Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Winter Stream Conditions and Use of Habitat by Brook Trout in High‐Elevation Wyoming Streams

Abstract Winter stream conditions at elevations between 2,280 and 3,205 m above mean sea level and the use of winter habitat by adult brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis above 2,990 m were evaluated in 1983–1984 and 1984–1985. Little surface ice was observed at elevations above 2,900 m, which was associated with high snow accumulation; moderate surface ice and anchor ice formation were observed at elevations from 2,550 to 2,900 m; extensive surface ice formation occurred at 2,550 m. Little snow accumulated at 2,550 m and surface ice physically excluded substantial brook trout habitat. In late fall, brook trout at elevations above 2,990 m tended to move into low-gradient areas where they remained active throughout the winter. During winter, brook trout appeared to select for areas with maximum velocities of 15 cm/s or less, measured during summer low flow, and for deeper water, but not for substrate type.
Costs of land degradation and beneﬁts of land restoration: A review of valuation methods and suggested frameworks for inclusion into policy-making

Land degradation has become a growing concern with the current increase in demand for arable land. Sustainable land management and land restoration practices are required in order to meet the demands to provide food and other services. Adoption of improved practices has however not been widespread partly due to a lack of clarity on the true economic value and setting of proper financial incentives. This article focuses on the economic costs of land degradation as a prelude to two ongoing initiatives involving the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). We review how ecosystem services derived from land have been economically valued to date. Economic valuation has mostly focused on the use value of provisioning services and cultural services, with limited valuation of non-use value of cultural services. Also, no unique valuation method has been applied following methodological developments, varying study objectives and data availability constraints. These factors impair coherent and consistent estimation of the total economic value of land degradation across
Evaluation of camera traps for monitoring European rabbits before and after control operations in Otago, New Zealand

Abstract Context. European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are reaching plague proportions again in some parts of New Zealand as the effect of rabbit haemorrhagic disease begins to wane. Effective monitoring techniques are required to quantify the success of alternative methods of controlling rabbits, such as poisoning. Aim. To evaluate camera traps as a method of estimating the percentage of rabbits killed in a poison control operation, and to compare results obtained from cameras with those from traditional monitoring methods (spotlight transects and vantage-point counts). Methods. We deployed cameras and conducted vantage-point counts and spotlight transects to compare a priori statistical power. We then used these monitoring methods to estimate percentage kill from a case study rabbit-control operation using sodium fluoroacetate (compound 1080). Key results. Cameras had good statistical power to detect large reductions in rabbit numbers (>90%) and the percentage kill estimated using cameras was comparable with spotlight transects and vantage-point counts. Conclusions. Cameras set up at fixed sampling locations can be an effective method of quantitatively assessing rabbit population control outcomes. We recommend that ≥6 cameras per 100 ha should remain active for at least 5 days before and 5 days following control, so as to obtain reliable estimates of percentage kill. Implications. Cameras may be preferable to conventional monitoring methods where there is insufficient area to walk or drive transects, terrain is too rugged or scrubby for transects, and there are no or few vantage points from which to count rabbits.
Breeding Home Range in the Nighthawk and Other Birds: Its Evolutionary and Ecological Significance

