Interpreting Selectivity Indices Calculated from Field Data or Conditions of Prey Replacement

1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (9) ◽  
pp. 1529-1533 ◽  
Author(s):  
John L. Confer ◽  
Marianne V. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Prey Item ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Neutral Selection ◽  
Field Samples ◽  
Linear Index ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Impact

Indices of prey selection are compared empirically to clarify the kind of information each can provide and when the indices can be used appropriately. Emphasis is given to Chesson's alpha (α) and Strauss' Linear index (Li) because they are commonly used and represent two mathematically dissimilar approaches to measuring selection. Neutral selection for α and Li is not equivalent. For Li, neutral selection for a prey type occurs when selectivity equals the weighted (by relative abundance) average selectivity for all other prey types. For α, neutral selection equals the unweighted average for all prey types, which is equivalent to 1 divided by the number of prey types. Li and α respond differently to rare prey types. This is especially evident in field samples having large differences in relative prey abundances. Li values decrease as abundance of a prey type decreases in the environment, in contrast, α values often increase greatly as the proportional abundance of a prey type in the environment decreases. Consequently, α values, but not Li values, are often strongly influenced by the values for very rare prey, α values are sensitive to changes in the number of prey types, but not to changes in prey proportion. When the number of prey types is constant, α may be the most meaningful indicator of prey type preference. In contrast, Li values are sensitive to changes in prey proportions in the environment. When prey proportions are constant among experiments, Li is appropriate for measuring changes in the impact of a predator on a prey type and changes in selectivity relative to the average prey item. If number of prey types and prey proportions vary among experiments, Vanderploeg and Scavia's W or E* may be most appropriate.

scholarly journals Feeding Ecology of Short-Toed Snake-Eagle (Circaetus gallicus [Gmelin, 1788]) in the Montados of Iberian Peninsula

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-179
Author(s):  
Nuno Onofre ◽  
Luís Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Prey Species ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Prey Type ◽  
Generalist Predator ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Psammodromus Algirus ◽  
Circaetus Gallicus ◽  
Water Snakes

The diet of Short-toed Snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus) during the breeding season in an area dominated by cork and holm oak parkland forests (Montados) was analyzed in this study. As expected, results showed that snakes are the dominant prey in the diet of this eagle, comprising up to 92.5% of the identified items, if potential secondary prey species were excluded. The Montpellier Snake (Malpolon monspessulanus) was the most consumed one (42.2%), followed by the Ladder Snake (Zamenis scalaris) (28.0%), and the water snakes (Natrix spp.) (14.2%). According to the same criteria, lizards (mainly Psammodromus algirus) and mammals represent between 4.8 and 2.2%, respectively. Other animals such as pond turtle and amphibians are irregular prey (<1%), and no bird remains were found at all. Short-toed Snake-eagle is usually referred as a stenophagic predator where snakes are by far its most important prey type, and where within this taxonomic group it behaves as a generalist predator. In this study this premise was then tested comparing the relative abundance of the snake species with their proportion in the diet composition of the eagle in order to know whether or not prey selection exists with regard to the species of snakes in this region. Results point to a quite plausible "preference" for the Ladder Snake and an "avoidance" for the smooth snakes group (Macroprotodon brevis/Coronella girondica), and possibly for the Horseshoe Whip (Hemorrhois hippocrepis). The avoidance to the Horseshoe Whip must be indirect and habitat related, while in relation to the two smooth snakes it may be due in large extend to its small size, in particular.

Prey selection and the impact of cheetah predation on prey populations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.G.L. Mills ◽  
M.E.J. Mills
Keyword(s):  
Prey Selection ◽  
Selection Process ◽  
Late Pregnancy ◽  
Prey Preference ◽  
Regulatory Role ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Preferred Species ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Prey Populations

Small springbok lambs were killed more frequently than expected and large lambs and subadults in more or less expected proportions. Adults were killed less frequently than expected, although old animals, females in late pregnancy, and males were vulnerable. A similar selection process was observed in steenbok, except medium-sized lambs, not small lambs, were usually killed, and there was no selection for sex. Cheetah predation was found to have an important density-dependent regulatory role on these two species. Analyses of prey preference using Jacob’s index showed that springbok were the most preferred species, although their distribution was limited, and springhares the most important avoided species, despite their prevalence in solitary cheetahs’ kills. Examples of diet flexibility in the cheetah occurred during an eland influx into the study area, when coalition males killed a number of calves, and when an emaciated female took to preying on unpalatable bat-eared foxes.

