Annual Life Cycle Research Articles

The Mesozoic terminated in boreal spring

The Cretaceous–Palaeogene mass extinction around 66 million years ago was triggered by the Chicxulub asteroid impact on the present-day Yucatán Peninsula1,2. This event caused the highly selective extinction that eliminated about 76% of species3,4, including all non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, ammonites, rudists and most marine reptiles. The timing of the impact and its aftermath have been studied mainly on millennial timescales, leaving the season of the impact unconstrained. Here, by studying fishes that died on the day the Mesozoic era ended, we demonstrate that the impact that caused the Cretaceous–Palaeogene mass extinction took place during boreal spring. Osteohistology together with stable isotope records of exceptionally preserved perichondral and dermal bones in acipenseriform fishes from the Tanis impact-induced seiche deposits5 reveal annual cyclicity across the final years of the Cretaceous period. Annual life cycles, including seasonal timing and duration of reproduction, feeding, hibernation and aestivation, vary strongly across latest Cretaceous biotic clades. We postulate that the timing of the Chicxulub impact in boreal spring and austral autumn was a major influence on selective biotic survival across the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary.

Microclimate-driven trends in spring-emergence phenology in a temperate reptile (Vipera berus): Evidence for a potential "climate trap"?

Climate change can not only increase the exposure of organisms to higher temperatures but can also drive phenological shifts that alter their susceptibility to conditions at the onset of breeding cycles. Organisms rely on climatic cues to time annual life cycle events, but the extent to which climate change has altered cue reliability remains unclear. Here, we examined the risk of a “climate trap”—a climatically driven desynchronization of the cues that determine life cycle events and fitness later in the season in a temperate reptile, the European adder (Vipera berus). During the winter, adders hibernate underground, buffered against subzero temperatures, and re‐emerge in the spring to reproduce. We derived annual spring‐emergence trends between 1983 and 2017 from historical observations in Cornwall, UK, and related these trends to the microclimatic conditions that adders experienced. Using a mechanistic microclimate model, we computed below‐ and near‐ground temperatures to derive accumulated degree‐hour and absolute temperature thresholds that predicted annual spring‐emergence timing. Trends in annual‐emergence timing and subsequent exposure to ground frost were then quantified. We found that adders have advanced their phenology toward earlier emergence. Earlier emergence was associated with increased exposure to ground frost and, contradicting the expected effects of macroclimate warming, increased post‐emergence exposure to ground frost at some locations. The susceptibility of adders to this “climate trap” was related to the rate at which frost risk diminishes relative to advancement in phenology, which depends on the seasonality of climate. We emphasize the need to consider exposure to changing microclimatic conditions when forecasting biological impacts of climate change.

Landscape-species national inventory of animal habitats as a basis for hunting resources use and protection (on the sable example)

The purpose of our message is to characterize the principles used in national inventory development and to show possibilities of landscape-species approach for characterizing hunting resources distribution. This represents a certain scientific novelty. Quantitative data collection is based on the use of partial shooting (catching) method when mapping the results of cropping in the areas of commercial hunting areas. Cadastral developments are related to the quality of animals wildlife habitual area. On Irkutsk region territory, four regional complexes of sable habitats have been identified: Angarsk, Verkholensk and South Prebaikalsk, and Khamar-Daban. The basis for their identification was participation proportion in Siberian cedar composition for the first two and the presence of dwarf pine overgrowth for Khamar-Daban along with Verkholensk eastern part. The South CisBaikal complex of habitats, including Eastern Sayan habitats, is characterized primarily by the absence of dwarf pine overgrowth. The proposed methodological system for the inventory and assessment of game animals habitats is based on the ecological interpretation of landscape units (groups of geographic eco-elements). It makes it possible to take into account the regional characteristics of animal habitat and allows forecasting the dynamics of habitats. For the territory characterized by mapping on the principles of structural-dynamic landscape science, it is necessary to fully use the cartographic landscape basis on these principles. It is quite enough to select the best (optimal) habitats that provide animals with living conditions throughout the entire annual life cycle, and to protect them accordingly, as the basis for maintaining population homeostasis within the region; suboptimal - much worse, used mainly seasonally; and hunting areas are not peculiar to the species of animals, on which the species does not live and cannot live. The first two categories of habitats during mapping will make up the lace of the species range within the region, and all for a total, the habitats species national inventory, and at the same time strata for collecting initial data and extrapolating during counts. Thus, cadastral developments with a landscape- species approach make it possible to stratify the territory for subsequent counts of animals number of a certain species. This is especially important for economically significant species, which number state must be accurately tracked for their rational use.