Nighthawks, Chordeiles minor, lay their eggs on flat surfaces-in cities on flat roofs-roost in trees, and feed on flying insects which in turn presumably feed on vegetation. Thirteen neighboring nighthawk breeding home ranges in the center of Detroit, Michigan in- cluded on the average 10.4 ha total area, 97 small trees (including large shrubs), 70 large trees, and 38 flat roofs, representing 2.25 ha. More or less centrally in each home range and preferentially over flat roofs, whether being used for nesting or not, resident males performed diving and booming displays. High average and minimum distances between the centers of activity of the residents, together with observations of conflict between neighbors indicated that the home ranges were mostly defended and, since including feeding and breeding activities, constituted type A territories. Home range size which varied more than threefold, showed no significant correlation with the density of any environmental feature, including an index of photosynthesis, except for a negative correlation with number of flat roofs per ha. Six of the 13 home ranges bounded a 42 ha area unoccupied by nighthawks, which was, compared with the home ranges, deficient in trees and especially in flat roofs. These six home ranges tended to be larger than the remaining seven, though not to differ from them in density of trees and roofs, and in neither group was there correlation between size and density of these features. Thus, variation in home range size seems best explained by birds settling thickly where flat roofs are numerous, and through mutual aggressiveness having small home ranges, by birds not settling at all where flat roofs are scarce, and by home ranges next to such unoccupied areas expanding into them and/or at the expense of neighbors who must defend their entire boundaries. Although nighthawks do not always defend combined nesting and feeding areas, the apparently primary importance of aggressive interaction in determining home range size, in the present study, suggests that in nighthawks, as well as in other species having more strictly type A territories, aggressiveness at high population levels may reduce the proportion of individuals breeding and population natality rate below what resources would allow. A variety of evidence is reviewed on this point including the interspecific variation of home range size in relation to body mass which suggests that bird home ranges generally contain more food re- sources than required by the occupants.
Boletopsis nothofagi sp. nov. associated with Nothofagus in the Southern Hemisphere

Boletopsis nothofagi sp. nov., an ectomycorrhizal taxon is described from Nothofagus forests in New Zealand. A comparison of available molecular ITS sequences, and morphological data was carried out to confirm the novelty of the taxon. This is the first report of the genus in the Southern Hemisphere.
Effect of particle size and concentration on feeding behaviour, selectivity and rates of food ingestion by the Cape anchovy Engraulis capensis

Engraulis capensis (Gilchrist) is capable of both filter and particulate feeding, the latter being the dominant mode. Food concentrations required to initiate filter feeding were inversely related to particle size. Turning rate, swimming speed and feeding mode also depended on prey size. The anchovy switched from filtering to biting at a threshold prey size of 0.710 to 0.720 mm; the feeding mode employed by the fish on prey approximating this size depended upon prey concentration. Biting clearance rates were greater than those for filtering, and the fish fed at maximum rate over most of their prey size spectrum. These results indicate that E. capensis had adapted its feeding behaviour to maximise food intake and to minimise energy expenditure. The selective grazing of E. capensis may have a significant effect on the structure of its prey communities.
Effects of experimentally simulated pollinator decline on recruitment in two European herbs

Pollinator decline causes great concern because reduced pollinator availability may negatively affect plants' seed production and in turn influence seedling recruitment and densities of plant populations. We used a novel experimental approach that simulates pollinator decline to assess the effects of a 4‐year reduction in pollinator availability on reproduction and recruitment in two common European herbs, Centaurea jacea and Leucanthemum vulgare. The experiment strongly reduced visitation rates (by 59%) and seed set (by 23%) in Leucanthemum, but this did not cause reduced seedling recruitment, suggesting that other factors, such as water availability or the existence of a seed bank, are important for recruitment in this population of Leucanthemum. The experiment also significantly reduced visitation rates to Centaurea (by 33%), but did not affect seed set or seedling recruitment. In this species, however, seed set increased with visitation rates and local recruitment increased with seed production, indicating that a consistent pollinator decline may negatively affect Centaurea population densities. Synthesis. Our experiment reduced pollinator availability without artificially affecting quality components of the pollination process. Therefore, this approach may represent a realistic simulation of a pollinator decline. To our knowledge, this is the first study that uses an experimental reduction in pollinator visitation to assess its effects on population recruitment in plants. This study shows that a large pollinator decline may affect population densities, but only in populations where seedling recruitment is limited by seed production. Our results also highlight the importance of going beyond visitation rates and seed production to study the impact of pollinator decline on plant populations.
THE GERMINATION OF POA SPP.

