Habitat suitability and connectivity modeling reveal priority areas for Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) conservation in a complex habitat mosaic

Context

Conservation for the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), a federally endangered species in the United States of America, is typically focused on local maternity sites; however, the species is a regional migrant, interacting with the environment at multiple spatial scales. Hierarchical levels of management may be necessary, but we have limited knowledge of landscape-level ecology, distribution, and connectivity of suitable areas in complex landscapes.

Objectives

We sought to (1) identify factors influencing M. sodalis maternity colony distribution in a mosaic landscape, (2) map suitable maternity habitat, and (3) quantify connectivity importance of patches to direct conservation action.

Methods

Using 3 decades of occurrence data, we tested a priori, hypothesis-driven habitat suitability models. We mapped suitable areas and quantified connectivity importance of habitat patches with probabilistic habitat availability metrics.

Results

Factors improving landscape-scale suitability included limited agriculture, more forest cover, forest edge, proximity to medium-sized water bodies, lower elevations, and limited urban development. Areas closer to hibernacula and rivers were suitable. Binary maps showed that 30% of the study area was suitable for M. sodalis and 29% was important for connectivity. Most suitable patches were important for intra-patch connectivity and far fewer contributed to inter-patch connectivity.

Conclusions

While simple models may be effective for small, homogenous landscapes, complex models are needed to explain habitat suitability in large, mixed landscapes. Suitability modeling identified factors that made sites attractive as maternity areas. Connectivity analysis improved our understanding of important areas for bats and prioritized areas to target for restoration.

     

矿化海藻有益于猪胃的健康

胃炎和胃溃疡是生长肥育猪和母猪的一种常见、但很少被诊断出的疾病,它可引发诸多的问题:从导致肥育猪产生进攻性行为、生产性能受挫,直至死亡。而海洋矿物质或许可以解决上述问题。     

Sensitivity of soft red winter wheat cultivars to chlorate‐induced toxicity

The use of chlorate as a nitrate analogue to screen soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars for differences in nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was studied by adding potassium chlorate to a hydroponic nutrient solution in which wheat seedlings were growing. After 14 days, leaf symptoms indicating chlorate‐induced toxicity were rated. It was hypothesized that wheat plants which were susceptible to chlorate‐induced toxicity reduced chlorate and nitrate more rapidly than did resistant plants. In experiments testing the potential of this assay, wheat and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars previously reported to have low NRA were less susceptible to chlorate‐induced toxicity than were cultivars reported to have high NRA. The assay was used to screen 15 soft red winter wheat cultivars for differences in sensitivity to chlorate‐induced toxicity. Variable toxic reactions were observed both among and within the cultivars. To determine whether the within‐cultivar variation was environmental or genetic, single plant selections for contrasting chlorate response were made, and bulked progeny were rescreened. In eight of 15 cultivars, the contrasting selections were different for chlorate‐induced toxic response, indicating heterogeneity for this trait within these eight cultivars. These chlorate‐selected lines may also be near‐isogenic lines for NRA. Seedling screening of wheat for chlorate response may be useful for identification of high NRA breeding lines.     

Use of spectral radiance for correcting nitrogen deficiencies and estimating soil test variability in an established bermudagrass pasture

The use of variable rate technology has become increasingly popular for applying plant nutrient elements. The most widely used method for determining variable fertilizer rates is presently based on soil testing and yield mapping. Three field studies (Bumeyville 1995, Burneyville 1996, and Ardmore 1996) were initiated in established Midland bermudagrass [Cynodon dacrylon (L) Pers.] pastures to determine the relationship between spectral radiance at specific wavelengths with forage nitrogen (N) removal and biomass, and to determine field variability of soil test parameters. Variable N (applied to 1.5 × 2.4 m subplots within 2.4 × 45.7 m main plots), fixed N and check treatments were evaluated at each location. Spectral radiance readings were taken in the red (671±6 nm), green (570±6 nm), and near infrared (NIR) (780±6 nm) wavelengths. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated as NIR‐red/NIR+red. Variable N rates were applied based on NDVI. The highest fixed variable N rate was set at 224, 336, and 672 kg N ha^‐1 for Burneyville, 1995, 1996, and Ardmore, 1996, respectively. At Bumeyville, soil samples were collected in all variable rate plots (1.5 × 2.4 m) and analyzed for various soil test characteristics. NDVI, red, green, and NIR spectral radiance readings were correlated with bermudagrass forage N removal and yield. Correlation of forage yield and N removal with red, NIR, and NDVI were best with maximum forage production, however, when forage production levels were low correlation decreased dramatically for the red wavelength compared with NIR and NDVI. Forage yield and forage N removal in variable rate treatments increased when compared to the check while being equal to the half‐fixed and fixed rates where higher N rates were applied. Also, variability about the mean in variable rate plots was significantly lower than half‐fixed and fixed rates which supports adjusting N rates based on indirect NDVI measurements. Variable N rate plots reduced fertilizer inputs by 60% and produced the same yield as fixed rate plots, while fixed and half‐fixed rates did not increase N content in the forage over that of the variable rate treatment. Soil sample data collected from small consecutive plots (<4 m²) was extremely variable indicating that intense sampling would be needed if variable fertilizer application were to be based on soil test results.     

