弯藻种群竞争的关系,使赤潮异弯藻的种群竞争能力降低,使亚历山大藻的种群竞争能力大大提高,从而导致亚历山大藻在处理Ⅱ(A：H=1：1)和处理Ⅲ(A：H=4：1)中的优势地位更加明显．     

芦苇和香蒲种间竞争对混合种植人工湿地污染河水净化特性的影响

为了系统评估混合种植人工湿地中植物组成的变化规律,以及物种竞争对湿地植物-微生物相互作用和湿地净化功能的影响特性,基于芦苇、香蒲混合种植的表面流人工湿地中试实验,开展了连续5年的研究.结果表明,在混合种植人工湿地中,芦苇从进水端开始侵蚀香蒲生态位,芦苇的生长密度和生物量在5年后分别达到了香蒲的11.5和6.1倍,但香蒲...     

Applying deep learning to right whale photo identification

Photo identification is an important tool for estimating abundance and monitoring population trends over time. However, manually matching photographs to known individuals is time-consuming. Motivated by recent developments in image recognition, we hosted a data science challenge on the crowdsourcing platform Kaggle to automate the identification of endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). The winning solution automatically identified individual whales with 87% accuracy with a series of convolutional neural networks to identify the region of interest on an image, rotate, crop, and create standardized photographs of uniform size and orientation and then identify the correct individual whale from these passport-like photographs. Recent advances in deep learning coupled with this fully automated workflow have yielded impressive results and have the potential to revolutionize traditional methods for the collection of data on the abundance and distribution of wild populations. Presenting these results to a broad audience should further bridge the gap between the data science and conservation science communities.