Summary. The paper in its first part deals with the germination response, in the laboratory, of four species of Poa to variations of temperature, light and the nature of the moisture supply. The second portion deals with the same response of P. compressa to solutions of various salts used as moisture supply. The third part deals with the germination of P. compressa in the soil when all the above factors were varied. In the laboratory, alternation of temperature proved to be, generally, the most, efficient stimulant followed by light and a solution of potassium nitrate as moisture supply. P. compressa proved to be more sensitive than any of the other species considered, P. pratensis and P. nemoralis rather less so, while P. trivialis was almost insensible to variations of the conditions. In the soil. excess of light (sunlight) proved to be depressant. Some salts. e.g potassium nitrate, sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, etc., proved to be stimulating in solution culture, while salts of lead were depressant. As a general statement these salts, found to be stimulating in solution culture. proved to be more depressant in soil than those found depressant in the solution. Lead salts in the soil produced broader, deeper coloured leafage than the controls. Nitrites had a striking physical effect in preventing the drying up of the soil.
In Situ Hybridization on Calcified Tissue : Detection of RANKL mRNA in Mouse Osteolytic Bone Lesions

Receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) has been identified as a prerequisite for osteoclastogenesis. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of osteolytic bone lesions, we investigated RANKL mRNA expression in mouse bone tissue from experimental models of mouse autoimmune arthritis and cancer associated osteolysis. Elbow joints of type II collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice and calvariae of mice transplanted with breast cancer cells under the scalp were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 2 days, decalcified with 20% EDTA in phosphate buffer for 5 days and embedded in paraffin. For in situ hybridization, digoxigenin-labeled antisense (or sense) single-stranded DNA probes were prepared by unidirectional PCR using cDNA of mouse RANKL amplified by RT-PCR. In the articular lesions of CIA mice, TRAP-positive osteoclasts were found at eroded cartilage and bone as well as in the pannus. Synovial cells around these osteoclasts were strongly positive for RANKL, indicating that synovial cells contribute to osteoclastogenesis through authentic RANKL-RANK signaling. In the tumor-induced osteolytic lesions of the mouse calvaria, osteoblasts and stromal cells between the tumor foci and the bone surface expressed RANKL mRNA; osteoclastic bone resorption was observed adjacent to the RANKL-positive cells. Histological evaluation of RANKL expression in bone lesions is important, because osteoclasts and the RANKL-RANK system could be potential targets for therapeutic drugs in diseases with accelerated bone resorption.
LENGTH-WEIGHT RELATIONS OF EIGHT FISH SPECIES FROM A SMALL CARIBBEAN COASTAL LAGOON, MEXICO

Due to the importance of the estuarine fish fauna in Mexico and the implications of length-weight rela - tion (LWR) for management and conservation, we present the estimates of the LWR for eight fish species from Rio Huach, a small estuarine system of the Mexican Caribbean. Fishes were caught in five sampling points dur - ing an annual cycle (1998) and in November of 2000, were measured with a digital calliper and weighed with a digital balance to obtain the standard length (SL) and weight ( W). The LWR were obtained with two estimation methods: standardized major axis (SMA) and ordinary least squares (OLS). A total of 678 specimens were suit - able for analysis. The estimates of LWR for Bathygobius soporator (Valenciennes, 1837) and Cyprinodon artifrons Hubbs, 1936 are presented here for first time, and for four species statistical differences with previous estimations of LWR were found (considering one or both estimation methods). With these results, the knowledge of LWR for tropical fish species is increasing and the importance of considering the estimation of LWR param - eters using the standardized major axis method is discussed .
Chemical and enzymatic synthesis of tritium labelled coenzymes

