Associations of fish with various types of littoral habitats in reservoirs

Fish associations with different types of littoral habitats were studied in four canyon‐shaped reservoirs in the Czech Republic in years 2010 and 2011 by gillnets. Two to three habitats per reservoir–beaches (former meadows), stump fields (former forest) and rubble slopes–were defined and sampled along the longitudinal axis of reservoirs. Effects of reservoir, habitat and locality (position along longitudinal axis) on fish biomass, abundance and species structure were tested for juvenile and adult fish separately. Hierarchical analysis of variance revealed that habitats differed significantly in fish biomass and abundance. Redundancy analysis showed that analysed environmental variables had significant influence on fish community structure. Most variability in community structure was explained by reservoir and then by combination of habitat and slope steepness. Locality position had the smallest influence on community structure. For both adult and juvenile fish total abundance and biomass, the most inhabited habitat was beaches; rubble slopes were the least inhabited. Habitat associations differed among species. Among adults, bream Abramis brama, white bream Blicca bjoerkna and roach Rutilus rutilus were associated with beaches and stump fields, whereas perch Perca fluviatilis, ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus, asp Aspius aspius and pike Esox lucius were associated with rubble slopes. Bream, white bream, bleak Alburnus alburnus, roach, ruffe and pikeperch Sander lucioperca were associated with beaches among juveniles, whereas the only juvenile associated with rubble slopes was perch. We showed that most common species are associated with distinct habitats and also that utilisation of various littoral habitats differs in general.     

The use of RAPD technique for the identification and classification of Pisum sativum L. genotypes

Summary The genomic DNAs of 42 Pisum sativum genotypes, representing four wild and cultivated subspecies were used as templates in RAPD reactions. Amplification with eight decamer primers generated 149 polymorphic products. Genetic similarities of RAPD profiles were estimated via a coefficient of Jaccard and then the data were processed by cluster analysis (UPGMA). Each genotype was clearly identified and separated from the others. Our results show that RAPD technology is a rapid, precise and sensitive technique for identification of pea genotypes. However, the phylogenetic relationships within the Pisum sativum, which we tested by bootstrap analysis (Wagner parsimony), must be interpreted with caution.     

On-going expansion of Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Kurdj.) in central Europe (Horn.: Aphididae)

A supplementary research on Russian wheat aphid (= RVA), Diuraphis noxia (Kurdj.) between 1998-99 documented the pest distribution all over the Czech republic already. RVA abundance was proved to be significantly area-dependent within the state. The banker areas are in southern Moravia (district Znojmo, the frontier area near Austria) up to central Moravia. The determined RWA distribution area is much broader than presumed on grounds of climatic characteristics.The abundance of RVA generally decreases from the SE to the NW and N direction, as well as with the increasing altitude within the area.The highest altitude a.s.l. of RWA occurrence in the crop was 762 in. The re-classified main expansion route was determined to follow two directions (sourcing from Hungary and Austria) to southern-central-northem Moravia, and to southern Bohemia and further on to the central Bohemian lowland. The field information indicated the development of preference of RWA for barley.     

Familial narcolepsy in the Lipizzaner horse: a report of three fillies born to the same sire

The occurrence of sleep disorder in three half sibling Lipizzaner is described. Sleepiness, swaying, stumbling, carpal joints buckling and falling down onto the carpal joints had been present since early foal age in all of them. Clinical signs had gradually reduced since the age of 2 years in cases 1 and 3. Sleepiness was induced by going out from the stable in adulthood. A physostigmine test was performed in all three affected horses and produced positive results in cases 1 and 3. The result of the test in case 2 was unclear due to the almost continuous sleepiness of the foal. Hypocretin-1 concentration in the cerebrospinal fluid was established using a standardised radioimmunoassay in case 1 (317.85?pg/mL), case 2 (303.43?pg/mL) and five adult control horses (275.2?±?47.9 [SD] pg/mL) and was considered as normal in all horses. The sire of the affected horses has had 19 other registered offspring who did not show clinical signs of sleep disorder and also dams of all three cases produced healthy foals. Based on the demographic and clinical data together with the responses to the physostigmine challenges, the diagnosis of familial equine narcolepsy was made.     