Status, Distribution and Food Availability for Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) in Hassanganj and Bangarmau Tehsil under Unnao District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Almost all crane species rely on wetlands at some time during their annual life cycle, primarily for nesting but also for foraging and protective cover. Many species also have close affiliation with agricultural fields. The sarus cranes have coexisted with wetlands for thousands of years. The sarus crane is the tallest flying bird as categorized as Vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Sarus crane (Grus antigone) is a large nonmigratory bird. Their primary habitat included wetlands, marshes and water bodies. But now these sarus cranes species have adapted to using agricultural lands and crops in some way – consuming waste grains or other crops, feeding in rice paddies, or foraging in pastures. The regular observation was done from July 2020 to September 2021 in Hassanganj and Bangarmau tehsil under Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India. Total number of individuals was counted by using point count method. Total number of 526 sarus crane were observed --Adults ( 384 ) and Juvenile (142 ). Most of the sarus were observed in agricultural fields and water bodies. Present study concluded that there are moderate number of sarus crane in Unnao district but they are under threat due to encroachment of wetlands and expanding agriculture. They play important role in maintaining ecological balance. Crop fields provide abundant, predictable, and often high-energy foods that can be particularly valuable during flight and mating dance behaviour and have literally fueled their growing populations .They are eternal symbol of unconditional love, devotion and good fortune with high degree of marital fidelity.

NATIVE CAATINGA SPECIES FOR THE RECOVERY OF DEGRADED AREAS IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID REGION

ABSTRACT This study aimed to prospect, among the species that grow spontaneously in compacted landfills, native Caatinga plants with potential for ground cover in extremely impacted areas, with exposed soil. Initially, a general floristic survey was carried out in the four study areas. To prospect the species, data referring to the richness, coverage, and densification of plants in the herbaceous stratum were collected in each study area, using the method of plots. The selection was based on species-specific characteristics: origin, plant habit, life cycle, propagation, dispersion syndrome, coverage, densification, and allelopathic effect. The general floristic inventory revealed the presence of 73 species belonging to 63 genera and 26 botanical families. In the survey of the coverage and densification of the herbaceous stratum, 33 species belonging to 32 genera and 16 families were found, being the most representative: Fabaceae (5), Malvaceae (5), and Poaceae (5). As for the origin, 26 are native, one is naturalized, and six are exotic, of which 66.6% are in the Poaceae family. Moreover, most of these species are herbs, with an annual life cycle, dissemination through seeds, and present autochoric dispersion. The coverage and densification of these species ranged from 0.44% to 9.5% of the area and 1 to 4.44 of individuals/m2, respectively. The species Senna uniflora, Rhaphiodon echinus, Sida galheirensis, Mesosphaerum suaveolens, Hexasepalum teres, Waltheria rotundifolia, Trianthema portulacastrum, and Herissantia crispa showed potential for use in recovery plans for degraded areas based on the results presented by each of them in the parameters analyzed, especially in coverage, densification, dispersion syndrome, and life cycle.

