Frankham, R. & Brook, B. W. 2004: The importance of time scale in conservation biology and ecology. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 459–463.
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Asplund, T., Veselov, A., Primmer, C. R., Bakhmet, I., Potutkin, A., Titov, S., Zubchenko, A., Studenov, I., Kaluzchin, S. & Lumme, J. 2004: Geographical structure and postglacial history of mtDNA haplotype variation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) among rivers of the White and Barents Sea basins. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 465–475.
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Gravel, B. E., Wong, P. Y., Starks, P. T. & Pechenik, J. A. 2004: The use of artificial shells for exploring shell preference in the marine hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus (Say). — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 477–485.
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Brown, G. E., Foam, P. E., Cowell, H. E., Guevara Fiore, P. & Chivers, D. P. 2004: Production of chemical alarm cues in convict cichlids: the effects of diet, body condition and ontogeny. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 487–499.
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Ulrich, W., Buszko, J. & Czarnecki, A. 2004: The contribution of poplar plantations to regional diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in agricultural landscapes. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 501–512.
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Paasivaara, A. & Pöysä, H. 2004: Mortality of common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) broods in relation to predation risk by northern pike (Esox lucius). — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 513–523.
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Steinheim, G., Weladji, R. B., Skogan, T., Ådnøy, T., Skjelvåg, A. O. & Holand, Ø. 2004: Climatic variability and effects on ungulate body weight: the case of domestic sheep. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 525–538.
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Frankham, R. & Brook, B. W. 2004: The importance of time scale in conservation biology and ecology. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 459–463.
The issue of time scaling in conservation biology and ecology is rarely considered, yet has crucial implications. If time scale is inappropriate, it impedes the search for generalities. Data on threatened species are typically limited, so the search for generalities is important in conservation biology where extrapolations from well studied taxa to threatened species are often needed. When time scale is specified in conservation biology and ecology it is typically defined in years. However, theoretical and empirical evidence indicates that extinction risk scales to generations, as do catastrophes, and environmental and genetic stochasticity. Examples are given of important insights achieved by analyses using generations. Conversely, human social and political considerations are more likely to require scaling to years, so the purpose of studies needs to be carefully defined. Progress in conservation biology and ecology will be impeded if the issue of time scale is not addressed carefully.
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Asplund, T., Veselov, A., Primmer, C. R., Bakhmet, I., Potutkin, A., Titov, S., Zubchenko, A., Studenov, I., Kaluzchin, S. & Lumme, J. 2004: Geographical structure and postglacial history of mtDNA haplotype variation in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) among rivers of the White and Barents Sea basins. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 465–475. Back to the top
Gravel, B. E., Wong, P. Y., Starks, P. T. & Pechenik, J. A. 2004: The use of artificial shells for exploring shell preference in the marine hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus (Say). — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 477–485. Back to the top
Brown, G. E., Foam, P. E., Cowell, H. E., Guevara Fiore, P. & Chivers, D. P. 2004: Production of chemical alarm cues in convict cichlids: the effects of diet, body condition and ontogeny. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 487–499. Back to the top
Ulrich, W., Buszko, J. & Czarnecki, A. 2004: The contribution of poplar plantations to regional diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in agricultural landscapes. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 501–512. Back to the top
Paasivaara, A. & Pöysä, H. 2004: Mortality of common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) broods in relation to predation risk by northern pike (Esox lucius). — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 513–523. Back to the top
Steinheim, G., Weladji, R. B., Skogan, T., Ådnøy, T., Skjelvåg, A. O. & Holand, Ø. 2004: Climatic variability and effects on ungulate body weight: the case of domestic sheep. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 41: 525–538.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) populations from 30 spawning rivers along the northeastern European coast were analyzed for restriction site variation on the standard 2000 base pair fragment of mitochondrial DNA. Overall genetic diversity was higher than in the North Sea or Baltic Sea populations. Linear partitioning of the populations into three geographical areas contributed 27% to the total molecular variance. The Atlantic haplotypes dominate in the westernmost populations along the Barents Sea up to Svyatoi Nos. A haplotype belonging to the North American phylogenetic branch was also frequent along the western Barents coast. The Kola Peninsula rivers draining to the White Sea are dominated by haplotypes hypothesized to originate from the Komi Ice Lake, diluted by Atlantic immigrants. On the Karelian and Arkhangelsk coast of the White Sea, only two haplotypes were present, which are suggested to be derived directly from the freshwater refugium.
