The worldwide reduction in wetlands has led to the large‐scale decline of wetland‐dependent species. In Australia, to redress some of the decline, partial restoration of the hydrology of a small number of wetlands has been attempted using allocations of environmental water.
A common goal of the watering is the maintenance and enhancement of native fish communities, which historically have included populations of the salt tolerant Murray hardyhead (Craterocephalus fluviatilis), a small, short‐lived fish, endemic to the lower Murray–Darling Basin.
Despite the addition of environmental water to several sites at which the species is known to persist, populations continue to decline. This decline is, at least in part, suspected to be a consequence of salinities that conflict with the breeding ecology and survival of early life stages.
Here the effect of salinity on egg hatch rate and the upper salinity tolerance of larval and juvenile Murray hardyhead was determined under laboratory conditions. It was found that eggs were vulnerable to elevated salinities, whereas juveniles were capable of tolerating salinities up to 105 ppt.
Based on the results of the experiment, brackish wetlands managed for Murray hardyhead should be maintained, where possible, between 12 and 45 ppt. Such a salinity regime will necessitate less intensive management of salinity, and a reduced volume of environmental water, providing both environmental and fiscal benefits. The research highlights the benefits of investment in targeted research.
Invasive species threaten the conservation of marine environments, and urgent management strategies are needed to prevent their introduction, establishment and spread. Specifically, marine invasive predators destabilize ecological interactions and alter community structure and function. However, most of the evidence showing the effect of these predators is restricted to a few species and regions, while for others the information remains scarce.
This study experimentally evaluated the ecological effects of the sea slug Pleurobranchaea maculata, a recently introduced invasive predator, on the fouling communities of a cold-temperate port in the South-western Atlantic.
The results show that increasing predation pressure reduces significantly the abundance of sea anemones, which are among the preferred prey items.
This study reveals new evidence to help better understand the effects of P. maculata on the biological communities of a recently invaded region. Furthermore, it provides the first experimental evidence supporting the hypothesis that marine invasive predators can induce a significant decrease in the abundance of native species in benthic communities of cold-temperate marine environments in the South-western Atlantic.
1. The fear levels of broilers arriving from slaughter at 4 commercial processing plants were assessed using tonic immobility (TI) tests. The relative effects of selected variables were also examined.
2. Neither the position of the birds on the lorry, nor their sex, nor the ambient temperature nor the identity of the experimeter exerted any significant effects on tonic immobility reactions.
3. Although the longest and shortest immobility responses followed transportation in the fixed crates and metal modules respectively, system comparisons may be confounded by variations in the birds’ genetic and/or experiential backgrounds.
4. Both journey duration and waiting time before transport bore an unambiguous and positive linear relationship with mean TI duration. The duration of transit was the major factor determining fear levels following both commercial and simulated journeys. 相似文献
The aim of this work was to study the effect of keel fractures on the extent to which free-range hens access the range through pop holes. Over two consecutive laying periods (two production years) a total of 1100 individual birds from one half of a house, divided into four separated flocks, were caught at 25, 35, 45, 55 and 65 weeks, palpated to assess the prevalence and severity of keel fractures and tagged with RFID transponders. Their use of pop holes was subsequently monitored in some cases from week 25 to end of lay at 68 to 70 weeks. At regular intervals (every 10 weeks), the tagged birds were re-caught to assess changes in keel fracture prevalence and severity. The average percentage of birds with fractured keels at 25, 35, 45, 55, 65 and at end of lay (68 to 70 weeks of age) was 5.5, 25.5, 49, 63, 66.5 and 78.5, respectively, across both production years. The effect of keel score on pop hole use was modelled statistically, adjusting for weather conditions and age of the birds. There were significant effects of most of the weather variables recorded, as well as age of the bird, on use of pop holes and also a significant effect of keel score. Higher keel scores resulted in a reduction in pop hole use. A significant statistical interaction between keel score and ambient temperature revealed an accelerated reduction in use as the temperature decreased and keel score increased. It is concluded that the occurrence of keel fractures may affect the birds' ability or willingness to utilise the outdoor range provided by free-range housing systems, thereby reducing the potential welfare advantages of this type of housing. 相似文献
The aphid–natural enemy interaction in winter wheat fields constitutes a complex system that has been frequently studied because
of its implication for biological control. However, not all of the aphids living in cereal fields are crop pests, as there
are also aphids living on weeds that may serve as alternative hosts or prey for aphid parasitoids or predators. In this context,
a concomitant survey of the plant and insect communities was conducted to understand how different plant communities affect
the abundance and richness of aphids and the interactions with their natural enemies. The plant community was split into functional
groups (grasses, legumes and forbs), and the aphid community was divided into feeding groups according to their host preferences
(specialists in grasses or forbs). The grass aphids, which dominated the total aphid catches, responded positively to grass
cover, which was particularly enhanced in the conventional fields. Conversely, the forb aphids, which mainly conditioned the
total species richness of the aphids, were closely correlated with the local abundance of legumes. The system of cereal aphid-parasitoids
was enhanced in the conventional fields, where the abundance of grasses was higher, whereas the legumes of the organic fields
indirectly played a key role in enhancing the richness of the parasitoids and the abundance of predators. Our findings indicate
that a bottom-up effect exists throughout the plant community, aphids, and aphidophagous insects and that plant community
characteristics should be considered to better understand cereal aphid control. 相似文献
Stereotypies are considered a cause and symptom of impaired welfare, and have been associated with suboptimal husbandry systems. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of stereotypic and other abnormal behaviors in Chilean thoroughbreds by direct observation, and examine their associations with biological characteristics and management practices. Seven hundred forty-three racehorses were observed directly, every 5 minutes during 1 hour before and after feeding, to identify behavioral disorders. A questionnaire was administered to handlers to obtain information about the animal and husbandry practices. 相似文献
The establishment and evaluation of family lines using pedigree information provides an advanced understanding of the variability that exists for complex, economically valuable traits and is a necessary step in the execution of an effective breeding programme. The aim of this study was to assign parentage to mass‐spawned Haliotis midae juveniles using species‐specific microsatellite markers. Screening of wild abalone individuals revealed that the nine loci selected complied with the minimum requirements for parentage analyses: a null allele frequency <5% as well as a high number and frequency of alleles per locus. A total of 598 individuals were genotyped (198 breeding individuals and 400 F1 progeny) from two farms, with parentage results yielding 91% and 90% successful assignment for Farms A and B respectively. This study, therefore, provided the necessary pedigree information required for controlled breeding of individual adult abalone and indicated the usefulness of the panel of microsatellite markers selected for parentage assignment. 相似文献