Development of model for annual life cycle of sand lance coupled with a marine ecosystem model in the Osaka Bay and Harima-Nada

Development of model for annual life cycle of sand lance coupled with a marine ecosystem model in the Osaka Bay and Harima-Nada

The Simulation of the dynamics of 137Cs accumulation by freshwater fish

The study aimed to simulate the dynamics of 137Cs accumulation by freshwater fish under conditions of hypothetical radioactive contamination of water reservoirs in different seasons. The subject of research is the regularities of 137Cs accumulation by non-predatory fish species in eutrophic and oligotrophic water bodies. The dynamics of the 137Cs content in freshwater fish was calculated according to the content of radionuclides in water masses. The results of modeling the volumetric activity of 137Cs in water masses were used as an input parameter for the radionuclide accumulation in fish model. The fish organism was represented in the form of 3 independent related only by the balance equation; seasonal changes in the fish feeding intensity were taken into account in the modeling. The parameter that takes into account the contribution of the feeding intensity to the process of 137Cs intake into the fish organism has been determined. The features of the dynamics of 137Cs accumulation in eutrophic and oligotrophic water bodies fish are analyzed for cases of a hypothetical accidental input of 137Cs into ecosystems at the beginning of different periods of the annual life cycle of fish: 1st - from 1 to 31 March; 2nd - from 1 to 30 April; 3rd - from May 1 to September 19; 4th - from September 20 to October 19; 5th - from October 20 to November 30; 6th (freeze-up period) - from December 1 to February 28. The study has found that for a eutrophic water body the highest levels of 137Cs content in peaceful fish will be formed in the case of 137Cs entering ecosystems in spring (options 1–3). The maximum levels of 137Cs content in fish will be observed in the contamination period mentioned in option 3. Under hypothetical pollution in the autumn-winter period (options 4–6), the levels of 137Cs in peaceful fish will be approximately 2 times lower than in the case of pollution of the reservoir in spring. It has been found that the maximum value of the specific activity of 137Cs in fish from an oligotrophic water reservoir is not related to the season of pollution. However, the levels of fish pollution in the oligotrophic reservoir will be 1.5–2 times higher than those of the eutrophic one in options 1–3 and 3–4 times higher in options 4–6 . In the event of an emergency density of 137Cs fallout at the level of 4 kBq /m2 on the surface of different types of closed water reservoirs, its specific activity in peaceful fish will exceed the currently established permissible levels of fish products contamination. If the fallout density is twice as low (2kBq/ m2), the accumulation levels 137Cs by fishes of eutrophic water bodies will exceed the permissible standards in case of emergency inflows in spring. For oligotrophic water reservoirs, the guaranteed non-excess of the established standards in fish products is possible if the 137Cs fallout density is under 0.5 kBq /m2. Key words: fish, modeling, 137Cs, specific activity, hypothetical pollution, reservoirs of different trophic status.

Comparative Analysis of Fecal Bacterial Microbiota of Six Bird Species.

The gut microbiota contributes to host health by maintaining homeostasis and improving digestive efficiency. Therefore, identifying gut microbes will shed light on the annual life cycle of animals and in particular those that are threatened or endangered. Nonetheless, the gut microbial composition of the majority of bird species is still unknown. Here, for the first time, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to characterize and compare the community composition and diversity of gut microbiotas from six species of birds raised at the Wildlife Conservation Center in Baotou, China: relict gull (Larus relictus; n = 3), muscovy duck (Cairina moschata; n = 3), ruddy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea; n = 3), demoiselle crane (Anthropoides virgo; n = 4), whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus; n = 3), and black swan (Cygnus atratus; n = 5). A total of 26,616 operational taxonomic units from 21 samples were classified into 32 phyla and 507 genera. Chao1, Shannon diversity, observed species, and Simpson index analysis revealed differences in the community richness and diversity between the different species. Proteobacteria was the dominant bacterial phylum in whooper swan and relict gull, whereas Firmicutes was the dominant bacterial phylum in the other species. At the genus level, 11 dominant genera were detected (Lactobacillus, Psychrobacter, Enterococcus, Carnobacterium, Weissella, Burkholderia, Escherichia/Shigella, Leuconostoc, Buttiauxella, Desemzia, and Staphylococcus). Principal component and cluster analyses revealed that, while the microbial community composition of different individuals of the same species clustered together, the gut microbial composition varied between the bird species. Furthermore, the most abundant bacterial species differed between bird species. Because many avian gut microbes are derived from the diet, the eating habits and natural living environment of birds may be important contributing factors to the observed differences. Short-term changes to the diet and living environment have little effect on the composition of the avian gut microbiota. This study provides a theoretical basis for bird protection, including disease prevention and control.

