Intense predation of non-colonial, ground-nesting bird eggs by corvid and mammalian predators

2015 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasun B. Ekanayake ◽  
Desley A. Whisson ◽  
Laura X. L. Tan ◽  
Michael A. Weston
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Egg Predation ◽  
Egg Survival ◽  
Egg Predator ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ground Nesting

Context Loss of eggs to predators is a major cause of reproductive failure among birds. It is especially pronounced among ground-nesting birds because their eggs are accessible to a wide range of predators. Few studies document the main causes of clutch fate of ground-nesting birds. Aims The main objective of the present study was to identify the major egg predator of red-capped plovers (Charadrius ruficapillus). We also investigated the effectiveness of the following two primary strategies available to the plovers to avoid egg predation: (1) the placement of clutches under vegetative cover and (2) avoiding predators by nesting outside the peak season of predator occurrence. Methods Remote-sensing cameras were deployed on plover nests to identify egg predators and nests were monitored over four breeding seasons to document reproductive success and fate. An experiment using false clutches with model eggs investigated the influence of nest cover on the risk of egg predation throughout the year. Line-transect surveys were conducted to estimate the abundance of egg predators in and around the wetlands. Key results The little raven (Corvus mellori) was the major egg predator identified in 78.6% of red-capped plover clutches and in 92.4% of false clutches that were camera-monitored. The hatching success of plover eggs was not influenced by nest cover (P = 0.36), but model egg survival in false clutches improved significantly with the presence of nest cover (P = 0.02). The abundance of little ravens increased during the plover breeding season and was highly negatively correlated with false clutch survival (rpearson = –0.768, P = 0.005). Conclusions Little ravens were the major predator of red-capped plover eggs and their abundance increased significantly during the plover breeding season. Any influence of nest cover on hatching success of eggs may have been masked by the extremely high rate of egg loss associated with the increased little raven abundance during the plover breeding season. Implications The high rate of egg predation is likely to have negative consequences on the local red-capped plover population, suggesting management is warranted. Little raven populations have expanded and, thus, their impact as egg predators needs to be investigated especially on threatened species.

Vegetation height and egg coloration differentially affect predation rate and overheating risk: an experimental test mimicking a ground-nesting bird

2012 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 694-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Gillis ◽  
B. Gauffre ◽  
R. Huot ◽  
V. Bretagnolle
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Nest Site Selection ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
Selective Pressures ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Nest Microclimate ◽  
Egg Coloration ◽  
Ground Nesting

Avian eggs need to be laid in protected environments to develop and survive. Nest predation is known as the main cause of breeding failure for many birds, but nest microclimate conditions are also important for embryo development. These two selective pressures are particularly marked in ground-nesting birds. Vegetation height has been shown to be a critical factor for nest-site selection in ground-nesting birds because it can counteract predation and overheating simultaneously. It is therefore difficult to disentangle the respective influences of these risks on selection of a particular nest vegetation height. To develop a conceptual framework for understanding and predicting the relative effects of vegetation on predation and nest microclimate during a breeding season, we used vegetation height to manipulate differentially these two risks. We therefore exposed artificial nests to a wide range of vegetation heights, replicated the experimental tests during spring, and manipulated egg color to estimate predation risk. We confirmed that tall vegetation is relevant to protect unattended eggs against both risks. Whereas predation risk is stable for a given vegetation height, overheating risk presents inter- and intra-seasonal variations. Therefore, over a breeding season, for a given vegetation height, the respective strengths of the two risks are unbalanced and depends on egg coloration. The breeding strategy of ground-nesting birds thus should have been shaped by both selective pressures, but the ultimate choice may depend on the species-specific laying dates and alternative behavioral strategies for protecting the clutch. This study provides new perspectives to investigate avian parental behaviour.

scholarly journals Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions of Challenges with Frequent Users of Emergency Department Care in Switzerland: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110281
Author(s):  
Patrick Bodenmann ◽  
Miriam Kasztura ◽  
Madison Graells ◽  
Elodie Schmutz ◽  
Oriane Chastonay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Emergency Department Care ◽  
Frequent Users ◽  
Complex Needs ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Ed Overcrowding ◽  
Ed Visits