Details of the synthesis of tritium labelled co enzymes-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and coenzyme A by isotope exchange and enzymatic reactions are reported. It was established, that among the investigated chemical reactions, the most effective is solid state isotope exchange with gaseous tritium. This method was used to produce [3H] nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (111 Ci/mmol), [3H] coenzyme A (3.9 Ci/mmol) and D-[G-3H] pantothenic acid (43 Ci/mmol). It was shown that most of the tritium in the labeled nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and coenzyme A was localized in the nicotinamide (98%) and adenine (89%) sites, respectively. For synthesis of coenzymes labelled with tritium at other sites we developed enzymatic methods which used labelled precursors. Optimum conditions for enzymatic synthesis of [adenine-3H] nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide from [2,8-3H] ATP and [pantothenate-3H] coenzyme A from D-[G-3H] pantothenic acid were determined. The tritium labelled acetyl coenzyme A was synthesized by acetylation of labelled coenzyme A with acetic anhydride. The methods chosen allow one to produce tritium labelled coenzymes at high specific activity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular and Morphological Study of Species-Level Questions Within the Dragonfly Genus Sympetrum (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Abstract This study combines morphological and molecular data to address several questions of species validity within the dragonfly genus Sympetrum. We compared morphological characters (genitalia and other putatively diagnostic characters) and DNA sequences from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions between these disputed taxa and their close relatives. Specimens of Sympetrum nigrescens Lucas shared COI haplotypes with Sympetrum striolatum (Charpentier), and no morphological characters consistently diagnosed S. nigrescens, which therefore becomes a junior synonym of S. striolatum. Similarly, Sympetrum occidentale Bartenev shared identical COI and ITS sequences with Sympetrum semicinctum (Say), and the supposed diagnostic morphological characters overlapped with the intraspecific variation within S. semicinctum. Sympetrum occidentale becomes a junior synonym of S. semicinctum. In a third case, the genetic distance between Sympetrum signiferum Cannings & Garrison and Sympetrum vicinum (Hagen) was lower than that found between most undisputed species. However, the morphological characters that distinguish S. signiferum from S. vicinum were distinct and consistent, and they supported the retention of S. signiferum as a valid species. In the fourth case, neither morphological nor genetic data were able to distinguish Sympetrum janeae Carle consistently from Sympetrum internum Montgomery, or Sympetrum rubicundulum (Say); in addition, genetic distances between individuals of S. internum and S. rubicundulum were small or nonexistent. Further studies are necessary to test the species status of S. janeae and its close relatives.
The use of oligonucleotide probes to study the ecology of ruminal microbial populations

The microbial community inhabiting the gastrointestinal tract is characterized by its high population density, wide diversity and complexity of interactions. All major groups of microbes are represented in the rumen. Bacteria are predominant but a variety of ciliate protozoa are also present. Anaerobic fungi are widely distributed, becoming more numerous and more obvious in defaunated animals. in
Bait type affects fish assemblages and feeding guilds observed at baited remote underwater video stations

Baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) are increasingly being used to examine assemblages of fishes, yet critical methodological questions related to sampling limitations and bias, such as the influence of bait type, remain poorly understood. At multiple locations, we examined the hypothesis that diversity and abundance in temperate reef fish assemblages were independent of bait type. We used 3 bait types (abalone viscera, pilchards and crushed urchin) and quantified commonly used metrics for the fish assemblage, including species richness, time of first arrival and relative abundance on 3 shallow rocky reefs in southeastern Australia over 2 yr. We distinguished the following 6 feeding guilds: herbivore, zooplanktivore, alga/ invertebrate consumers, invertebrate carnivore, macroinvertebrate carnivore and generalist carnivore. The response of fishes was dependent on bait type, with urchin bait performing particularly poorly. Although we did not detect statistical differences between the performance of pilchards and abalone viscera as bait, pilchards produced more consistent outcomes. Importantly, we also observed strong spatial effects. In general, bait type had a marked effect on species richness, but little influence on relative abundance. Overall we conclude that oily bait such as pilchards, which have been widely used in most studies, yield the most consistent outcomes. Consequently, bait type and spatial variation in fish assemblages needs to be considered in sampling designs to assess the limitations of BRUVS.
Mycosphaerella dearnessii occurs in Slovenia.

