Drivers of fine-scale avian functional diversity with changing land use: an assessment of the effects of eco-estate housing development and management

Landscape Ecology - The effects of changing land use, and especially urbanisation, on species and functional diversity are of global concern. Eco-estates are a form of urban housing development...     

Beitrag zur Bekämpfung der Straßentauben in Städten

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Estrus and ovulation synchronization in Merino meat sheep. 2. Fertility outcome after estrus and ovulation synchronization with Cloprostenol "Jenapharm" and Gonovet "Berlin-Chemie" and term-oriented artificial insemination]

49 of 102 sheep of one production herd, which had returned to oestrus once or twice within the 1985 breeding season, were treated twice in a nine-day interval with the PGF2 alpha analogue Cloprostenol "Jenapharm". 53 animals received an additional dose of 10 micrograms of Gonavet "Berlin-Chemie". A lambing rate of merely 15% was achieved by subsequent term-oriented artificial insemination. 31 sheep still in oestrus one day after term-oriented artificial insemination were served, bringing the lambing rate from synchronisation of oestrus and ovulation to 26% and the lambing result to 154%. Serving of the remaining sheep in 2 subsequent oestric cycles, on balance, yielded lambing rates and results of the remaining sheep in 2 subsequent oestric cycles, on balance, yielded lambing rates and results which were higher with significance than those recorded from untreated sheep in the same herd.     

Correct equations for comparing models in diallel analysis

SUMMARY: Correct equations are given to express the parameter estimates of four models for complete diallels as a function of the parameter estimates in the model of Eisen et al. (1983). In recent literature these equations have been partly incorrect. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Korrekte Gleichungen für den Vergleich von Modellen in der Diallelanalyse Für die Darstellung der Parametersch?tzwerte von vier Modellen für vollst?ndige Diallele als Funktion der Parametersch?tzwerte des Modells von Eisen et al. (1983), die in der Literatur teilweise fehlerhaft erfolgte, werden korrekte Formeln angegeben.     

Evaluation of the efficacy of doramectin against an artificial infection of Dictyocaulus viviparus in calves

Three groups of eight Friesian calves, reared parasite-free, were experimentally infected with 1000 infective larvae of Dictyocaulus viviparus. Two groups were injected subcutaneously with 1% doramectin at 0.2 mg/kg body weight, one group 5 days after infection and the other 25 days after infection. A third group served as untreated controls. Faecal samples were examined for lungworm larvae on days 28, 32, 33, 34 and 35 after infection; the calves were killed and necropsied 39 or 40 days after infection and any lungworms present recovered and counted. Doramectin proved 100% effective against both 5-day-old and mature D. viviparus infections.     

Identification of tissue hypoxia in the livers of ascitic and hypoxia‐induced broilers using trypan blue

1. The perfusion of livers with the vital dye trypan blue was performed to test for evidence of tissue hypoxia in 3 groups of young broiler chickens, namely, ascitic, hypoxia‐induced and controls.

2. Hepatocytes that stained with trypan blue were considered to be dead or dying before fixation and represented damaged cells.

3. The proportion of trypan blue‐stained hepatocytes in the livers of ascitic birds was slightly less than half that observed in the hypoxia‐induced birds but significandy more than the proportion of stained cells observed in control birds.

4. Liver damage in the ascitic birds was also assessed biochemically by an altered enzyme profile.

5. The study demonstrated that increased trypan blue uptake in the livers of ascitic birds reared at sea‐level may be the consequence of hypoxia stress caused by reduced oxygen utilisation.     

Goat horns: Platforms for viroid transmission to fruit trees?

Mechanical inoculations with contaminating tools and propagation of infected budwood were considered the main causes for the omnipresence of multiple viroid species among citrus and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fruit trees and grapevines. However, neither means could explain viroid infections of wild trees — scattered on terrains inaccessible to humans — nor the finding of similar viroids among graft-incompatible plants. Northern hybridization of RNA extracts made of scrapings from the surfaces of goat (Capra hircus) horns that were rubbed against etrog (Citrus medica) stems infected with a citrus viroids complex, revealed accumulation of considerable amounts ofCitrus exocortis viroids (CEVd) andHop stunt viroids (HSVd). Experimental transmission of both CEVd and HSVd was obtained by rubbing healthy citrus plants with goat horns that had been rubbed 24 h earlier on infected etrog stems. These results implicate goats as possible vectors of viroids. Transmissionvia goats could have facilitated the long-range spread of viroids among cultivated and wild plants andvice versa and also among graft-incompatible plants.     

Breeding objectives for beef cattle used in different production systems: 2. Model application to production systems with the Charolais breed

A general bio-economic model for beef cattle production was used to define breeding objectives for Charolais cattle to be utilized in a variety of linked production systems. Economic weights were calculated for 16 traits (some with both direct and maternal components) in three production systems (pure-breeding and terminal crossing with beef or dairy cows) and two marketing strategies (sale or fattening of weaned surplus calves). Economic weights for the total breeding objective were calculated as weighted averages, where weights were numbers of cows expected to be mated with Charolais bulls in each production system and marketing strategy. Results suggest that the direct component of calving performance and cow longevity were of primary economic importance in all systems. Conception rate of cows and weaning weight reached about 50% of the standardized economic weight of calving performance in purebred systems with sale of weaned calves, whereas in purebred systems with fattening the economic importance of the direct component of cow conception rate, losses at calving, mature weight of cows, weaning weight, and fattening traits were of equal importance (each approximately about 20% that of calving performance). In terminal crossing systems, weaning weight was important when calves were sold at weaning, and fattening traits were important for systems selling fattened animals. The bio-economic model performed well under the conditions of this demonstration and could easily be customized for other applications.     

Ecotonal changes and altered tree spatial patterns in lower mixed-conifer forests, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, U.S.A.

This research analyzes patch development and determines tree spatial patterns along the lower mixed-conifer ecotone on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona (U.S.A.). Patterns of patch development were interpreted from spatial analyses, based on tree age and size, and past records of disturbance and climate. Five plots in the ecotone between mixed conifer forests and monospecific stands of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) were studied for patterns of patch development. The methods used include: (1) size-structure analyses, to compare species patch development; (2) dendrochronological dating of tree establishment; (3) tree ring master chronology, to determine periods of suppressed growth, compared to a Palmer Drought Severity Index; and (4) spatial analyses by species composition, size and age, with univariate and bivariate analyses of spatial association and spatial autocorrelation. We found an increased density of shade-tolerant and fire-intolerant species namely clusters of pole-sized white fir, and fewer large ponderosa pine. This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.