Economic complexity and inclusion of regional economies

The paper presents a probabilistic interpretation of the elements of the matrix, which is used to assess the economic complexity in accordance with the traditional approach. Their properties are given, on the basis of which aggregate indicators are introduced that characterize the nesting of the structures of strong sectors of regional economies. It is shown that aggregate nesting indicators are statistically significant explanatory variables for economic complexity. It is proved that the used procedure for calculating the economic complexity is correct in the sense of the existence and uniqueness of the solution. It is shown that the data that are used to assess the economic complexity in accordance with the author’s approach allow to reflect the formation of value chains and groups of related sectors focused on both the external and internal markets. For this economic complexity, calculated on regional data, its high values correspond to large values of the aggregated nesting indicators. Low values of economic complexity correspond to low values of nesting indicators.

Interspecific interactions in solitary Aculeata – is the presence of heterospecifics important for females establishing nests?

There are several possible causes of aggregated nesting in solitary Aculeata, one being joint defense against parasites. We tested whether females prefer nesting in aggregations, even if they consist of heterospecifics. We compared the colonization and nesting parasitism of trap-nests with and without a red mason bee aggregation. The results did not support our hypothesis that females prefer nesting in aggregations. The numbers of wild Aculeata nests did not differ between trap-nests with and without an aggregation. Unexpectedly, parasitism rates were higher in trap-nests with aggregations. When analyzing only nests of wild insects (mostly wasps), the differences in parasitism disappeared. Natural nesting sites may be such a limited resource that females nested in the first trap-nest they encountered and did not discriminate between our treatments, or wasps might share too few parasites species with bees to benefit from joint nest defense.

Seasonality, abundance and breeding biology of one of the largest populations of nesting flatback turtles, Natator depressus: Cape Domett, Western Australia

Cape Domett, located in tropical Western Australia, supports a significant population of flatback turtles, Natator depressus, but the magnitude of this was previously underestimated. We assessed temporal nesting abundance to find that Cape Domett supports one of the largest aggregated nesting flatback turtle populations globally with annual abundance in the order of several thousand individuals (estimated = 3250, 95% CI = 1431–7757). We assessed temporal abundance within a year to find turtles nested throughout the year with peak nesting occurring between August and September. This paper re-evaluates the importance of this major flatback turtle nesting site and shows the first detailed examination of flatback turtle nesting biology in north-western Australia.

No Extra-Pair Fertilization in Flammulated Owls Despite Aggregated Nesting

We used DNA fingerprinting to estimate the frequency of extra-pair fertilization in the Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus), a socially monogamous species often found nesting in aggregations. We observed owls on 44 territories, 42 of which were located in aggregations of 3 to 10 territories with a mean nearest-neighbor distance of 539 m (± 160 m). We sampled a subset of these nests and compared band sharing and numbers of novel fragments among 17 social pairs and 37 offspring. Like other socially monogamous raptors, the Flammulated Owls we studied were genetically monogamous despite their relatively high breeding density. We suggest that the necessity of male parental care may be an important factor contributing to genetic monogamy in this species. Ausencia de Fertilización Extra-Pareja en Otus flammeolus a pesar de Nidificación Agregada Resumen. Usamos huellas dactilares genéticas (i.e., DNA fingerprinting) para estimar la frecuencia de fertilización extra-pareja en Otus flammeolus, una especie social monógama frecuentemente hallada nidificando en agregaciones. Observamos lechuzas en 44 territorios, 42 de los cuales se encontraron en agregaciones de entre 3 a 10 territorios, con una distancia media al territorio vecino más cercano de 539 m (± 160 m). Muestreamos un subconjunto de los nidos localizados y comparamos las bandas compartidas y el número de fragmentos nuevos entre 17 pares sociales y 37 hijos. Al igual que otras rapaces sociales monógamas, los individuos de O. flammeolus que estudiamos fueron genéticamente monógamos, a pesar de la relativamente alta densidad de individuos presentes en la época de cría. Sugerimos que la necesidad de cuidado parental masculino puede ser un factor importante que contribuye a la monogamia genética en esta especie.