Frequent users of emergency departments (FUED; ≥ 5 ED visits/year) commonly cumulate medical, social, and substance use problems requiring complex and sustained care coordination often unavailable in ED. This study aimed to explore ED healthcare providers’ challenges related to FUED care to gain insight into the support and resources required to address FUED complex needs. An online survey was sent to all general adult emergency services within Switzerland (N = 106). Participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they perceived that FUED represented a problem and to describe the main challenges encountered. In total, 208 physicians and nurses from 75 EDs (70.7%) completed the survey. Among the 208 participants, 134 (64%) reported that FUED represented a challenge and 133 described 1 to 5 challenges encountered. A conventional content analysis yielded 4 main categories of perceived challenges. Negative consequences in the ED secondary to FUED’s presence (eg, ED overcrowding, staff helplessness, and fatigue) was the most frequently reported challenge, followed by challenges related to FUEDs’ characteristics (eg, mental health and social problems) leading to healthcare complexity. The third most frequently encountered challenge was related to the ED inappropriateness and inefficiency to address FUEDs’ needs. Finally, challenges related to the lack of FUED healthcare network were the least often mentioned. ED healthcare providers experience a wide range of challenges related to FUED care. These findings suggest that currently EDs nor their staff are equipped to address FUEDs’ complex needs.

Sustaining Research-Based Practices in Reading

1999 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 263-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janette K. Klingner ◽  
Sharon Vaughn ◽  
Marie Tejero Hughes ◽  
Maria Elena Arguelles
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Practices ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Strategic Reading ◽  
School Year ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sustained Use ◽  
Development Experience ◽  
Collaborative Strategic Reading ◽  
Research Based Practices ◽  
Over Time

This study examined the extent to which the reading instructional practices learned by a cohort of teachers who participated in an intensive, yearlong professional development experience during the 1994-1995 school year have been sustained and modified over time. Teachers learned three multileveled practices—partner reading, collaborative strategic reading, and making words—that promote gains in reading for students from a wide range of achievement levels. Teachers were observed and interviewed 3 years later to determine the extent to which they continued to implement the practices, the ways in which they modified them, and factors that influenced their sustained use of the practices. With the exception of one teacher, all the teachers sustained one or more of the three practices at a high rate.

Minimization of Negative Impact of Well Cementing on Productive Horizons by Utilization of Swellable Packers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mykhaylo Paduchak ◽  
Viktor Dudzych ◽  
Anatolii Boiko
Keyword(s):  
Negative Impact ◽  
Differential Pressure ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Donets Basin ◽  
Technical Solution ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Well Completion ◽  
Stable Production ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
Gas Tight

Abstract Avoiding of negative impact of slurry contact with productive sections by utilization of swellable pakers well completion systems as a key solution for depleted reservoirs. Results are compared to previously used classic well completion method with production casing cementing The new method of the well completion is based on a long period and many wells operations within Svyrydivske field in Dnipro-Donets Basin (here and after DDB). Precise selection of hybrid, oil and water based elastomers and correct placement in the appropriate hole zones for water and sectional isolation together with oil based mud utilization during drilling have provided stable production in depleted reservoirs and have minimized negative consequences from water filtration. The results achieved and the well completion method are described in detail to allow readers to replicate all results in a comparable geological conditions in DDB. Current well completion method has a couple of outstanding results achieved: –well integrity barrier is based on sufficient differential pressure provided by swellable packers;–reliable long term water isolation of all detected water contained intervals;–the production sections are not polluted by slurry filtrated water;–increased production rate comparing to cemented wells;–no risks of slurry loss during well cementing. This technology has been successfully implemented in both vertical and deviated wells on 4.5″ (114.3 mm) casing OD, in the interval 5100-5450 meters, bottom hole temperature 120-135°C. The differential pressure provided by swellable packer is up to 10,000 PSI (68.9 MPa). Fluid reactive packers are ready to expand and isolate highly cavernous hole sections and keep differential pressure sustainably. To achieve the best results with this well completion method, it is also important to use reliable gas tight casing connections and know precise reservoir characteristics. That is why the technology is recommended to be customized for well known brownfield reservoirs with high rate of depletion. The main benefit of the well completion method is a proved and safe technical solution for mainly depleted deep gas and condensate deposits in DDB (Ukraine) with sensitive economics

MAIN FEATURES AND TRENDS OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE SERVICE MARKET

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larysa Getman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Consumer Choice ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Supply And Demand ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Relevant Market ◽  
Service Market ◽  
Wide Range

The article discusses approaches to the interpretation of the concept of a service, its specific differences from a physical product and the main features as an object of purchase and sale in the relevant market. Based on the analysis and systematization of existing scientific views, the main features of the service market and the features of the interaction of supply and demand in the service sector are revealed. The practice of functioning of the service market demonstrates the high dynamics of market processes, a pronounced segmentation of demand for services, a high degree of differentiation of services, a high rate of capital turnover and the important role of non-price barriers to entry into the market. The essence and value of the customer's customer loyalty for successful commercial activities and increasing the competitiveness of the manufacturer-supplier of the service has been investigated. Loyalty becomes an indicator of business performance and its ability to innovate. A customer-oriented business philosophy, where a wide range of factors of influence on the formation of customer loyalty is taken into account and used, will allow the company to count on long-term relationships with the consumer and will attract new customers through his positive experience. The possibilities and features of the application of competitive strategies by firms in the field of service activities were analyzed. The main trends in the development of the services market in the current stage, namely the processes of its digitalization, have been investigated. The buyer today is interested not only in price and quality, but also in good service. If a company meets customer service demand through the introduction of chat bots, self- service terminals, mobile applications, etc., then this contributes to the formation of a positive customer experience, which ultimately increases sales. The features and advantages of using information technologies both in business activities and in the implementation of consumer choice have been determined.

