Dispersal-dependent juvenile survival in a sexually dimorphic long-lived bird, the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus

AbstractThe viability and dynamics of spatially structured populations depend critically upon dispersal behaviour. Yet, in long lived species with delayed maturity, the fitness consequences of post-fledging dispersal, dispersal from the birthplace after independence and before first breeding attempt, are poorly understood although it is a critical determinant of natal dispersal.We aimed at estimating sex-specific variations of juvenile survival in a long-lived bird species with sexual size dimorphism, the greater flamingo, as a function of post fledging dispersal destination. Using capture-recapture models, we estimated the survivorship of flamingos ringed in the Camargue (south of France) and wintering in the Mediterranean.Dispersal probability from France was > 0.66 with important annual variations in preferred dispersal destinations. First-year survival increased along the winter temperature gradient with estimates below 0.50 ± 0.07 in France and above 0.60 ± 0.07 in African wetlands. The survival of flamingos wintering in France dropped by 30–50 % depending on sex between fall and spring of their first year.In African sites and in Italy, there was no detectable difference of survival between sexes suggesting favorable wintering conditions. Body condition at fledging did not explain variations in first-fall survival within genders. Males wintering in France had a better survival than females.These results show that sex and post-fledging dispersal destination affect juvenile survival, support the energetic hypothesis predicting an advantage of large body size to cope with cold temperatures and the competition hypothesis, and suggest the existence of sex-specific post fledging dispersal tactics.

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Mark-Recapture-Recovery Modeling and Age-Related Survival in Little Penguins (Eudyptula Minor)

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/124.3.815 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 124 (3) ◽

pp. 815-827

Author(s):

Leesa A. Sidhu ◽

Edward A. Catchpole ◽

Peter Dann

Keyword(s):

First Year ◽

Model Parameters ◽

Age Dependence ◽

Mark Recapture ◽

Annual Variations ◽

Southeastern Australia ◽

Age Related ◽

Second Year ◽

Study Sites ◽

First Year Of Life

Abstract We analyzed yearly mark-recapture-recovery information collected over a 36-year period for the Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor) of Phillip Island in southeastern Australia. We show that it is feasible to model age-dependence for the survival, recapture, and recovery probabilities simultaneously, and that such a modeling scheme yields biologically realistic age structures for the model parameters. We provide illustrations of potentially erroneous results that may arise when researchers fail (1) to consider simultaneous age-dependence or (2) to detect annual variations that may mask age-dependence. From 1968 to 2004, 23,686 chicks were flipper-banded; 2,979 birds were encountered after fledging, and 1,347 were ultimately recovered dead. We found low survival of 17% in the first year of life, increasing to 71% in the second year of life, 78% in the third year, and 83% thereafter, and declining gradually after nine years of age. A population model allowing for immigration of birds from areas surrounding the study sites fits the observed stable population in the study sites. Modelado de Marca-Recaptura-Recuperación y Supervivencia Relacionada con la Edad en Eudyptula minor

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High-throughput sequencing is revealing genetic associations with avian plumage color

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/ukz048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 136 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Erik R Funk ◽

Scott A Taylor

Keyword(s):

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Large Body ◽

Bird Species ◽

Genetic Associations ◽

Plumage Color ◽

Protein Coding ◽

Avian Evolution ◽

Color Changes ◽

Coding Regions ◽

Color Differences

Abstract Avian evolution has generated an impressive array of patterns and colors in the ~10,000 bird species that exist on Earth. Recently, a number of exciting studies have utilized whole-genome sequencing to reveal new details on the genetics of avian plumage color. These findings provide compelling evidence for genes that underlie plumage variation across a wide variety of bird species (e.g., juncos, warblers, seedeaters, and estrildid finches). While much is known about large, body-wide color changes, these species exhibit discrete color differences across small plumage patches. Many genetic differences appear to be located in regulatory regions of genes rather than in protein-coding regions, suggesting gene expression is playing a large role in the control of these color patches. Taken together, these studies have the potential to broadly facilitate further research of sexual selection and evolution in these charismatic taxa.

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Peer interaction as mechanism for providing timely and accessible feedback to a large undergraduate class

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education ◽

10.1177/0020720916688486 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 119-130

Author(s):

Estelle Trengove

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Peer Interaction ◽

Large Body ◽

First Year ◽

Learning Approaches ◽

Effective Feedback ◽

Giving Feedback ◽

Undergraduate Class

Feedback to students on their work is recognized as crucially important in higher education, but as classes at universities become larger, it is becoming more and more difficult for teachers to give their students effective feedback. There is a large body of work on giving feedback on essays and postgraduate writing, but there is very little on giving feedback to undergraduate students in engineering classes. Feedback has particular value if it facilitates students’ learning. It is therefore not necessary for the teacher to give feedback – feedback from peers is equally valuable if it facilitates learning. This paper explores the comments submitted by students about a peer interaction that was introduced in a first-year engineering class. It investigates whether this intervention could comprise effective feedback by comparing the format of the intervention and the student comments to two models from the literature on feedback. The analysis shows that the intervention was successful in providing feedback that was helpful to students in the sense that it helped to draw them into deeper learning approaches.

