scholarly journals No water, no mating: Connecting dots from behaviour to pathways

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252920
Author(s):  
Homica Arya ◽  
Regan Toltesi ◽  
Michelle Eng ◽  
Divita Garg ◽  
Thomas J. S. Merritt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Fitness ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Metabolome Analysis ◽  
Galactose Metabolism ◽  
Mating Latency ◽  
Behavioral Parameters

Insects hold considerable ecological and agricultural importance making it vital to understand the factors impacting their reproductive output. Environmental stressors are examples of such factors which have a substantial and significant influence on insect reproductive fitness. Insects are also ectothermic and small in size which makes them even more susceptible to environmental stresses. The present study assesses the consequence of desiccation on the mating latency and copulations duration in tropical Drosophila melanogaster. We tested flies for these reproductive behavioral parameters at varying body water levels and with whole metabolome analysis in order to gain a further understanding of the physiological response to desiccation. Our results showed that the duration of desiccation is positively correlated with mating latency and mating failure, while having no influence on the copulation duration. The metabolomic analysis revealed three biological pathways highly affected by desiccation: starch and sucrose metabolism, galactose metabolism, and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis. These results are consistent with carbohydrate metabolism providing an energy source in desiccated flies and also suggests that the phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway plays a role in the reproductive fitness of the flies. Desiccation is a common issue with smaller insects, like Drosophila and other tropical insects, and our findings indicate that this lack of ambient water can immediately and drastically affect the insect reproductive behaviour, which becomes more crucial because of unpredictable and dynamic weather conditions.

scholarly journals Male parent birds exert more effort to reproduce in two desert passerines

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghui Ma ◽  
Mengjie Lu ◽  
Zhichang Cheng ◽  
Xingnan Du ◽  
Xiaoyu Zou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Female Parent ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Male Parent ◽  
Hatching Rate ◽  
Feeding Rates ◽  
Passerine Species ◽  
Arid Desert ◽  
Habitat Environment

Abstract Background Parental investment by birds is limited by the habitat environment, and a male parent increases its effort to reproduce in birds that live in high-altitude areas. Methods A study of the reproductive behaviour of the Saxaul Sparrow (Passer ammodendri) and the Isabelline Shrike (Lanius isabellinus) was carried out at the Gansu An’xi Extremely Arid Desert National Nature Reserve in northwest China to determine the reproductive input of passerine species in desert habitats. Results In Saxaul Sparrows, compared to the female parent, the male parent exhibited a significantly higher frequency of nest-defense behaviour (chirping and warning) during nesting, hatching and feeding periods. In addition, in comparison to the female parent, the male parent exhibited almost equal frequencies of nesting and incubation but fed nestlings significantly more times. Similar to the male sparrows, the feeding rates of the male Isabelline Shrikes were significantly higher than those of the females. The hatching rate and fledging rate of the Saxaul Sparrow on average in this study were 81.99 and 91.92%, respectively, while those of the shrike were 69.00 and 96.53%, respectively. Conclusions These two different passerine species living in the same desert environment exhibited the same trend in their reproductive investments. Adapting to desert environments is a strategy that may have evolved in passerines where male parent birds put more effort than females into reproduction to ensure high reproductive output.

Smart Water Level Monitoring System for Farmers

2019 ◽  
pp. 213-228
Author(s):  
Nalina Suresh ◽  
Valerianus Hashiyana ◽  
Victor Panduleni Kulula ◽  
Shreekanth Thotappa
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Smart Water ◽  
Level Measurement ◽  
Level Monitoring ◽  
Water Level Monitoring

With advancement in technology and ever-changing weather conditions, accurate and affordable water level measurement systems has become necessary for farmers. This therefore brings about the need for a system incorporating the use of IoT technology that will monitor water levels at a cost-effective price with accurate and dependable results. The prototype will monitor water levels on a regular basis and the data captured will be stored in a database to help farmers improve the way they manage their water resource. Farmers will be able to monitor the water levels from any location at any given time. This chapter focuses on a Smart Water Level Monitoring System for Farmers and provides a smart way to manage water resources on farms in the most cost-effective and convenient manner for farmers.