USING FIELD DATA FOR THE EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF ULTRA-LOW FREQUENCY MOTIONS ON THE FATIGUE OF MOORING LINES

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guilherme Borzacchiello ◽  
Carl Albrecht ◽  
Fabricio N Correa ◽  
Breno Jacob ◽  
Guilherme da Silva Leal
Keyword(s):  
Field Data ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Mooring Lines ◽  
The Impact

Kalahari Cheetahs

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gus Mills ◽  
Margaret Mills
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Spatial Ecology ◽  
Prey Selection ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Hunting Behaviour ◽  
The Impact

This book demonstrates how cheetahs are adapted to arid savannahs like the southern Kalahari, and makes comparisons with other areas, especially the Serengeti. Topics dealt with are: demography and genetic status; feeding ecology, i.e. methods used for studying diet, diets of different demographic groups, individual diet specializations of females, prey selection, the impact of cheetah predation on prey populations, activity regimes and distances travelled per day, hunting behaviour, foraging success and energetics; interspecific competition; spatial ecology; reproductive success and the mating system; and conservation. The major findings show that cheetahs are well adapted to arid ecosystems and are water independent. Cheetah density in the study area was stable at 0.7/100 km2 and the population was genetically diverse. Important prey were steenbok and springbok for females with cubs, gemsbok, and adult ostrich for coalition males, and steenbok, springhares, and hares for single animals. Cheetahs had a density-dependent regulatory effect on steenbok and springbok populations. Females with large cubs had the highest overall food intake. Cheetahs, especially males, were often active at night, and competition with other large carnivores, both by exploitation and interference, was slight. Although predation on small cubs was severe, cub survival to adolescence was six times higher than in the Serengeti. There was no difference in reproductive success between single and coalition males. The conservation priority for cheetahs should be to maintain protected areas over a spectrum of landscapes to allow ecological processes, of which the cheetah is an integral part, to proceed unhindered.

scholarly journals Land Subsidence Estimation for Aquifer Drainage Induced by Underground Mining

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4658
Author(s):  
Artur Guzy ◽  
Wojciech T. Witkowski
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Land Subsidence ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Maximum Value ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Method Model ◽  
Impact Of Mining

Land subsidence caused by groundwater withdrawal induced by mining is a relatively unknown phenomenon. This is primarily due to the small scale of such movements compared to the land subsidence caused by deposit extraction. Nonetheless, the environmental impact of drainage-related land subsidence remains underestimated. The research was carried out in the “Bogdanka” coal mine in Poland. First, the historical impact of mining on land subsidence and groundwater head changes was investigated. The outcomes of these studies were used to construct the influence method model. With field data, our model was successfully calibrated and validated. Finally, it was used for land subsidence estimation for 2030. As per the findings, the field of mining exploitation has the greatest land subsidence. In 2014, the maximum value of the phenomenon was 0.313 cm. However, this value will reach 0.364 m by 2030. The spatial extent of land subsidence caused by mining-induced drainage extends up to 20 km beyond the mining area’s boundaries. The presented model provided land subsidence patterns without the need for a complex numerical subsidence model. As a result, the method presented can be effectively used for land subsidence regulation plans considering the impact of mining on the aquifer system.

scholarly journals The impact of fixed orthodontic appliances on oral microbiome dynamics in Japanese patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isamu Kado ◽  
Junzo Hisatsune ◽  
Keiko Tsuruda ◽  
Kotaro Tanimoto ◽  
Motoyuki Sugai
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Japanese Patients ◽  
Oral Microbiome ◽  
Orthodontic Appliances ◽  
Periodontal Pathogens ◽  
Supragingival Plaque ◽  
Fixed Orthodontic Appliances ◽  
Microbial Dna ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Level Analysis