Growth of lucerne (Medicago sativa,L.) in response to frequency of irrigation and gypsum application on a heavy clay soil

Summary Effects of weekly (W) and fortnightly (F) irrigation schedules on established stands of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) grown on gypsum treated (G) and untreated (C) heavy clay soil were investigated. Two irrigations were applied under the fortnightly regime and four under the weekly schedule during a single cutting cycle. Growth and light interception were measured during both the vegetative and mature phases of growth.Leaf expansion, light interception and dry matter production were greater under treatments W _G and W _C, with yield increasing from 3.4 t ha^–1 under the fortnightly schedule to 5.0 t ha-1 with weekly irrigation. Gypsum treatment was effective under the more frequent irrigation schedule. Specific leaf area and the proportion of stem were both increased by treatments W _G and W _C. The responses to irrigation were therefore characteristic of those elicited by a more favourable plant moisture status. Growth was analysed in terms of light interception, the efficiency of utilisation of intercepted light, the proportion of the daily dry matter gain retained by the leaves and leaf expansion. The analysis demonstrated that impaired leaf expansion contributed to a decline of approximately 15% in yield, and that impaired efficiencies of utilisation of intercepted light contributed to losses of approximately 30% under the less frequent irrigation schedule.A comparison of growth rates and efficiencies of energy conversion with published data showed that satisfactory rates of growth and levels of productivity were achieved on the heavy soils of the local region using gypsum treatment and the more frequent irrigation schedule.     

Family by environment interactions in shell size of 43-day old silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), five families reared under different nursery conditions

To understand the influence the environment and associated genotype by environment interactions will exert on future silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima) selective breeding programs, this study assessed the relative performance in four shell growth traits of spat from five full-sib families, when spat were communally reared at different salinities (29, 34 and 40 ppt), food availability (high, medium and low), food quality (high, medium and low), and in a hatchery vs. ocean environment for 43 days.Rearing environment was found to influence growth expression, with significant differences evident when oysters were grown at different salinities in the ocean instead of hatchery, or when fed algae of differing nutritional quality. As indicated by MANOVA, family comparative growth performances were also altered when the environment changed, with significant environment by family interactions apparent in the food quality, food availability and hatchery vs. ocean rearing treatments. Changes in salinity, however, did not affect relevant family performances.These results indicate that growth and relative family performance in P. maxima may change dependent on local environmental conditions and that genotype by environment effects may need to be considered in breeding programs for this species.     

An “Orphan” Creative Industry: Exploring the Institutional Factors Constraining the Canadian Fashion Industry

In recent years, tier‐two fashion countries have been making gains in the global fashion industry, with hip young brands, buzz‐worthy fashion weeks and export‐oriented designers. The Canadian fashion industry, on the other hand, continues to fall behind and instead has experienced recent high‐profile closures of leading domestic fashion names. This paper explores why this is the case by considering a wide range of factors from a historical and institutional perspective. We argue that Canadian fashion is facing a number of systemic problems relating to wider institutional and policy weaknesses, rather than a lack of talent and know‐how within the entrepreneurs and businesses in the sector. While the fashion industry is indeed global, we argue that it is in fact national and local level factors—political, economic, and cultural—that structure and constrain the Canadian fashion industry for independent designers. Through exploring the experiences of this group of actors—entrepreneurial fashion designers—in this particular context, we not only learn about Canada as an economy but also what is needed in order to develop the fashion industry more broadly. We provide a framework for analysing the range of socio‐economic, historical, and political factors at the national level which affect the performance of the fashion sector and the operation of fashion designers as the entrepreneurial actors at the heart of the industry.     

Ray blight of pyrethrum in Australia: a review of the current status and future opportunities

Ray blight caused by Stagonosporopsis tanaceti is one of the most important diseases of pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium), a perennial herbaceous plant cultivated for the extraction of insecticidal pyrethrins in Australia. The disease is responsible for complete yield loss in severe outbreaks. Infected seed is considered as the principal source of S. tanaceti. Infection hyphae remain only in the seed coat and not in the embryo, resulting in pre- and post-emergence death of seedlings and latent infection. Therefore, quantification of the level of infection by S. tanaceti within seed using a qPCR assay is important for efficient management of the disease. Stagonosporopsis tanaceti completes its life cycle within 12 days after leaf infection through production of pycnidia and can infect every tissue of the pyrethrum plant except the vascular and root tissues. Ray blight epidemics occur in pyrethrum fields through splash dispersal of pycnidiospores between adjacent plants. Besides steam sterilization, thiabendazole/thiram and fludioxonil are effective seed-treating chemicals in controlling S. tanaceti before planting begins. Ray blight is currently managed in the field through the foliar application of strobilurin fungicides in the first 1–2 years of crop establishment. Later on, difenoconazole and multisite specific fungicides in the next 2–3 years during early spring successfully reduce ray blight infestation. Avoiding development of resistance to fungicides will require more sustainable management of ray blight including the development and deployment of resistant cultivars.