scholarly journals Fascioloides magna in Moose (Alces alces) From Elk Island National Park, Alberta

2019 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 476-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd K. Shury ◽  
Margo J. Pybus ◽  
Nick Nation ◽  
Normand L. Cool ◽  
W. James Rettie

Thirty-seven adult female moose ( Alces alces) from 2 distinct but adjacent populations in Elk Island National Park (EINP), Alberta, Canada (19 in north EINP and 18 in south EINP), were fitted with mortality-sensing VHF radio-collars, and radio signals were acquired daily to ascertain mortality status. At capture, serum, whole blood, and feces were collected; pregnancy was determined; teeth were aged by visual inspection; and a portion of liver was assessed by ultrasound examination. Postmortem examination was conducted on 20 suitable carcasses. Clinical pathological abnormalities, including eosinophilia, polycythemia, elevated levels of liver enzymes in serum, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell distribution, and liver damage as seen in ultrasound images occurred only in moose from north EINP. Infected moose had 4.7 ± 4.8 Fascioloides magna flukes per liver (mean ± SD). The proportion of moose pregnant at capture was similar in both populations (74% in north EINP, 61% in south EINP). Proportional mortality was significantly higher in moose from the north (68%) than the south (32%). Fascioloides magna was associated as a cause of death in 7 of 14 (50%) moose in the north where cause of death was determined, while predation ( n = 1), acute toxemic syndrome ( n = 3), dystocia ( n = 1), and roadkill and undetermined causes ( n = 3) were additional causes of mortality. F. magna was associated with poor body condition and was a major cause of mortality in north EINP but not south EINP, despite very similar habitat and proximity, suggesting a significant role for these flukes in affecting health and viability of naturally infected moose populations.

Koedoe ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Viljoen

All observations and data related to the impact of the 1991/92 drought on the woody vegetation, excluding the riverine vegetation of major rivers, are summarised. This includes data from a visual estimate of damage from aerial photographs, surveys on selected sites, and general observations. Despite lower rainfall, the area north of the Olifants River (excluding the far-northern part) was less affected than the area south of it, suggesting that the woody vegetation in the north is more adapted to drought. A characteristic of the drought was the localised distribution pattern and variable intensity of damage to the same species in the same general area. Information on 31 species are presented briefly. Although a large number of woody species was to some extent damaged, when the woody vegetation is considered as a whole, the influence of the drought was not very severe.


Author(s):  
Alyt Oppewal ◽  
Josje D. Schoufour ◽  
Hanne J.K. van der Maarl ◽  
Heleen M. Evenhuis ◽  
Thessa I.M. Hilgenkamp ◽  
...  

Abstract We aim to provide insight into the cause-specific mortality of older adults with intellectual disability (ID), with and without Down syndrome (DS), and compare this to the general population. Immediate and primary cause of death were collected through medical files of 1,050 older adults with ID, 5 years after the start of the Healthy Ageing and Intellectual Disabilities (HA-ID) study. During the follow-up period, 207 (19.7%) participants died, of whom 54 (26.1%) had DS. Respiratory failure was the most common immediate cause of death (43.4%), followed by dehydration/malnutrition (20.8%), and cardiovascular diseases (9.4%). In adults with DS, the most common cause was respiratory disease (73.3%), infectious and bacterial diseases (4.4%), and diseases of the digestive system (4.4%). Diseases of the respiratory system also formed the largest group of primary causes of death (32.1%; 80.4% was due to pneumonia), followed by neoplasms (17.6%), and diseases of the circulatory system (8.2%). In adults with DS, the main primary cause was also respiratory diseases (51.1%), followed by dementia (22.2%).


2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (7) ◽  
pp. 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Macphail ◽  
Robert S. Hill

Fossil pollen and spores preserved in drillcore from both the upper South Alligator River (SARV) in the Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory and the North-West Shelf, Western Australia provide the first record of plants and plant communities occupying the coast and adjacent hinterland in north-west Australia during the Paleogene 66 to 23million years ago. The palynologically-dominant woody taxon is Casuarinaceae, a family now comprising four genera of evergreen scleromorphic shrubs and trees native to Australia, New Guinea, South-east Asia and Pacific Islands. Rare taxa include genera now mostly restricted to temperate rainforest in New Guinea, New Caledonia, New Zealand, South-East Asia and/or Tasmania, e.g. Dacrydium, Phyllocladus and the Nothofagus subgenera Brassospora and Fuscospora. These appear to have existed in moist gorges on the Arnhem Land Plateau, Kakadu National Park. No evidence for Laurasian rainforest elements was found. The few taxa that have modern tropical affinities occur in Eocene or older sediments in Australia, e.g. Lygodium, Anacolosa, Elaeagnus, Malpighiaceae and Strasburgeriaceae. We conclude the wind-pollinated Oligocene to possibly Early Miocene vegetation in the upper SARV was Casuarinaceae sclerophyll forest or woodland growing under seasonally dry conditions and related to modern Allocasuarina/Casuarina formations. There are, however, strong floristic links to coastal communities growing under warm to hot, and seasonally to uniformly wet climates in north-west Australia during the Paleocene-Eocene.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 48-53
Author(s):  
Larisa Valerievna Sidyakina ◽  
Vladimir Mikhailovich Vasjukov ◽  
Sergey Vladimirovich Saksonov