Mating experience influences mate choice and reproductive output in an aphidophagous ladybird, Menochilus sexmaculatus

2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Dubey ◽  
Swati Saxena ◽  
Geetanjali Mishra ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Mating Status ◽  
Mating Experience ◽  
Males And Females

AbstractInformation about mating status can be used to decide about whether to invest resources in mating with a particular partner. In the present study, we evaluated mate choice in relation to the mating experience of males and females ofMenochilus sexmaculatus. We subjected both unmated and multiply mated males and females to different mate choice trials. The mating experience of the adults includes unmated, once-mated, twice-mated and multiply mated. The mate choice trials revealed that unmated adults were preferred over mated adults by both unmated and multiply mated partners. This preference for unmated partners also had consequences for mating behaviour and reproductive output. Unmated and multiply mated females commenced mating with unmated males earlier. In addition, unmated and multiply mated males invested more time in copula with unmated females. Moreover, females mated with unmated males were more fecund than those mated with previously mated males. This suggests that mating experience of mates may influence mating and reproductive behaviour in this species.

scholarly journals FREQUENCIES AND PROBABILITIES OF EXTREME STORM SURGES

1978 ◽  
Vol 1 (16) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
Alfred Bohrbuter
Keyword(s):  
Storm Surges ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
High Wind ◽  
Shallow Sea ◽  
The North ◽  
Extreme Storm ◽  
Mean Wind Speed ◽  
The North Sea ◽  
Set Up

The North Sea as a very shallow sea with high wind set-up effects is acting highly as extremely sensitive measuring equipment for climatic changes, especially for surge producing weather conditions. The flood disaster in the Netherlands 1953, in Germany 1962, the Adolph-Bermpohl-Orkan (1967), with mean wind speed of 37 ra/sec. over 5 hours, the strong continental storm with high damages in the forests from France till Poland in November 1972, a series of 6 heavy floods in November/ December 1973 and two extreme floods in January 1976 with the highest water levels ever registrated in the German bight are indications for some changes in meteorological conditions. In this paper some hypothetical models shall be introduced which are able to show how extreme storm surge frequencies and probabilities are changing with time.

scholarly journals Weather and food availability additively affect reproductive output in an expanding raptor population

Oecologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Nägeli ◽  
Patrick Scherler ◽  
Stephanie Witczak ◽  
Benedetta Catitti ◽  
Adrian Aebischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Food Supplementation ◽  
Nestling Development ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Adverse Weather ◽  
Expanding Population

AbstractThe joint effects of interacting environmental factors on key demographic parameters can exacerbate or mitigate the separate factors’ effects on population dynamics. Given ongoing changes in climate and land use, assessing interactions between weather and food availability on reproductive performance is crucial to understand and forecast population dynamics. By conducting a feeding experiment in 4 years with different weather conditions, we were able to disentangle the effects of weather, food availability and their interactions on reproductive parameters in an expanding population of the red kite (Milvus milvus), a conservation-relevant raptor known to be supported by anthropogenic feeding. Brood loss occurred mainly during the incubation phase, and was associated with rainfall and low food availability. In contrast, brood loss during the nestling phase occurred mostly due to low temperatures. Survival of last-hatched nestlings and nestling development was enhanced by food supplementation and reduced by adverse weather conditions. However, we found no support for interactive effects of weather and food availability, suggesting that these factors affect reproduction of red kites additively. The results not only suggest that food-weather interactions are prevented by parental life-history trade-offs, but that food availability and weather conditions are crucial separate determinants of reproductive output, and thus population productivity. Overall, our results suggest that the observed increase in spring temperatures and enhanced anthropogenic food resources have contributed to the elevational expansion and the growth of the study population during the last decades.

scholarly journals Visualizations of the Doblar Accumulation Basin Based on the UAV Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Klemen Kozmus Trajkovski ◽  
Gašper Štebe ◽  
Dušan Petrovič
Keyword(s):  
3D Model ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Point Clouds ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Contour Lines ◽  
Digital Elevation ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Dense Point ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Elevation Model

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Our research is based on a large case study of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) surveys, modelling and visualizations of the Doblar accumulation basin. The various approaches for UAV surveying of large, demanding terrain configurations, and the benefits of surveying products used as a basis for other interdisciplinary hydrological and environmental services were researched. The demanding mountainous terrain, the steep slopes and deep and narrow streams required detailed pre-planning of the survey, including the pre-survey terrain overview. The accumulation basin was emptied merely for a short period; thus, the survey was performed in unfavourable weather conditions, which included coldness, snowfall and wind. Point clouds were generated and georeferenced from the 4377 recorded photos. The dense point cloud contained approximately 222 million points in the medium setting and more than a billion in the high setting. A 3D model was built from the data. This became the basis for numerous further analyses and for the presentation using cartographic principles: a digital elevation model with a resolution of 10&amp;thinsp;cm, an orthophoto with a resolution of 10&amp;thinsp;cm, a 3D model draped with orthophoto, contour lines with a 1&amp;thinsp;m interval, topographic profiles, calculations of volumes at different water levels, a flythrough, augmented reality and a video simulation of the water level changes. The model can also serve as a basis for hydraulic and environmental analysis and simulations or used for analyses of the accumulation and deposition of river material compared with previous and future surveys.</p>