Seasonal and regional differences in migration patterns and conservation status of Swan Geese (Anser cygnoides) in the East Asian Flyway

BackgroundThe Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides) breeds across Mongolia and adjacent China and Russia and winters exclusively in China. It is globally threatened, showing long-term major range contractions and declining abundance, linked to habitat loss and degradation. We remain ignorant about the biogeographical subpopulation structure of the species and potential differences in their migration timing, stopovers and schedules, information that could be vital to effective conservation of different elements of the species population, which we address here with results from a telemetry study.MethodsIn 2017–2018, we attached GPS/GSM telemetry devices to 238 Swan Geese on moulting sites in three discrete parts of their summering area (Dauria International Protected Area, Central Mongolia and Western Mongolia), generating 104 complete spring and autumn migration episodes to compare migration speed and nature between birds of different summer provenances.ResultsBirds from all three breeding areas used almost completely separate migration routes to winter sympatrically in the Yangtze River floodplain. Although many features of the spring and autumn migrations of the three groups were similar, despite the significantly longer migration routes taken by Western Mongolian tagged birds, birds from Dauria Region arrived significantly later in winter due to prolonged staging in coastal areas and took longer to reach their breeding areas in spring. Among birds of all breeding provenances, spring migration was approximately twice as fast as autumn migration. Areas used by staging Swan Geese (mainly wetlands) in autumn and spring almost never fell within national level protected areas, suggesting major site safeguard is necessary to protect these critical areas.ConclusionsThis study showed the discreteness of migration routes taken by birds of different summer provenances and differences in their migratory patterns, highlighting key staging areas (Yalu River Estuary in China/North Korea for Dauria Region breeding birds, Daihai Lake for Central Mongolian and Ordos Basin for Western Mongolian birds). Based on this new knowledge of the biogeographical subpopulation structure of the Swan Goose, we need to combine data on subpopulation size, their distribution throughout the annual life cycle and conservation status, to develop more effective conservation strategies and measures to reverse population decline throughout the range.

Migration routes, population status and important sites used by the globally threatened Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor): a synthesis of surveys and tracking studies

BackgroundThe Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) is a globally threatened species, nesting mainly in western Korea with smaller numbers breeding in Liaoning Province, China, and Far East Russia. Recent winter field surveys to estimate the species’ population size were almost totally conducted in coastal areas, but tracking studies showed that some individuals now winter inland. To ensure its long-term survival, we need a more comprehensive assessment of the current distribution and abundance of the species.MethodsWe combined the most recent count data and satellite tracking information to update existing information about the population abundance and distribution of the Black-faced Spoonbill at all stages of its annual life cycle, and how these have changed during 2004–2020.ResultsBlack-faced Spoonbills mainly breed on the west coast of the Korean peninsula, while immature birds show a wider summer distribution throughout Yellow Sea coastal areas, when a few remain on wintering sites in the south. Combined tracking results and mid-winter counts confirmed known wintering sites on the east and south coasts of China, but showed that the species also winters on wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain and in Southeast Asia. During 2004–2020, counts of wintering birds in coastal habitats increased from 1198 to 4864, with numbers wintering on the island of Taiwan contributing most to the overall increase. Latest counts found 5222 in 2021. We also identify key wintering and stopover sites as well as their current conservation status.ConclusionsThis study revised the known summering and wintering ranges of the Black-faced Spoonbill and assessed the conservation status of key sites based on a combination of field survey and satellite tracking data. We recommend prioritisation of further field research to identify and survey inland wintering areas in the Yangtze River floodplain and summering areas of immature birds. More tracking of adult individuals and birds during spring migration is necessary to fill these information gaps. We also suggest establishing a Black-faced Spoonbill monitoring platform to store, share and show real-time distribution range and population abundance data.

