Set a thief to catch a thief: brown-necked raven (Corvus ruficollis) cooperatively kleptoparasitize Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Our study describes how brown-necked ravens (Corvus ruficollis) are able to take advantage of an ordinarily inaccessible, high-quality food source by relying upon their innovative and manipulative thinking capabilities to exploit methods used by Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) to overcome the problem. In five observed interactions, the ravens were first seen in the vicinity of an abandoned clutch of ostrich eggs (Struthio camelus). The area was frequented by a pair of Egyptian vultures that bred on the cliffs across the road from the nature reserve. The Egyptian vulture exhibits tool use in birds, and is able to crack the hard shells of ostrich eggs by lifting a rock in the beak and pounding at the egg till it breaks open or cracks. If the egg is only cracked, the vulture inserts its narrow bill into the fissure and widens it by opening the mandibles. Pieces of eggshell are removed from around the crack in order to further open the egg. This is the point at which the pair of ravens attacked the vulture and harassed it till it abandoned the egg and left the area. The ravens then jointly enjoyed the contents of the egg which was otherwise inaccessible to them because of the strong egg shell.     

气溶胶中正构烷烃单体化合物稳定碳同位素分布特征初步研究

不同来源的气溶胶中正构烷烃稳定碳同位素的分布特征有比较明显的区别,以低陆生植物为主的高原清洁区,其气溶胶中正构烷烃δ＾１３Ｃ较轻,随碳数的增加,δ＾１３Ｃ较平平缓的曲线,以高等植物为主的海滨清洁区,正构烷烃δ＾１３Ｃ分布亦为较平缓的英线,但δ＾１３Ｃ较前者稍重,为－２８‰－－２７‰;人为污染严重的城市区,气溶胶正构烷烃δ＾１３Ｃ为－２９‰－－２５‰,且随碳数的增加有较大的变化。     

A novel role for proline in plant floral nectars

Plants offer metabolically rich floral nectar to attract visiting pollinators. The composition of nectar includes not only sugars, but also amino acids. We have examined the amino acid content of the nectar of ornamental tobacco and found that it is extremely rich (2 mM) in proline. Because insect pollinators preferentially utilize proline during the initial phases of insect flight and can reportedly taste proline, we determined whether honeybees showed a preference for synthetic nectars rich in proline. We therefore established an insect preference test and found that honeybees indeed prefer nectars rich in the amino acid proline. To determine whether this was a general phenomenon, we also examined the nectars of two insect-pollinated wild perennial species of soybean. These species also showed high levels of proline in their nectars demonstrating that plants often produce proline-rich floral nectar. Because insects such as honeybees prefer proline-rich nectars, we hypothesize that some plants offer proline-rich nectars as a mechanism to attract visiting pollinators.     

Steps in the construction of underwater coral nursery, an essential component in reef restoration acts

Many coral reefs worldwide are rapidly declining, but efficient restoration techniques are not yet available. Here, we evaluate methodologies for reef restoration based on the “gardening concept”. A floating mid-water prototype nursery was placed at 6 m depth (14 m above sea-bottom) within the nutrient-enriched environment of a fish farm (Eilat, Red Sea). Ten colonies from five branching coral species provided 6,813 fragments (0.5–3 cm height). The fragments, each attached to a plastic pin, were inserted into plastic nets that were tied to a rope-net floating nursery. After 144 nursery days, only 13.1% of the fragments died and 21.2% were detached by mechanical forces. Small colonies ready for transplantation developed within 144–200 days. Ramets’ ecological volumes increased 13–46 folds and their heights by a factor of 3.5. After 306 days, the ecological volumes of the colonies increased 147–163 fold as compared to original volumes (revealing a daily growth rate constant of 1.67% during the first 5–10 months) and height values by a factor of six. Building and maintenance costs of the nursery were low. This nursery prototype demonstrates the feasibility of the coral “gardening concept” by fulfilling several important needs, namely, mass production of coral colonies at low costs, high survivorship, fast growth, short nursery phase and improved methodologies for handling farmed colonies.     