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ADAPTATION OF WINTER RAPESEED IN ONTARIO

Canadian Journal of Plant Science ◽

10.4141/cjps87-095 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 67 (3) ◽

pp. 675-684 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

G. C. BEAULIEU ◽

D. J. HUME

Keyword(s):

Brassica Napus ◽

Field Trials ◽

Winter Survival ◽

First Year ◽

Brassica Napus L ◽

Northern Ontario ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

The North ◽

Winter Snow ◽

Winter Rapeseed

In order to determine regions of adaptation of winter rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), field trials were planted at about 30 locations in Ontario in 1981 and 1982. Four cultivars were tested each year. Winter survival was poor in northern Ontario in both years, and along the north shore of Lake Erie in the first year. Over all sites, mean winter survival was 52%. At sites which did not completely winterkill, plant survival and yield averaged 70% and 2.38 t ha−1. Best winter rapeseed performance in Ontario occurred at well-drained sites with good winter snow cower and an absence of excessive flooding or cold temperatures in the spring. Cultivars did not differ in survival or yield in 1981–1982. The cultivar Jet Neuf had higher yields than the other cultivars in 1982–1983. There were differences in oil and protein content among the cultivars. The results suggest that winter rapeseed could become a viable crop in Ontario.Key words: Rapeseed (winter), Brassica napus, seed yield, winter survival, adaptation

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Age-specific survival in an English Twite population.

10.1101/2021.11.24.469575 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ismini Gkourtsouli-Antoniadou ◽

Steven R. Ewing ◽

George Hudson ◽

Michael A. Pearson ◽

Julia Schroeder ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Habitat Degradation ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Bird Species ◽

Small Population ◽

Juvenile Survival ◽

Apparent Survival ◽

Mark Recapture ◽

The Uk ◽

Rule Out

Like many bird species associated with agricultural habitats in the UK, the Twite Linaria flavirostris has undergone severe declines over recent decades due to habitat degradation, with populations in England, Wales and Ireland now restricted to a few small pockets. However, the demographic drivers of these declines are still largely unresolved. We estimated the survival of Twite from a small population at the southernmost edge of the English range in Derbyshire using capture-mark-recapture data from 2016–2019. Annual apparent survival for juveniles (0.14–0.34) was lower than for adults (0.29–0.56) and less than that of other Cardueline finches. Our results suggest that low juvenile survival may be one demographic driver underpinning the recent decline of the Derbyshire Twite population, although we also cannot rule out the possibility that differences in emigration of juveniles and adults from the population also contribute to the observed age-specific apparent survival rates.

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RESULTS OF AUTUMN TOP CUTTING OF FESTULOLIUM GRASS STAND WITH RYEGRASS MORPHOTYPE

Vestnik of the Russian agricultural science ◽

10.30850/vrsn/2018/6/87-91 ◽

1970 ◽

pp. 87-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

V. N. Zolotarev ◽

N. I. Perepravo

Keyword(s):

Seed Yield ◽

Optimal Time ◽

First Year ◽

Specific Technique ◽

Summer Period ◽

Sward Height ◽

Grass Stand ◽

Second Year ◽

Wintering Conditions ◽

First Year Of Life

Novel crop. Festulolium. is a hybrid of Festucа spp. and Lolium spp. Hybrids combine traits of both parents. Different varieties resemble morphologically either ryegrass or fescue. Compared to original parental forms - meadow and tall fescues and perennial and Australian ryegrasses — festulolium hybrids show new biological and economically important traits, requiring development of specific technique for seed production. In the first year of life, plants of Festulolium and bushes grow vigorously during the entire summer period, forming a continuous closed sward height of 30 cm and density of shoots of more than 3.6 thousand pieces/m2. The accumulation of excessive vegetative mass leads to a deterioration of wintering conditions and the death of 37-39 % of the shoots. Autumn mowing of crops improves the conditions of overwintering and enhance the safety of sprouts at 14-17 %. The choice of duration of this application depends on the method of sowing of Festulolium. The optimum term of removal of the vegetative mass in the first year of life in the soil cultivating sowing method, and in the second year of life is the second week of September. When uncoated ranelate method of sowing of Festulolium best time of rejection of the vegetative mass is between 15 to 30 September. The fall mowing of the grass at the optimal time increases the number of generative shoots from 8-11% to 44% and seed yield of Festulolium of the first year of use of 9-11 to 24-27 %, second year by 17-25 %.

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Does date of birth or a capacity for facultative placentotrophy influence offspring quality in a viviparous skink, Niveoscincus microlepidotus?