Size-related, seasonal and interdecadal changes in the diet of the Patagonian longfin squid Doryteuthis gahi in the South-western Atlantic

AbstractThe Patagonian longfin squid Doryteuthis gahi has an annual life cycle with two seasonal cohorts (autumn and spring spawners). Earlier studies on the Patagonian shelf found a predominance of Euphausiacea in the D. gahi diet, but no studies to date have investigated differences between feeding spectra of the two cohorts or decadal diet shifts. The present study investigated differences in diet of D. gahi on the Patagonian shelf sampled two decades apart, and differences between seasonal cohorts. Classical stomach content analysis and generalized additive models were used to investigate and model the influence of mantle length, sampling period and spawning cohort on the diet. Results revealed an ontogenetic diet change from ~70% Frequency of Occurrence of Euphausiacea in small squid to more than 60% FO of fish and Cephalopoda at larger sizes. Cannibalism was also frequently observed. Euphausiacea were ingested more frequently and in higher amounts during the austral summer and therefore were consumed more by the autumn spawning cohort, whereas fish was more frequently fed upon during austral winter and also by the spring spawning cohort. Cannibalism was also recorded more in austral winter months but, contrary to feeding on fish, was more prevalent in the autumn spawning cohort. Increased predation of Munida gregaria was observed in 2020 compared with 2001. This study is an important step towards improving the knowledge of D. gahi's two seasonal cohorts, providing data that can be used for future ecosystem modelling.

Migration routes, behavior and protection status of Eurasian Spoonbills (Platalea leucorodia) wintering in China

BackgroundThe Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) occurs throughout Eurasia and North and sub-Saharan Africa, with three recognized subspecies and six geographically distributed populations. However, in China, we knew almost nothing about migration routes, habitat use and effectiveness of current site protection measures for this species.MethodsWe deployed Global Positioning System/Global System for Mobile Communications (GPS/GSM) satellite trackers on 29 Eurasian Spoonbills captured in summer in Mongolia and northeastern China, to obtain complete migration routes data from 10 individuals from 19 complete migration episodes.ResultsTracking data showed no geographical overlap during the annual cycle in Eurasian Spoonbills marked in the two main summering areas. Birds marked in the Naoli River Basin in Heilongjiang Province, China, wintered along the Jiangsu coastline in China, while Eurasian Spoonbills from two discrete summering areas (in Inner and western Mongolia) overwintered inland in the Yangtze River floodplain of China. Excluding the single Inner Mongolian bird, spring migration was significantly faster than autumn migration in the other two groups of birds. Eurasian Spoonbills mainly used water, wetland and grassland habitats in summer, but almost exclusively water in winter. Lack of protection of staging sites used by all the birds in spring and poor levels of protection throughout the annual cycle for western Mongolian birds (5–22%) gives considerable cause for concern, although sites used in other time by East Mongolian and Naoli River birds in the rest of their annual life cycle enjoyed good levels of protection (49–95%).ConclusionsThese results revealed previously unknown relationships between summering and wintering areas, migration routes and stopover sites for Eurasian Spoonbills wintering in China, suggesting the existence of discrete biogeographical population units. They also identified winter habitat use of Eurasian Spoonbills in China, confirming open water habitats as being critical throughout the annual cycle, although based on small sample size, gaps in current site safeguard networks for these populations.

Migration and Wintering Locations of Breeding Eastern Willet (Tringa semipalmata semipalmata) in the Western Gulf of Mexico

Knowledge of the geographic linking of individuals or populations between different annual life cycle stages is essential for effective conservation decision making. The Willet (Tringa semipalmata) is composed of two distinct subspecies that are separated by breeding habitat in North America, with eastern Willets breeding in estuarine marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts and western Willets breeding in wet grasslands and prairies in the interior west of North America. We studied the migratory paths and wintering locations of Texas Gulf Coast breeding eastern Willets from 2015 to 2019 using light-level geolocators. Data analysis from 9 retrieved geolocators indicated that all birds departed Texas 5-26 July, made a 2–5-day flight, and arrived on the wintering grounds 8–30 July. All birds wintered on the Pacific coasts of Central and South America. In spring, the birds departed the wintering location 9–24 March, made a 3–4-day flight and arrived on the breeding grounds 12–27 March. These results are in contrast to previous work which showed that Atlantic breeding eastern Willets overwintered on the Atlantic coast in northern South America. This work has implications for shorebird conservation planning, which currently considers all Willets overwintering on the Pacific coast to be western Willets.