Although recognition behavior is central to many aspects of an organism's biology, it has been difficult to effectively identify the individual recognition components (i.e., production, perception, and action) for most organisms. Among hermit crabs, a relatively well-studied system for recognition behavior, the precise shell cues that stimulate crabs to explore and choose empty shells are unclear. We have developed a novel method for studying shell selection in the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus. Using rapid prototyping technologies, we have produced artificial gastropod shells based on 3-dimensional virtual models derived from the morphological parameters of shell geometry. In our study, individual P. longicarpus reliably inspected and occupied artificial shells thus enabling us to make specific modifications to test hypotheses of shell preferences. In addition to discriminating based on shell size, coating shells with crushed CaCO3 from remnants of natural shells increased shell acceptance. This latter result supports prior speculation that calcium is a recognition cue for shell preference. Our results indicate that this novel method of shell design and fabrication has great potential for more detailed investigations of recognition behavior in hermit crabs.
While much is known regarding the role of chemical alarm cues in the mediation of predator–prey dynamics within aquatic ecosystems, little is known regarding the production of these critically important information sources. In a series of laboratory experiments, we tested the possible effects of diet, body condition and ontogeny on the production of chemical alarm cues in juvenile convict cichlids (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, Cichlidae, Acanthopterygii). Juvenile cichlids were fed one of two diets, tubifex worms (Tubifex spp.) or brine shrimp (Artemia spp.). Shrimp fed cichlids grew longer and heavier and were in better condition than were tubifex fed cichlids. In Experiment 1, cichlids exhibited a stronger antipredator response to conspecific skin extracts from donors fed shrimp versus tubifex, regardless of test cichlid diet. In Experiment 2, juvenile cichlids were exposed to the skin extracts of high versus low condition donors fed either tubifex or shrimp diets. Cichlids exhibited a significantly stronger antipredator response to skin extracts of high condition donors, regardless of donor diet. Finally, in Experiment 3, juvenile cichlids were exposed to skin extracts of similar sized juvenile conspecifics, adult conspecifics, swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) or a distilled water control. We found no evidence of an ontogenetic change in the production of alarm cues as cichlids exhibited similar intensity antipredator responses when exposed to juvenile and adult conspecific alarm cues. Taken together, these data suggest that individual diet may influence body condition with the consequence of influencing chemical alarm cue production in juvenile cichlids.
The PAMUCEAF (Poplars — A multiple-use crop for European arable farmers) project of the European Union was initiated to evaluate the influence of poplars on local agricultural practice and on local and regional biodiversity. The underlying hypothesis was that afforestation with poplars contributes to regional biodiversity. We use ground beetles as an indicator taxon and show that poplar plantations contain mainly ubiquitous species with unspecific habitat requirements. Judged by the samples from pitfall traps the species numbers in the poplar plantations were lower than in the adjacent arable land and did not noticeably contribute to overall regional diversity. An analysis of community structure revealed that the plantations did not contain habitat specialists not occurring elsewhere in the adjacent rural environments. We have no convincing evidence that the plantations enhanced species numbers in adjacent fields by providing refuges or hibernation sites.
We studied brood-rearing lake selection of the common goldeneye Buchephal clangula in relation to food abundance, vegetation structure, brood mortality and predation risk by northern pike Esox lucius. Movements of radio-tagged females and their broods were followed and duckling survival was determined until fledging or until the young had died. Food was more abundant in rearing lakes than in reference lakes. On the contrary, no difference was found between rearing and reference lakes with respect to the structure of shore vegetation. During the brood rearing period the mortality of young (1–23 days) ducklings increased with the increased predation risk by pike. Mortality of old (> 23 days) ducklings was not associated with the predation risk by pike. These results suggest that pike predation is an important source of mortality in young common goldeneye ducklings, and that females may be imperfect in predicting pike predation risk when selecting the brood rearing lake.
Annual climatic variation is reported to affect life history traits such as body mass and reproductive parameters of several northern ungulates. Effects of spring and summer weather conditions on body weights of domestic sheep were studied, using data on 56584 free-ranging lambs from six coastal and inland grazing areas along a 1200 km latitudinal gradient. Nineteen weather indices, most chosen from a study of relevant literature, were used in the analyses. Linear mixed models, with a variance structure designed to take within-flock and -year dependency into account, were applied. A correlation analysis indicated that the between-years lamb weight patterns of most of the areas, even ones far apart from each other, were related to each other. All weather indices had significant effects on the lamb weights in two or more areas (on average 4.6 areas). The directions of the effects (parameter estimates) were inconsistent among the areas, and possible explanations for the area-specific effects are discussed. Suggestions on future research on climate-ungulate body weight studies are given.