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo06041 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 369 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Natalia Atkins ◽

Roy Swain ◽

Susan M. Jones

Keyword(s):

First Year ◽

Offspring Survival ◽

Offspring Quality ◽

Weather Patterns ◽

Annual Variations ◽

Egg Ratio ◽

Annual Activity ◽

The Mean ◽

Second Year ◽

Fat Bodies

Niveoscincus microlepidotus is a viviparous lizard that exhibits biennial reproduction: births in spring optimise offspring survival in this species’ alpine habitat. Over three annual activity seasons, we investigated the hypothesis that date of birth influences offspring characteristics. In the first year of our study, there was no effect of date of birth on any offspring characteristic measured. In the second year, later-born offspring grew significantly faster. In the third year, later-born offspring were significantly longer and heavier at birth. These varying results may be attributable to differences in basking opportunities for the gestating females due to annual variations in spring weather patterns. To test the hypothesis that both lecithotrophic (yolk) and placentotrophic nutrients support embryos during their extended gestation, we determined the degree of placentotrophy for this species. The mean dry neonate : dry egg ratio of 0.755 indicates that this species is predominantly lecithotrophic. Only in the first year of the study did the data suggest a potential for facultative placentotrophy in this species. We therefore suggest that in N. microlepidotus lecithotrophic nutrition is converted into embryonic fat bodies that support the embryo in utero over winter until spring parturition.

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Temporal variation in winter flounder recruitment at the southern margin of their range: is the decline due to increasing temperatures?

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsu094 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 71 (8) ◽

pp. 2186-2197 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

K. W. Able ◽

T. M. Grothues ◽

J. M. Morson ◽

K. E. Coleman

Keyword(s):

Threshold Effect ◽

The United States ◽

Winter Flounder ◽

First Year ◽

Pseudopleuronectes Americanus ◽

Cold Temperatures ◽

Juvenile Abundance ◽

Response To Temperature ◽

Restrictive Measures ◽

First Year Of Life

Abstract The southern-most stock of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus), a cold temperate species of the Northwest Atlantic, has not recovered from overfishing despite continued restrictive measures, and appears to be contracting northward. We regressed larval and settled juvenile abundance (after accounting for adult and larval contribution to variation, respectively) on temperature over several decades from collections in New Jersey, the United States, at the southern edge of their range to determine if increasing temperatures during the first year of life were responsible for this contraction. A significant stock–recruitment relationship at both stages was moderate, explaining 27.5% of the variance for larvae on adults and 20.6% for juveniles on larvae. There was no significant effect of average monthly temperature in explaining variance of the residuals for larvae, or of degree day on explaining the abundance of residuals for juveniles over a months-long settlement period. However, in both cases, residuals were widely distributed at cold temperatures, while they were always low at warm temperatures. Thus, years in which spring temperatures were warm (5–7oC for February, 7–9 for March, and 11–20 for May) always experienced poor recruitment. This threshold effect may result from an intersection with predators in response to temperature, and this may play a more important role than heat stress in determining recruitment success.

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First-year survival of great horned owls during a peak and decline of the snowshoe hare cycle

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z96-121 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 74 (6) ◽

pp. 1092-1097 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Christoph Rohner ◽

D. Bruce Hunter

Keyword(s):

Survival Rates ◽

Bird Species ◽

Population Cycle ◽

First Year ◽

Mortality Factors ◽

Bubo Virginianus ◽

Slow Development ◽

Snowshoe Hares ◽

First Year Of Life ◽

The Cost

Most bird species have low survival rates in their first year of life, and the highest losses occur when juveniles become independent and disperse. Young great horned owls (Bubo virginianus), monitored by telemetry in the southwestern Yukon, Canada, survived well during the peak of the population cycle of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). Subsequently, juvenile survival collapsed parallel to the decline in hare densities. The proportion of starving owls did not increase, but there was a significant increase in mortalities involving parasitism and predation, probably as an interaction with food shortage. The mortality rates of juvenile great horned owls peaked before, not during, dispersal. We propose that extended parental care makes the postfledging stage safe during optimal conditions, but that the relatively slow development during this stage incurs the cost of increased susceptibility to disease and other mortality factors under environmental stress.

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The extreme insular adaptation of Garganornis ballmanni Meijer, 2014: a giant Anseriformes of the Neogene of the Mediterranean Basin

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.160722 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 160722 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marco Pavia ◽

Hanneke J. M. Meijer ◽

Maria Adelaide Rossi ◽

Ursula B. Göhlich

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Basin ◽

Central Italy ◽

Large Body ◽

Bird Species ◽

Large Body Size ◽

Large Size ◽

Type Area ◽

Fighting Behaviour ◽

Shared Element ◽

The Mediterranean Basin

New skeletal elements of the recently described endemic giant anseriform Garganornis ballmanni Meijer, 2014 are presented, coming from the type-area of the Gargano and from Scontrone, southern and central Italy, respectively. The new remains represent the first bird remains found at Scontrone so far, and another shared element between these two localities, both part of the Apulia-Abruzzi Palaeobioprovince. The presence of a very reduced carpometacarpus confirms its flightlessness, only previously supposed on the basis of the very large size, while the morphologies of tarsometatarsus and posterior phalanges clearly indicate the adaptation of G. ballmanni to a terrestrial, non-aquatic, lifestyle. Its very large body size is similar to that observed in different, heavily modified, insular waterfowl and has been normally interpreted as the response to the absence of terrestrial predators and a protection from the aerial ones. The presence of a carpal knob in the proximal carpometacarpus also indicates a fighting behaviour for this large terrestrial bird species.

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