Chemical Characterization of Rain and Fog Water in the Cervenohorske Sedlo (Hruby Jesenik Mountains, Czech Republic)

Field study at the Cervenohorske sedlo (1,013 m a.s.l.) (Hruby Jesenik Mountains, the Czech Republic, Central Europe) during 1999–2002 has been conducted in order to analyse the chemistry of rain/snow water using bulk and throughfall collector and fog/cloud water using modified passive Grunow collector. Fog water input to coniferous forest (Picea abies) was quantified using canopy balance method. For all samples pH, and the concentrations of $ {\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} $ , Ca²⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, Cl^?, $ {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} $ , and $ {\text{SO}}^{{{\text{2 - }}}}_{{\text{4}}} $ were measured. The volume-weighted mean pH value varied from 4.92 to 5.43 in open bulk precipitation, from 4.30 to 4.71 in throughfall and from 4.66 to 5.23 in fog water. The fog droplets generally contain higher ion concentrations than rainwater. The related enrichment factors lie between 1.1 and 10.7 for the relevant species. The fog samples exhibit higher concentrations of $ {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} $ and $ {\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} $ as compared to the bulk samples during 2000–2002. $ {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} $ are 5.7–10.7 times more concentrated in fog water and $ {\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} $ are 3.4–7.2 times more concentrated in fog water. These differences may result from the height and characteristics of formation of the droplets. Based on canopy balance method, the annual fog water inputs were estimated to be 22 and 19% of rain and snow annual amounts in 1999 and 2000, respectively. For $ {\text{NO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} $ , $ {\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} $ , and $ {\text{SO}}^{{{\text{2 - }}}}_{{\text{4}}} $ , the contribution of fog deposition in total (bulk + fog) deposition is estimated as 54, 47, and 42%, respectively.     

Morphological characteristics of blood cells in monitor lizards: is erythrocyte size linked to actual body size?

Blood cell morphology and count are not uniform across species. Recently, between‐species comparisons revealed that the size of red blood cells is associated with body size in some lizard taxa, and this finding was interpreted in the context of the metabolic theory. In the present study, we examined the numbers and the size of blood cells in 2 species of monitor lizards, the mangrove‐dwelling monitor (Varanus indicus) and the savannah monitor (V. exanthematicus), and we compared these traits in individuals of different body size. The results revealed that during the course of ontogeny, the size of red blood cells increases with body mass. Because the mass‐specific metabolic rate decreases with body size and the cell volume‐to‐surface ratio decreases with the cell size, changes in the erythrocyte size might be the result of oxygen transport adjustment.     

Ethnobotanical knowledge and agrobiodiversity in subsistence farming: case study of home gardens in Phong My commune, central Vietnam

Ethnobotanical survey was conducted in 101 randomly selected home gardens of Phong My commune, central Vietnam, situated in the buffer-zone of Natural Reserve. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and direct observation. Sixty-seven species belonging to 35 families were identified to be used for various purposes. For each species the botanical and vernacular names, plant parts used and main purposes of use are given. The major use categories reported for plant species were food (86%), medicine (32%) and firewood (32%), however, seventy-seven percent of all inventoried plants have multiple uses. The species Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., Citrus grandis Osbeck, Citrus reticulata Blanco, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. and Musa spp. were identified as the main sources of plant foods consumed within the households. Statistical analyses indicated by Shannon-Wiener and Margalef indices have shown that local species diversity and richness is affected by home garden size. On the contrary, no relationship between diversity and home garden age was found. On the basis of a cluster analysis of plant species diversity, five home garden types were differentiated. In comparison to previously reported studies on tropical home gardens, the diversity in Phong My is lower, probably due to market-oriented strategy. Nevertheless, based on the results achieved, we can conclude that useful plants cultivated in local home gardens provide valuable foods complementing daily diet and subsequently contributing to socioeconomic status of the households.