Vitamin D is an essential hormone that regulates many different functions in vertebrates and can have a protective effect against various disease conditions. Providing exotic pets appropriate access to vitamin D, through the diet, ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure, or a combination of both, is important for veterinarians and exotic pet owners to consider. Although it is commonly thought that most animals derive the vitamin D they need through their diet, there are a number of species that appear to benefit more from UVB exposure. In addition, there has been minimal study to investigate appropriate dietary levels of vitamin D for many of our exotic pets. Although the recommendation of providing UVB lighting has been primarily limited to captive reptiles, research with other species (e.g., birds and small mammals) suggests that these animals may also benefit from this type of lighting. However, the provision of UVB is not without its potential side effects. The purpose of this article is to review the important roles of vitamin D in animals, the different methods animals use to acquire this hormone, the potential clinical signs associated with hypovitaminosis or hypervitaminosis D, the role of artificial UVB lighting in the synthesis of vitamin D, and the potential side effects associated with UVB radiation. 相似文献
The paper ‘Biodiversity values of remnant freshwater floodplain lagoons in agricultural catchments: evidence for fish of the Wet Tropics bioregion, northern Australia’, published in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems in 2015, has contributed in several ways to the integration of freshwater wetland science within new catchment management policies and practices for Great Barrier Reef (GBR) sustainability.
The Tully–Murray biodiversity study developed novel protocols to sample larval, juvenile, and adult fish life‐history stages in floodplain lagoons using a combination of boat‐based backpack electrofishing and fyke netting. In addition, hydrological and hydrodynamic models were applied in a completely new way to quantify the timing, extent, and duration of water connectivity across floodplain streams, cane drains, and wetlands. Combining the two novel approaches enabled an analysis of lagoon fish assemblage patterns in relation to environmental gradients, especially floodplain hydrology, connectivity patterns, and measures related to agricultural land use.
In demonstrating the importance of different levels of connectivity for different biodiversity outcomes in freshwater floodplain lagoons of the Tully–Murray catchment, the subject paper established that floodplain connectivity needs to be taken into consideration in wetland management practices.
The timing of the subject publication was fortuitous. It coincided with the preparation of the evidence‐based 2017 Scientific Consensus Statement on land‐based water quality impacts on the GBR. As one of the few freshwater wetland ecology publications for the catchments of the GBR at that time, this paper played an important role in demonstrating freshwater wetland values, fish conservation options, and management imperatives to sustain wetland ecological health and services in GBR catchments.
By advancing the understanding of factors driving biodiversity patterns, and the importance of connectivity and ecohydrological processes in freshwater floodplain wetlands of the GBR catchment, the Tully–Murray study helped to drive new policy directives for the protection and restoration of catchment, floodplain, and estuary functions, and connectivity, now embedded in the Reef 2050 Long‐Term Sustainability Plan 2018, an overarching strategy for managing the GBR over the next 35 years, and complementary Queensland environmental legislation.
The capacity to react quickly to species introductions and to plan effective management countermeasures is always difficult, and methodology is lacking. This paper summarizes the different steps of a decision-making protocol applied to the recent establishment of an exotic species, the House Sparrow Passer domesticus, in the Lesser Antilles. This pest bird damages crops, fruits and stored food products and also competes with numerous hole-nesting birds in a large part of its range, and this requires more or less rapid management decision to limit its impact. In order to construct a base for decision-making in the Lesser Antilles case, we designed and conducted a brief biological study involving three spatial scales. At the regional scale, we defined the state of spread of House Sparrows throughout the West Indies. At the island scale, we estimated the number and distribution of breeding colonies. At the local scale, we estimated the numbers and behaviour of House Sparrows. To enable a quick decision to be made, we also suggested organizing a collective decision-making process applying a multi-actor guideline taking account of the different kinds of actors and levels of competence. We applied this method and we presented our results to a multi-actor workshop. The collective decision-making chose to apply the precautionary principle on one island (bird eradication) and to install both communications and monitoring plans. The procedure involving both multi-spatial scale assessment and a multi-actor workshop needs to be refined but its prospects are promising. 相似文献
The genetic diversity and relationships of seven Chinese indigenous pig breeds （Meishan, Erhualian, Hezuo, Bamei, Qingping, Tongcheng, and Huainan） and three exotic pig breeds （Large White, Landrace, and Duroc） were analyzed using the DNA differential display technique by means of eight primer combinations. A total of 123 reproducible bands were used to calculate mean Nei＇s gene diversity, and mean Shannon＇s information index for each pig population. Based on these the Nei＇s standard genetic identity and distance were estimated, which was used to construct a dendrogram tree for the 10 pig breeds. The experimental results obtained and the method used in this study for evaluating the genetic diversity and relationships of pigs were also discussed. 相似文献
The cover image is based on the Research Article HCN-induced embryo arrest: passion fruit as an ecological trap for fruit flies by Jing Yang et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.7396
