bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ecological role of control agent, and not just host‐specificity, determine risks of biological control
Authors: SEYMOUR COLLEEN L. , VELDTMAN RUAN 
Published: November 2009

AbstractBiological control agents used to manage alien vegetation are generally viewed as providing an ecosystem service, owing to reduced ecological and economic costs of invasion following their release. In particular, gall‐formers are popular as biological control agents because they are host‐specific and therefore considered low risk. However, galls can also be considered to be ecological engineers, because they provide nutritional resources for native invertebrates. We tested whether native invertebrates had formed associations with the gall‐forming fungus Uromycladium tepperianum, introduced into South Africa to control the Australian invasive alien tree Acacia saligna, by collecting U. tepperianum galls and monitoring emergence. We found that a number of invertebrates had formed associations with the biological control agent, among which was the important citrus pest, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (false codling moth). We used pheromone‐baited traps to ascertain if this supplementary source of T. leucotreta increased their abundance in orchards close to patches of gall host, but did not find this to be the case. We did find, however, that control measures used by farmers explained T. leucotreta abundances in traps, which may have obscured detection of any effects of a nearby host for the pest. Nevertheless, this study illustrates the first case of a host‐specific classical biological control agent providing resources for an economically significant crop pest. We conclude that although biological control agents are strictly vetted to ensure host‐specificity, introduced biological control agents that become abundant and can act as ecological engineers pose risks when native biota form associations with them, resulting in a number of possible cascading ecosystem effects. In addition, there could be economic consequences when these associated species include agricultural pests. We conclude that not just host specificity, but potential ecological effects of biological control agents, should be considered in their selection.
Large‐scale predator control increases population viability of a rare New Zealand riverine duck
Authors: WHITEHEAD AMY L. , ELLIOTT GRAEME P. , MCINTOSH ANGUS R. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe introduction of mammalian predators to oceanic islands has led to dramatic declines in the abundance of many native species. Conservation management of these species often relies on low‐cost predator control techniques that can be implemented over large scales. Assessing the effectiveness of such management techniques is difficult, but using population viability analyses (PVA), which identify the population growth rate (λ) and extinction risk of threatened species, may offer a solution. PVA provide the opportunity to compare the relative effectiveness of various management options and can identify knowledge gaps to prioritize research efforts. We used PVA to assess the population viability of whio (Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos), a rare riverine duck endemic to New Zealand. Current populations are threatened by introduced mammalian predators and are rapidly declining in both distribution and abundance. Whio conservation management is dominated by large‐scale, low‐intensity predator control, targeting introduced stoats (Mustela erminea). There is evidence that such control increases whio productivity but it is unknown if this increase is sufficient for long‐term population persistence. We undertook a stochastic PVA to assess the viability of whio populations under different management scenarios using data obtained from a 6‐year study of whio demographic responses to predator control. Populations with no predator control and low productivity will rapidly decline to extinction. Increasing productivity through predator control increased population viability but populations still showed a declining trajectory. A perturbation analysis showed that the growth rate of whio populations was largely driven by adult survival. Therefore, future research should target obtaining more robust estimates of adult survival, particularly how it is affected by predator control. Overall, our analysis indicated that large‐scale predator control increases the short‐term viability of whio populations but is insufficient for long‐term population persistence.