scholarly journals Density and Flock Size of the Raven (Corvus corax) In the Orawa - Nowy Targ Basin During Non-Breeding Season

Ring ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125
Author(s):  
Michał Ciach ◽  
Dominik Wikar ◽  
Małgorzata Bylicka
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Food Resources ◽  
High Density ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Flock Size ◽  
Early Winter ◽  
Corvus Corax ◽  
Line Transect Method ◽  
Breeding Seasons

Density and Flock Size of the Raven (Corvus corax) In the Orawa - Nowy Targ Basin During Non-Breeding Season During the 2002/2003-2004/2005 non-breeding seasons the density of the Raven in the open habitats of the Orawa - Nowy Targ Basin was studied by line transect method. The results were analysed in four periods (autumn, early winter, winter and early spring). The median density of Ravens did not differ significantly between individual periods and was respectively: 3.5, 3.8, 4.8 and 3.8 indiv. / 10 km. Number of birds during particular controls varied from 1.0 to 24.8 indiv. / 10 km. However, while excluding flocks, the median density of single individuals and pairs of the Raven was considerably lower and in subsequent periods reached respectively: 2.2, 2.4, 2.2 and 1.7 indiv. / 10 km. Flock size did not differ significantly between individual periods. Single individuals and, less often, groups of two birds were recorded mostly. Small (3-5 indiv.) and medium (6-15 indiv.) flocks were recorded rarely and large flocks (16 indiv. and above) - only exceptionally. The high density and strong fluctuations of abundance of Ravens were determined by flocks presence, which was probably linked to irregular occurrence of food resources.

Prevention of Alcohol Misuse: A Review of Health Promotion Efforts among American Indians

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 288-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip A. May ◽  
James R. Moran
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Native American ◽  
American Indian ◽  
American Indians ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Heavy Drinking ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of a wide range of potentially useful strategies to address the prevention of alcohol misuse among American Indians. This broad approach to the review is useful because the extreme heterogeneity of the American Indian population requires that health promotion professionals explore many options and tailor their activities to specific communities. Search Method. A literature search was initiated through MEDLINE using the following key words: prevention, alcohol, substance abuse, American Indian, and Native American. The search yielded 29 articles from the years 1982 through 1994. These articles, along with 45 previously identified in three overview articles, form the basis of the review and discussion in this paper. Summary of findings. As a group, American Indians experience many health problems that are related to alcohol misuse. Comparison of Indians to non-Indians shows that the age of first involvement with alcohol is younger, the frequency and amount of drinking is greater, and negative consequences are more common. Health promotion programs that address these issues must take into account American Indian heterogeneity and should use a comprehensive approach that addresses both heavy drinking and the sequelae of problems related to alcohol misuse. Major Conclusions. Important concepts for providing health promotion services to this population are: cultural relevance must be carefully planned and monitored; individuals in the local community must be involved; the drunken Indian stereotype must be addressed; and community empowerment should be an important goal.

scholarly journals Inferred predation of Fairy Tern eggs by Ruddy Turnstones at Rottnest Island, Western Australia, an internationally significant shorebird site

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 115-117
Author(s):  
C.N. Greenwell ◽  
◽  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Breeding Success ◽  
Behavioural Response ◽  
Environment Protection ◽  
Egg Predation ◽  
Breeding Colony ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Collective Group ◽  
The Tropics

Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres have been identified as egg-predators at seabird and shorebird colonies, including gull and tern colonies in the tropics and Northern Hemisphere. The Australian Fairy Tern Sternula nereis nereis is a threatened (Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Vulnerable) coastal seabird, whose breeding behaviour and ecology expose it to a wide range of threats. This study describes inferred predation on Fairy Tern eggs at a small breeding colony on Rottnest Island, Western Australia, by Ruddy Turnstones, a previously unsuspected predator for thisspecies. Unlike the behavioural response shown towards Silver Gulls Larus novaehollandiae and Australian Ravens Corvus coronoides, which includes collective group defence and dive-bombing, Fairy Terns showed a lack of aggression towards Turnstones within the colony. The lack of a behavioural response suggests that the Terns did not recognise the Turnstones as predators, which may increase the risk of egg-predation. This study suggests that we should be alert to threats from unsuspected predators, which have the potential to reduce the breeding success of this Vulnerable tern.