One-year-old needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and stone pine (P. mugo) growing in parks in Bled and Ljubljana, Slovenia, were found dead or blighted in 2008 and 2009. A total of 15 trees had damage ranging from scattered twigs with affected needles to more extensive browning in the crown. All affected trees were removed and destroyed. When needles were placed in damp conditions, light yellow-brown to olive-green conidial slime was produced in short cirrhi from raised black areas with slits on both sides of the needles. The black areas (condiomata) contained light brown conidia, straight or curved, with a rounded apex and truncate base, thick and verrucose wall, and 0–6 septa. In water, they measured 30 (16–42) · 4 (2–5) lm. Mycelia arising from sterilized pieces of brown needles formed slow growing colonies on malt extract agar, quickly covered with a slimy mass of conidia. The characteristics of this fungus correspond to the Lecanosticta acicola anamorph of Mycosphaerella dearnessii, the cause of brown-spot needle blight (Anonymous, 2005). Samples of the diseased needles and pure cultures of the fungus were deposited in the Herbarium of the Slovenian Forestry Institute (Nos. 1666–1668). A spore suspension of the fungus in distilled water (67 · 10 spores per mL) was sprayed on needles of 12 shoots of three stone pines and the shoots enclosed in polyethylene bags for two days in June 2009. All treated plants were held in secure phytosanitary conditions. After two weeks, small yellow discolourations began to appear on the inoculated needles, turning brown after eleven weeks. Lecanosticta acicola was reisolated in October 2009 from brown spots, on which stromata appeared. The needles of the control shoots sprayed with distilled water were undamaged. This is the first report of M. dearnessii in Slovenia. Brown spot needle blight was earlier reported throughout the Alpine region by Holdenrieder & Sieber (1995). More recently it has spread to the Czech Republic (Jankovský et al., 2009).
High numbers of farmed Atlantic salmon. Salmo salar L., observed in oceanic waters north of the Faroe Islands

To estimate the proportion of escaped fanned Atlantic salmon. Salmo salar L. , at the feeding grounds in the north-east Atlantic Ocean, samples of salmon caught with long-lines north of the Faroe Islands were examined. Identification of reared fish was carried out using scale analysis. The proportion of fanned fish was estimated to range from 25 to 48% in the different samples, suggesting that high numbers of escaped farmed salmon occur in the Norwegian Sea. The farmed fish were significantly smaller in size than the wild salmon. Although it is suggested that most of the farmed fish are of Norwegian origin, farmed fish of Scottish, Faroese and Irish origin are also believed to be present. If not accounted for, high numbers of reared salmon in fisheries and stocks will seriously affect the assessments of fisheries and stocks of wild salmon.
Molecular evaluation of Afghan wheat landraces

The wheat landraces collected by Dr Hitoshi Kihara et al. from Afghanistan, the place of secondary origin of wheat, are an untapped genetic resource for mining novel alleles. In this study, approximately 400 landraces were collected from seven agroecological zones and characterized using diversity array technology and single-nucleotide polymorphism markers, as well as diagnostic molecular markers at important loci controlling vernalization (Vrn), photoperiod response (Ppd), grain colour (R), leaf rust (Lr), yellow rust (Yr), stem rust (Sr) and Fusarium head blight (Fhb). A genome-wide marker array revealed a large amount of genetic diversity among the landraces, 53% of which were winter types, 43% were either spring types or facultative and 4% were either unknown or had Vrn-A1c – a rare spring allele that needs to be confirmed with additional genotyping and phenotyping. At Ppd, 97% of the lines carried a photosensitive allele. In the case of grain colour, classification based on dominant or recessive allelic combinations revealed that approximately 39% of the population is characterized by white grain. Four gene-specific markers that were targeted to identify loci for rust and Fhb resistance enabled us to identify 17 unique landraces with known resistance genes.