The ranging behaviour of a large sexually dimorphic herbivore in response to seasonal and annual environmental variation
Authors: SHANNON GRAEME , PAGE BRUCE R. , DUFFY KEVIN J. , SLOTOW ROB 
Published: November 2009

AbstractThe allometric relationships of body size play a principle role in determining how large herbivores respond to the marked spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the savanna biome. Using location data collected over an 8‐year period from five distinct study sites, we investigated the influence of environmental variation (using phenological and rainfall data) on the ranging behaviour of the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), a species that exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism. Both sexes expanded their annual ranges during years of high rainfall and contracted their ranges during periods of resource scarcity, concurring with the hypothesis that abiotic factors dictate the distribution of large generalist herbivores at the landscape scale. However, female elephant did not exhibit the same consistent response to rainfall at the seasonal scale. Furthermore, male elephant demonstrated a reduction in their daily displacement distances during the dry winter season, and altered their movement rates on the basis of seasonal rainfall. These results suggest that male elephant are able to consistently adapt their movement behaviour according to forage quality and abundance. Smaller‐bodied female elephant on the other hand, are unlikely to exhibit the same flexibility in their ranging behaviour because of their higher relative nutritional demands, lower tolerance to fibrous forage and the social and energetic constraints of group living with juveniles. Our study highlights the major role that body size and sociality plays in the decision making of sexually dimorphic herbivores. These differences can have important implications for effective conservation and management, particularly with regard to demographic (e.g. survival) and ecological (e.g. habitat use) factors.
Effects of structural diversity and identity of patches of habitat on diversity of benthic assemblages
Authors: MATIAS M. G. , UNDERWOOD A. J. , COLEMAN R. A. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractA fundamental problem in ecology, regardless of habitat or system, is understanding the relationship between habitats and assemblage of organisms. It is commonly accepted that differences in composition and surrounding landscape of habitats affect the diversity of assemblages, although there is not much empirical evidence because of difficulties of manipulating structure in many habitats. These relationships were examined experimentally, using habitats of artificial turfs that are colonized by diverse assemblages of gastropods. Each habitat was made of nine sub‐habitats, which were sampled individually to allow tests of hypotheses about the effect of type of habitat and the influence of other adjacent sub‐habitats on the colonizing assemblage. Turf habitats were deployed for 8 weeks on a rocky shore after which they were collected and the colonizing assemblages of gastropods sampled. Independently of the types of turfs combined to form different habitats, there were more species where there was more than one type of component in a habitat (i.e. structural diversity). The type of habitat (i.e. structural identity) itself had little or no influence on the colonizing assemblage. The number of species colonizing short‐sparse and short‐dense turfs was influenced by which type of habitat was adjacent. Thus, when units of one type (e.g. short‐sparse turf) were added to a patch of habitat of long‐sparse turfs, the number of species in short‐sparse turfs was greater than in patches of the same type. This also increased total number of taxa in the whole patch of habitat. These results show how diversity of gastropods colonizing heterogeneous patches of habitat is influenced not only by the number of types of sub‐habitats, but also by interactions with surrounding sub‐habitats. These findings reiterate the importance of investigating the role of structure of habitats and of their surrounding landscapes across different systems, irrespective of their size or associated assemblages of organisms.
Spatio‐temporal feeding selection of red deer in a mountainous landscape
Authors: BEE JENNIE N. , WRIGHT DAVID M. , TANENTZAP ANDREW J. , LEE WILLIAM G. , LAVERS ROGER B. , MILLS JAMES A. , MARK ALAN F. , COOMES DAVID A. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractUnderstanding the dietary consumption and selection of wild populations of generalist herbivores is hampered by the complex array of factors. Here, we determine the influence of habitat, season, and animal density, sex, and age on the diet consumption and selection of 426 red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) culled in Fiordland National Park, New Zealand. Our site differs from studies elsewhere both in habitat (evergreen angiosperm‐dominated forests) and the intensity of hunting pressures. We predicted that deer would not consume forage in proportion to its relative availability, and that dietary consumption would change among and within years in response to hunting pressures that would also limit opportunities for age and sex segregation. Using canonical correspondence analysis, we evaluated the relative importance of different drivers of variation in diet consumption assessed from gut content and related these to available forage in the environment. We found that altitude explained the largest proportion of variation in diet consumption, reflecting the ability of deer to alter their consumption and selection in relation to their foraging grounds. Grasses formed a high proportion of the diet consumption, even for deer culled several kilometres from the alpine grasslands. In the winter months, when the alpine grasslands were largely inaccessible, less grass was eaten and deer resorted to woody plants that were avoided in the summer months. Surprisingly, there were no significant dietary differences between adults and juveniles and only subtle differences between the sexes. Sex‐based differences in diet consumption are commonly observed in ungulate species and we suggest that they may have been reduced in our study area owing to decreased heterogeneity in available forage as the diversity of palatable species decreased under high deer browsing pressures, or by intense hunting pressure.