The Mogutova Mountain - domal erosive ostanets in the north of the Zhigulyovsk hill, lies in national park Samara Luka. Communities petrophytic steppes are formed on calcareous exposures of steep slopes of the western, southern and east expositions of the mountain Mogutova. Petrophytic-steppe communities on a slope of east exposition are described - petrophytic-forbs-feather grass steppe ( Stipa capillata + Stipa pennata + Herbae stepposae ), on a slope of west exposition - petrophytic-sunrose-feather grass steppe ( Stipa pennata + Helianthemum nummularium ), on a slope of south exposition - petrophytic-thyme-sedge-feather grass steppe ( Stipa pulcherrima + Carex pediformis + Thymus zheguliensis ). In the studied communities three narrow-local of endemic species of the Zhigulyovsk hill grows: Euphorbia zhiguliensis, Gypsophila juzepczukii, Thymus zheguliensis and three of subendemic species grows: Festuca wolgensis s.str. , Tanacetum sclerophyllum (endemics of Central Volga area), Koeleria sclerophylla (endemic of Central Volga area and South Ural); the relict element of flora is presented by three species: Alyssum lenense, Clausia aprica, Helianthemum nummularium . Five species are included in the Red book of the Russian Federation: Astragalus zingeri, Euphorbia zhiguliensis, Koeleria sclerophylla, Stipa pennata, Thymus zheguliensis ; sixteen species are included in the Red book of the Samara region: Adonanthe vernalis, Alyssum lenense, Astragalus zingeri, Clausia aprica, Cotoneaster laxiflorus, Euphorbia zhiguliensis, Festuca wolgensis, Gypsophila juzepczukii, Helianthemum nummularium, Koeleria sclerophylla, Onosma volgensis, Pulsatilla patens, Scabiosa isetensis, Stipa pennata, Tanacetum sclerophyllum, Thymus zheguliensis. The most widespread plants of petrophytic steppes of the Mogutova Mountain: Astragalus zingeri, Carex pediformis, Echinops ruthenicus, Galium hexanarium, Gypsophila juzepczukii, Helictotrichon desertorum, Jurinea ledebourii, Onosma volgensis, Psephellus carbonatus, Stipa pennata, Tanacetum sclerophyllum, Thesium ramosum, Thymus zheguliensis .


Author(s):  
George Montopoli ◽  
Nick Visser ◽  
Hank Harlow

In 1994 and 1995, a high abundant winter snowfall at higher elevations appeared to result in long distance movement patterns by yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) over snow to lower, snowfree elevations where food was more available. As the snow melted and food became abundant, the marmots return to higher altitudes. In 1996, we continued to investigate the potential for migrational movements, by studying two study sites at different elevations in the North Fork of Cascade Canyon. Four marmots at each site were implanted with intraperitoneal tracking transmitters. Of eight marmots that were equipped with intraperitoneal transmitters, six demonstrated significant movements of greater than 0.5 km, one did not, and one most likely died as a result of predation before any movement could be observed. Of the six that demonstrated significant movements within the canyon, only one moved distances greater than 1 km. Marmots, after emerging from hibernation, migrated down canyon to snowfree areas as they become available. With progressive snow melt, most marmots move upward to higher elevations, but not to the extent originally expected. Instead, they moved to the first available habitat where food was obtainable, and other (dominant) marmots accepted their presence. This movement is exhibited in both males and females, yearlings and adults, and melanistic and normal colored marmots.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (29) ◽  
pp. 112
Author(s):  
Taleb Mohamed Lamine ◽  
Maatoug M’hamed ◽  
Azouzi Blel ◽  
Zedek Mohamed ◽  
Hellal Benchabane

This study aims to search the relationship between the decline of the Atlas cedar and the eco-dendrometrique factors in the National Park of Theniet El Had located in the north-west of Algeria. This study takes place throughout 30 circular plots of 1.000m2 area in which, a dendrometric measures and ecological data are taken in addition to descriptive data for Atlas cedar trees. The descriptive data shows that 34% of inventoried Atlas cedar have damaged leaves and 30% have more then 25% of their crowns damaged. The analysis of variance shows that there is no relationship between the rate of the Atlas cedar decline ant the ecological factors, components of the soil and dendrometric parameters except for the average circumference witch is influenced by the competition between trees. Therefor, a particular management plan for the regulation of competition is a necessity for this park.


2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa deKoninck

Abstract This paper considers the case of an introduced species that resides in what is now a jointly managed national park in the north of tropical Australia. Banteng (Bos javanicus) are a peculiar feral nonhuman animal in that they constitute a potential environmental threat within the domestic conservation goals of the park, but they also hold the prospect of being a major genetic resource in the international conservation of the species. Thus, perspectives on the use and management of these animals are varied between different actors in the park landscape, and are subject to fluctuations over time, especially in response to wider social and political circumstances. This paper argues that seemingly objective views of these animals are actually a series of subjectivities, which have less to do with any concrete aspects of the animals themselves and more to do with the way that particular people orient themselves toward, and within, the landscape.


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