scholarly journals Corticosterone secretion in tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus): Influential factors and conservation applications

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lindsay Erin Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Season ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
Monitoring Tool ◽  
Extrinsic Factors ◽  
Corticosterone Secretion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Sphenodon Punctatus ◽  
Gravid Females

<p>Animals are regularly exposed to environmental, social and physiological challenges. In reaction to these challenges, individuals adjust their physiology and behaviour to maintain essential processes and optimise fitness. The most widely used indicators of physiological stress in vertebrates are glucocorticoid hormones (corticosterone (CORT) or cortisol), which are commonly referred to as ‘stress hormones’. The use of CORT as a tool to understand how individuals respond to natural or human-caused challenges is central to stress physiology research. Here, I investigated intrinsic and extrinsic factors associated with CORT secretion, CORT secretion as an indicator of physiological response to challenges/stressors, and the value of CORT secretion as conservation tool in an iconic protected reptile (the tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus).  A capture-restraint time series revealed a significant CORT response over a 24 h period in male and female (non-gravid and gravid) tuatara. Baseline CORT and the CORT response to capture and restraint (i.e. a standardised capture-stress protocol) were similar between sexes; however, female reproductive condition was correlated with CORT secretion in that higher baseline CORT and a lower CORT response were observed in gravid females. An observational study incorporating data across a wide range of ambient temperatures (from four island sites) confirmed that body temperature (Tb) is positively correlated with baseline CORT in gravid females only, and revealed a positive correlation between the CORT response and higher Tb in all adults. A supporting experimental study showed that acute ambient temperature increase (in which mean Tb reached 21.4±0.4°C) elicits a significant CORT response to capture-restraint in gravid females. These results confirmed that gravid females are not secreting CORT maximally during nesting, but actively modulate secretion. An inter-island comparison of CORT secretion (for four populations) revealed that baseline CORT secretion was similar among populations during the non-breeding and breeding seasons; however, the CORT response to capture-restraint varied significantly among populations. Inter-population variation in testosterone (T) was observed in males (but not females) and was positively linked with increased baseline CORT from the non-breeding season to the breeding season, suggesting male reproductive activity may drive seasonal change of baseline CORT. Significant correlations were observed between the CORT response to capture-restraint (but not baseline CORT) and habitat elements of latitude, tuatara density and seabird abundance and 2) demogenetic factors of sex ratio and genetic diversity. The measurement of CORT as a physiological monitoring tool indicated that short- and long- term dynamics of CORT secretion in tuatara are not altered through translocation to a new island, as the acute CORT response remained stable throughout exposure to cumulative stressors and long-term dynamics of CORT secretion in translocated populations simultaneously mirrored those in source populations.  These findings deliver the most detailed study of CORT secretion patterns in tuatara to date. Moreover, as the first study to apply CORT secretion data as an conservation physiology monitoring tool in tuatara, these results serve as a baseline reference for future research and monitoring of conservation efforts.</p>

A Review of Gunshot Noise as Factor in Hearing Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 105 (6) ◽  
pp. 904-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Skrodzka ◽  
Andrzej Wicher ◽  
Roman Gołe¸biewski
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Impulse Noise ◽  
Noise Exposure ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Sport Training ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Auditory Systems

The impulse noise produced by personal weapons (guns, rifles, shotguns) during military activity, and while people engage in sport, training and hunting, is a threat to the auditory systems of soldiers, civilians, policemen, hunters, forest officers, sportspeople and bystanders not actively engaged in professional or recreational firing. An overview of noise levels generated by different types of weapon is provided, and potential short-term and long-term consequences for the human auditory system are described. The mean values of LC, peak sound pressure level during the shot, at the shooter's ears, for various types of weapons are approximately 160 dB SPL. These are levels that can cause permanent, irreversible negative effects on hearing (hearing loss, tinnitus, etc.) even as a result of a single shot being fired. One of the largest groups of weapon users in Poland (about 120 thousand) are hunters and field masters. They are not obligated by any regulations to protect their auditory systems from impulse noise. This means that this group of firearm users is at particularly high risk of hearing damage. On the basis of the literature review, it is shown that hearing exposure to high-level impulse noise such as a gunshot can result in such consequences as damage to the middle ear and destruction of the outer/inner hair cells in the cochlea. Especially difficult to diagnose is 'hidden hearing loss', i.e. damage to the synaptic connections between the hair cells of the inner ear and the auditory nerve fibres, which is not reflected in the results of basic audiometric testing and can cause hearing problems many years after impulse noise exposure. The wide range of negative consequences of gunfire noise clearly indicates the need for the hearing of the shooters to be protected.

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