Conservation and ecological implications of the use of space by chilla foxes and free‐ranging dogs in a human‐dominated landscape in southern Chile
Authors: SILVA‐RODRÍGUEZ EDUARDO A. , ORTEGA‐SOLÍS GABRIEL R. , JIMÉNEZ JAIME E. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractWe investigated whether domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) influenced the use of space by chilla foxes (Lycalopex griseus) in southern Chile and tested the hypothesis that dogs interfere with chillas. We used scent stations and occurrence of scats within systematically placed plots to assess habitat use by both species and to test whether dogs were associated to the use of space by chillas. Activity data were obtained from captures for both species, and telemetry for foxes. Diet of both species was analysed in order to tease out the potential existence of exploitation competition. We found that, when active, chillas used prairies more and native forest less than expected according to availability, whereas inactive chillas (during the day) preferred native forest, the only habitat type that dogs did not use. The odds of dog occurrence increased at shorter distance to human houses, whereas the inverse pattern was observed for chillas. Poisson models showed that the number of chilla visits to scent stations was negatively correlated with the number of dog visits. We observed dogs persecuting and/or killing chillas which was also corroborated by local people that used dogs to prevent chilla‐related poultry losses, supporting the idea that dogs harass foxes actively. The analysis of scats showed that dogs fed mainly on house food and domestic ruminant carcasses whereas foxes fed on hare, hens, mice and wild birds, thus suggesting that exploitation competition is not a strong alternative hypothesis as a proximate cause for the patterns observed. We conclude that dogs seem to constrain the use of space by wild carnivores via interference.
Transformation of riparian forest to woodland in Mapungubwe National Park, South Africa, between 1990 and 2007
Authors: O'CONNOR TIMOTHY G. 
Published: November 2009

AbstractCanopy tree survival and compositional change of the Greefswald forest on the Limpopo River, South Africa, were monitored between 1990 and 2007 in response to a severe drought (cessation of flow in 1991/2), water abstraction commencing in 1991, a mega‐flood in 2000 and increasing impact of elephants since 2000. Aerial photographs confirmed that forest area had not decreased during the 35 years prior to the study. In total, 25% of 428 canopy trees tagged in 1990 had died by 2005. Tree density was reduced from 22.8 to 16.3 trees per hectare. Forest was thus transformed to woodland. Mortality was attributed mainly to drought stress (47%), drought in combination with creeper infestation (30%) and the flood (21%). Of the nine main canopy species, mortality was highest for Acacia xanthophloea (56%) and Faidherbia albida (37%) mainly because of drought‐related stress, and Ficus sycamorus (25%) mainly because of the flood. Water extraction increased drought‐related mortality in the area of extraction by 45%. Creepers rendered microphyllous but not broad‐leafed species more vulnerable to drought‐induced mortality. Elephants were responsible for a further 3% mortality between 2005 and 2007. Composition has shifted towards ‘drought‐tolerant’ species not selected by elephants, namely Philenoptera violacea, Xanthocercis zambesiaca and Schotia brachypetala. Initial concern about water abstraction was eclipsed by a rapid, unpredictable concatenation of a series of rare events that transformed forest to woodland in less than 15 years.