AbstractFixed orthodontic appliances are common and effective tools to treat malocclusion. Adverse effects of these appliances, such as dental caries and periodontitis, may be associated with alteration of the microbiome. This study investigated the impact of these appliances on the dynamics of the oral microbiome. Seventy-one patients were selected. Supragingival plaque samples were collected before placement (T0) and six months after placement (T1). Saliva samples were collected at T0 and T1, and then when appliance removal (T2). Microbial DNA was analyzed by 16S rRNA meta-sequencing. The diversity analysis indicated dynamic changes in the structure of the oral microbiome. Taxonomic analysis at phylum level showed a significant increase in Bacteroidetes and Saccharibacteria (formally TM7) and decrease in Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria over time, in both plaque and saliva. Genus level analysis of relative abundance indicated a significant increase in anaerobic and facultative anaerobes in both plaque and saliva. Fixed orthodontic appliances induced measurable changes in the oral microbiome. This was characterized by an increase in relative abundance of obligate anaerobes, including periodontal pathogens. It can be concluded that this dysbiosis induced by fixed orthodontic appliances is likely to represent a transitional stage in the shift in microbiome from healthy to periodontitis.

scholarly journals Identifying Critical Binder Attributes to Facilitate Binder Selection for Efficient Formulation Development in a Continuous Twin Screw Wet Granulation Process

Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
Lise Vandevivere ◽  
Maxine Vangampelaere ◽  
Christoph Portier ◽  
Cedrine de Backere ◽  
Olaf Häusler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dissolution Kinetics ◽  
Wet Granulation ◽  
Continuous Manufacturing ◽  
Formulation Development ◽  
Granulation Process ◽  
Low Viscosity ◽  
Twin Screw ◽  
Poorly Soluble ◽  
Selection For ◽  
The Impact

The suitability of pharmaceutical binders for continuous twin-screw wet granulation was investigated as the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing a switch from batch to continuous manufacturing. Binder selection for twin-screw wet granulation should rely on a scientific approach to enable efficient formulation development. Therefore, the current study identified binder attributes affecting the binder effectiveness in a wet granulation process of a highly soluble model excipient (mannitol). For this formulation, higher binder effectiveness was linked to fast activation of the binder properties (i.e., fast binder dissolution kinetics combined with low viscosity attributes and good wetting properties by the binder). As the impact of binder attributes on the granulation process of a poorly soluble formulation (dicalcium phosphate) was previously investigated, this enabled a comprehensive comparison between both formulations in current research focusing on binder selection. This comparison revealed that binder attributes that are important to guide binder selection differ in function of the solubility of the formulation. The identification of critical binder attributes in the current study enables rational and efficient binder selection for twin-screw granulation of well soluble and poorly soluble formulations. Binder addition proved especially valuable for a poorly soluble formulation.

Effect of fire regime on the grass community of the humid savanna of Lamto, Ivory Coast

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kouamé Fulgence Koffi ◽  
Aya Brigitte N’Dri ◽  
Jean-Christophe Lata ◽  
Souleymane Konaté ◽  
Tharaniya Srikanthasamy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Ivory Coast ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Abundant Species ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
The Third ◽  
Humid Savanna ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Tussock Grasses

AbstractThis study assesses the impact of four fire treatments applied yearly over 3 y, i.e. early fire, mid-season fire, late fire and no fire treatments, on the grass communities of Lamto savanna, Ivory Coast. We describe communities of perennial tussock grasses on three replicated 5 × 5-m or 10 × 5-m plots of each fire treatment. Tussock density did not vary with fire treatment. The relative abundance of grass species, the circumference of grass tussocks and the probability of having a tussock with a central die-back, varied with fire treatment. Mid-season fire had the highest proportion of tussocks with a central die-back while the late fire had the smallest tussocks. Tussock density, circumference, relative abundance and probability of having a central die-back varied with species. Andropogon canaliculatus and Hyparrhenia diplandra were the most abundant of the nine grass species. They had the largest tussocks and the highest proportion of tussock with a central die-back. Loudetia simplex was the third most abundant species but was very rare in no fire plots. The distribution of tussock circumferences was right skewed and dominated by small tussocks. The proportion of the tussocks with a central die-back strongly increased with circumference, which could lead to tussock fragmentation. Taken together, this study suggests that fire regimes impact grass demography and that this impact depends on grass species and tussock size.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document