Variation in reproductive output as a function of maternal age and weather conditions in the cultured Asian yellow pond turtle, Mauremys mutica

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-320
Author(s):  
Yakun Wang ◽  
Jian Zhao ◽  
Xiaoli Liu ◽  
Qing Shangguan ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clutch Size ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Egg Mass ◽  
Stock Management ◽  
Artificial Breeding ◽  
Asian Yellow Pond Turtle ◽  
Mauremys Mutica

Abstract Biotic factors (e.g., maternal age) and abiotic factors (e.g., weather) play vital roles in reproduction. However, there is little information about the combined effects of maternal age and weather on the reproductive output of cultured Asian yellow pond turtles, Mauremys mutica. To address this issue, we surveyed and compared the reproductive output of 13-year-old and 25-year-old female turtles on non-rainy and rainy days. The results showed that older females produced larger eggs than younger females regardless of the weather conditions. Females laid larger clutch sizes (number of eggs per nest) under non-rainy conditions compared with those under rainy conditions. However, the variation in clutch frequency (number of clutches per day) was independent of maternal age and weather. There was no effect of an interaction between maternal age and weather on egg mass, clutch size or clutch frequency. Our results suggest that maternal age and weather had significant effects on egg mass and clutch size, respectively. These results imply that maternal age, together with weather conditions (mainly conditions of rain), can affect the reproductive output of M. mutica. Our results provide useful information for the artificial breeding and stock management of M. mutica.

scholarly journals Bedload transport in two creeks at the ice-free area of the Baranowski Glacier, King George Island, West Antarctica

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Sziło ◽  
Robert J. Bialik
Keyword(s):  
Water Discharge ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Arithmetic Mean ◽  
Bedload Transport ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
West Antarctica ◽  
Weighted Arithmetic ◽  
Granulometric Analysis ◽  
First Time

Abstract This paper presents a unique case study and methodology for measurements of the bedload transport in the two, newly created troughs at the forefield of the Baranowski Glacier: Fosa and Siodło creeks. The weather conditions and the granulometric analysis are presented and discussed briefly. Rating curves for the Fosa and Siodło creeks are presented for the first time for this region. Changes of the bedload transport as well as water discharge and water velocity at both creeks are investigated. The hysteresis for the relationships between rate of bedload transport and water discharges were identified showing that for both creeks for the higher water levels a figure of eight loop may be easily recognized. Moreover, a new method for the calculation of bedload transport rate, based on the weighted arithmetic mean instead of the arithmetic mean, is proposed.

scholarly journals MORPHODYNAMIC PROCESSES IN ESTUARIES - COMPARISON OF MARINE AND LIMNIC TIDAL FLATS

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (32) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Thorsten Albers ◽  
Dagmar Much ◽  
Nino Ohle ◽  
Nicole Von Lieberman ◽  
Eva Falke
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Events ◽  
Tidal Flat ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Investigation Area

Tidal flat areas in estuaries are affected by strong morphodynamics. Changes of sedimentation and erosion occur on different temporal and spatial scales. These changes challenge the responsible authorities due to the high importance of sufficient navigation channel depths and the ecological importance of those unique zones. In cooperation with the Hamburg Port Authority the Hamburg University of Technology runs broad field measurements on tidal flat areas in the Elbe estuary. The results provide a fundamental data set to improve the knowledge about morphodynamic processes. For more than 3 years water levels, waves, current parameters and suspended sediment concentrations are being recorded continuously and in a high resolution at different positions on a marine investigation area. Therefore, ADCP’s, optical backscatter sensors (OBS) and pressure transducers (PT) are used. To observe the consequences of the morphodynamic processes, the bathymetry of the investigation areas is determined with a multi-beam echo sounder (MBES) in frequent intervals as well as after extreme events like storm surges. Derived from the field data certain patterns of erosion, sediment transport and sedimentation could be observed depending on tidal currents, waves and large scale weather conditions. Seasonal effects are analyzed as well as the influence of extreme events. The observed processes are compared with data from a limnic investigation area, where a second, shorter field study was carried out.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document