Glucocorticoid suppression of intraovarian levels of prostaglandins and plasminogen activator activity at ovulation in the rat ovary
Authors: Mikuni Masato , Mitsube Kenrokure , Peterson C. Matthew , Brännström Mats 
Published: December 2009

AbstractAim:  Ovulation is a local physiological inflammatory process with active participation of inflammatory mediators and immune cells. To prevent extensive inflammatory injury to the follicle at ovulation there is also a local anti‐inflammatory system at ovulation, converting the inactive glucocorticoid cortisone to the more potent cortisol. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the potent glucocorticoid analogue, dexamethasone (DEX), on ovulation rate and the ovarian production of the ovulatory mediators prostaglandins (PG) and plasminogen activators (PA).Methods:  DEX (0.3, 3, or 100 µM) was administered to an in vitro rat ovarian perfusion system prior to the addition of an ovulation‐inducing dose of luteinizing hormone (LH) and 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine (IBMX). Control ovaries were perfused only with LH + IBMX. Each perfusion experiment extended over 20 h with ovulation occurring in vitro around 12–15 h after hormonal stimulation. In a second set of perfusion experiments, extending over 10 h, the tissue levels of PG and PA activity in the ovary were evaluated at a time 2–5 h before anticipated ovulation.Results:  The median numbers of ovulated oocytes in the groups with DEX of 0.3, 3, and 100 µM were 17.0, 8.5 and 11.0 per treated ovary, respectively. These numbers were not different from those of LH + IBMX‐controls (12.5). DEX (100 µM) suppressed tissue levels of PGE2 and PA activity and decreased (DEX 3 µM, 100 µM) estradiol levels in the perfusion media.Conclusion:  These results indicate that certain degrees of suppression of PG, PA activity, and estradiol are not sufficient to modulate ovulation rate and/or that glucocorticoids may positively modulate other mediator pathways that exert inhibitory influence on ovulation.
Fatigue crack initiation detection by an infrared thermography method
Authors: WAGNER D. , RANC N. , BATHIAS C. , PARIS P.C. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTIn this paper, the study of the temperature variation during fatigue tests was carried out on different materials (steels and aluminium alloys). Tests were performed at ambient temperature using a piezoelectric fatigue system (20 kHz). The temperature field was measured on the surface of the specimen, by means of an infrared camera.Just at the beginning of the test, it was observed that the temperature increased, followed by a stabilization which corresponds to the balance between dissipated energy associated with microplasticity and the energy lost by convection and radiation at the specimen surface and by conduction inside the specimen. At the crack initiation, the surface temperature suddenly increases (whatever the localization of the initiation), which allows the determination of the number of cycles at the crack initiation and the number of cycles devoted to the fatigue crack propagation. In the gigacycle fatigue domain, more than 92% of the total life is devoted to the initiation of the crack.So, the study of the thermal dissipation during the test appears a promising method to improve the understanding of the damage and failure mechanism in fatigue and to determine the number of cycles at initiation.
Influence of residual fatigue damage on the fracture toughness parameters of an AA6082‐T6 aluminium alloy
Authors: CADENAS‐HERRERA P. , AMROUCHE A. , MESMACQUE G. , JOZWIAK K. , PUCHI‐CABRERA E. S. 
Published: November 2009

ABSTRACTThe present investigation has been carried out in order to study the influence of the previous accumulated fatigue damage induced during high cycle fatigue (HCF), on the fracture toughness parameters of an AA6082‐T6 aluminium alloy. The results show that previous fatigue damage accumulated in HCF does not affect the tensile static mechanical properties of the material, but gives rise to a significant debit of the toughness properties on this aluminium alloy. The fracture toughness results have shown that the crack opening displacement at a crack extension of 0.2 mm (COD0.2) decreases in the range of ∼18 to 36% whereas the value of the non‐linear fracture mechanics parameter J0.2, decreases in the range of ∼11 to 25% at applied maximum stresses of 200 and 275 MPa, respectively. Optical microscopy observations conducted on the surface of the specimens subjected to HCF damage indicate the existence of microcracks ∼15 to 25 μm long nucleated along the grain boundaries of the material. Also, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations of the fracture surfaces after the tearing tests show the predominance of a ductile fracture mechanism for the material prior to residual fatigue damage, whereas a mixed ductile–brittle fracture mechanism and the presence of flat facets were observed on the fracture surfaces of the specimens with a fatigue damage of 0.70.