Impact of microbial activity on the hydraulic properties of fractured chalk

The impact of microbial activity on fractured chalk transmissivity was investigated on a laboratory scale. Long-term experiments were conducted on six fractured chalk cores (20 cm diameter, 23-44 cm long) containing a single natural fracture embedded in a porous matrix. Biodegradation experiments were conducted under various conditions, including several substrate and oxygen concentrations and flow rates. 2,4,6-Tribromophenol (TBP) was used as a model contaminant (substrate). TBP biodegradation efficiency depended mainly on the amount of oxygen. However, under constant oxygen concentration at the core inlet, elevating the flow rates increased the removal rate of TBP. Transmissivity reduction was clearly related to TBP removal rate, following an initial slow decline and a further sharp decrease with time. The fracture's transmissivity was reduced by as much as 97% relative to the initial value, with no leveling off of the clogging process. For the most extreme cases, reductions of 262 and 157 microm in the equivalent hydraulic apertures were recorded for fractures with initial apertures of 495 and 207 microm, respectively. The reductions in fracture transmissivity occurred primarily because of clogging by bacterial cells and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by the bacteria. Most of the biodegradation activity was concentrated near the fracture inlet, where the most suitable biodegradation conditions (nutrients and oxygen) prevailed, suggesting that the clogging had occurred in that vicinity. The clogging must have changed the structure of the fracture void, thereby reducing the active volume participating in flow and transport processes. This phenomenon caused accelerated transport of non-reactive tracers and doubled the fracture's dispersivity under constant flow rates.     

Two-dimensional distribution of microbial activity and flow patterns within naturally fractured chalk

The two-dimensional distribution of flow patterns and their dynamic change due to microbial activity were investigated in naturally fractured chalk cores. Long-term biodegradation experiments were conducted in two cores ( approximately 20 cm diameter, 31 and 44 cm long), intersected by a natural fracture. 2,4,6-tribromophenol (TBP) was used as a model contaminant and as the sole carbon source for aerobic microbial activity. The transmissivity of the fractures was continuously reduced due to biomass accumulation in the fracture concurrent with TBP biodegradation. From multi-tracer experiments conducted prior to and following the microbial activity, it was found that biomass accumulation causes redistribution of the preferential flow channels. Zones of slow flow near the fracture inlet were clogged, thus further diverting the flow through zones of fast flow, which were also partially clogged. Quantitative evaluation of biodegradation and bacterial counts supported the results of the multi-tracer tests, indicating that most of the bacterial activity occurs close to the inlet. The changing flow patterns, which control the nutrient supply, resulted in variations in the concentrations of the chemical constituents (TBP, bromide and oxygen), used as indicators of biodegradation.     

Intraspecific competition and high food availability are associated with insular gigantism in a lizard

Resource availability, competition, and predation commonly drive body size evolution. We assess the impact of high food availability and the consequent increased intraspecific competition, as expressed by tail injuries and cannibalism, on body size in Skyros wall lizards (Podarcis gaigeae). Lizard populations on islets surrounding Skyros (Aegean Sea) all have fewer predators and competitors than on Skyros but differ in the numbers of nesting seabirds. We predicted the following: (1) the presence of breeding seabirds (providing nutrients) will increase lizard population densities; (2) dense lizard populations will experience stronger intraspecific competition; and (3) such aggression, will be associated with larger average body size. We found a positive correlation between seabird and lizard densities. Cannibalism and tail injuries were considerably higher in dense populations. Increases in cannibalism and tail loss were associated with large body sizes. Adult cannibalism on juveniles may select for rapid growth, fuelled by high food abundance, setting thus the stage for the evolution of gigantism.     

The effect of foraging specialization on various learning tasks in the honey bee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis>)

Honey bee foragers may collect nectar, pollen, water, or propolis, and their foraging specialization has been associated with several behavioral traits. By conditioning of the proboscis extension response (PER), we compared the performance of foragers that collected nectar, pollen, both nectar and pollen, or water in several learning and choice assays. Foragers were first tested in a three-trial olfactory associative learning assay. For further tests, we selected only good learners that responded in two out of three conditioning trials. One group was tested in an additional olfactory associative learning assay involving different reward volumes and concentrations. Another group was tested for risk sensitivity in a two-alternative forced-choice PER procedure and then in a latent inhibition (LI) assay. Levels of acquisition in olfactory associative learning were highest in pollen and water foragers, and better acquisition was associated with collection of heavier pollen loads and smaller and lighter nectar loads of lower sugar concentration. Among the good learners, pollen foragers still showed better acquisition than nectar foragers when rewarded with several volumes and concentrations of sucrose solution. Pollen and nectar foragers were equally risk averse, preferring a constant reward to a variable one, and choice was not affected by pollen load weight. Contrary to a previous study, pollen and nectar foragers were similarly affected by LI. We discuss possible explanations for the discrepancy between the two studies. Overall, our results suggest that differences between foraging groups in sensitivity to various stimuli may not correspond to differences in choice behavior.