Understanding food‐web persistence from local to global scales
Authors: Stouffer Daniel B. , Bascompte Jordi 
Published: November 2009

Ecology letters(2010) 13: 154–161AbstractUnderstanding food‐web persistence is an important long‐term objective of ecology because of its relevance in maintaining biodiversity. To date, many dynamic studies of food‐web behaviour—both empirical and theoretical—have focused on smaller sub‐webs, called trophic modules, because these modules are more tractable experimentally and analytically than whole food webs. The question remains to what degree studies of trophic modules are relevant to infer the persistence of entire food webs. Four trophic modules have received particular attention in the literature: tri‐trophic food chains, omnivory, exploitative competition, and apparent competition. Here, we integrate analysis of these modules’ dynamics in isolation with those of whole food webs to directly assess the appropriateness of scaling from modules to food webs. We find that there is not a direct, one‐to‐one, relationship between the relative persistence of modules in isolation and their effect on persistence of an entire food web. Nevertheless, we observe that those modules which are most commonly found in empirical food webs are those that confer the greatest community persistence. As a consequence, we demonstrate that there may be significant dynamic justifications for empirically‐observed food‐web structure.
Seasonal variations of phage life strategies and bacterial physiological states in three northern temperate lakes
Authors: Maurice C. F. , Bouvier T. , Comte J. , Guillemette F. , Del Giorgio P. A. 
Published: November 2009

SummaryThe current consensus concerning the prevalence of lytic and lysogenic phage life cycles in aquatic systems is that the host physiological state may influence viral strategies, lysogeny being favoured when hosts have reduced metabolic rates. We explored this hypothesis, by following phage cycle dynamics, host physiological state and metabolic activity over an annual cycle in three lakes subjected to strong seasonal fluctuations, including 4–5 months of ice cover. We observed marked seasonal dynamics of viral and bacterial communities, with low bulk and cell‐specific bacterial metabolism in winter, and a dramatic increase in injured bacteria under the ice cover in all lakes. This period was accompanied by contrasting patterns in the proportion of lysogenic cells. In the eutrophic lake, times of low bacterial metabolic rates and high proportion of damaged cells corresponded to highest levels of lysogeny, supporting the notion that hosts are a ‘refuge’ for viruses. In the two unproductive lakes, peaks of injured cells corresponded to a minimum of lysogeny, suggesting an ‘abandon the sinking ship’ response, where the prophage replicates before the loss of genome. We suggest that these diverging responses to the host physiological state are not contradictory, but rather that there may be thresholds of cell stress and metabolic activity leading to one or the other response.
Top‐down control of microbial activity and biomass in an Arctic soil ecosystem
Authors: Allen Bethany , Willner Dana , Oechel Walter C. , Lipson David 
Published: November 2009

SummaryGlobally, soil microbes preside over vast carbon stores, and both microbial biomass and activity are known to be regulated by bottom‐up controls, that is, limitation by nutrients and energy. However, there is evidence that grazing by protozoans exerts top‐down controls on biomass. Here, we investigate top‐down control by phage on soil microbes using an experimental site near Barrow, Alaska (71°N, 157°W) during the 2007 growing season. Soil measurements were taken from sites that covered a range of microtopographical features within a drained and thawed lake basin including high‐ and low‐centred ice‐wedge polygons to estimate the availability of carbon and nitrogen for microbes. Using both field and laboratory experiments, we successfully increased both microbial biomass and respiration by decreasing phage populations. The addition of carbon and nutrients to soils had no significant effects on biomass or respiration, indicating a lack of bottom‐up controls. Additionally, we present the first use of tea extracts as a potent anti‐phage agent in soils. Our results suggest that top‐down controls, such as phage predation, are critical to regulation of microbial activities in Arctic soils.