Ethnobotany of Weeds: Weed Flora of University of Maiduguri Teaching and Research Farm, Maiduguri Sudan Savanna, Borno State.

A survey was conducted at the University of Maiduguri Teaching and Research Farm (Sudan Savanna region of Nigeria) Maiduguri Borno State, between July and September, 2019. With aim of identifying weed species at the site, frequency of occurrence, morphological characteristics and their uses. The outcome of the survey shows that 51 (fifty-one) different weed species were identified belonging to 23 families (twenty-three). Most of the weeds identified have annual life cycle in nature except for some few weeds from tree seedlings which have perennial life cycle. Twenty (20) weeds species have high occurrence (above 70%). Morphologically, only the Poaceae families are among the grass type, Cyperaceae belonging to sedge type.All other 21 families are from the broad leaved type but further classified as shrubs, semi woody and woody plants. Almost all the weeds identified have medicinal, fodder, soup and mulch cover value to animals and man. Most important among them are Corchorus olitorius L., Panicum maximum Linn, Chloris pilosa Schumach., Faidherbia albida A. Cahev., Crotalaria medicaginea L., Calotropis procera (Aiton) W. T.

Strain-level analysis reveals the vertical microbial transmission during the life cycle of bumblebee

BackgroundMicrobial acquisition and development of the gut microbiota impact the establishment of a healthy host-microbes symbiosis. Compared with other animals, the eusocial bumblebees and honeybees possess a simple, recurring, and similar set of gut microbiota. However, all bee gut phylotypes have high strain-level diversity. Gut communities of different bee species are composed of host-specific groups of strains. The variable genomic regions among strains of the same species often confer critical functional differences, such as carbon source utilization, essential for the natural selection of specific strains. The annual bumblebee colony founded by solitary queens enables tracking the transmission routes of gut bacteria during development stages.ResultsHere, we first showed the changes in the microbiome of individual bumblebees across their holometabolous life cycle. Some core gut bacteria persist throughout different stages of development. Gut microbiota of newly emerged workers always resembles those of their queens, suggesting a vertical transmission of strains from queens to the newborn workers. We then follow the dynamic changes in the gut community by comparing strain-level metagenomic profiles of queen-worker pairs longitudinally collected across different stages of the nest development. Species composition of both queen and worker shifts with the colony’s growth, and the queen-to-worker vertical inheritance of specific strains was identified. Finally, comparative metagenome analysis showed clear host-specificity for microbes across different bee hosts. Species from honeybees often possess a higher level of strain variation, and they also exhibited more complex gene repertoires linked to polysaccharide digestion. Our results demonstrate bacterial transmission events in bumblebee, highlighting the role of social interactions in driving the microbiota composition.ConclusionsBy the community-wide metagenomic analysis based on the custom genomic database of bee gut bacteria, we reveal strain transmission events at high resolution and the dynamic changes in community structure along with the colony development. The social annual life cycle of bumblebees is key for the acquisition and development of the gut microbiota. Further studies using the bumblebee model will advance our understanding of the microbiome transmission and the underlying mechanisms, such as strain competition and niche selection.DndA2Lw_mPA4b2NMU2mTwyVideo

Lagrangian modeling of water circulation in the Lofoten Basin

Lagrangian particle tracking is implemented for the Lofoten Basin of the Norwegian Sea. The ocean dynamic fields are obtained from the GLORYS 12V1 reanalysis available by the Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service. Spatial distributions of the Lagrangian particles during May-November 2014 are analyzed for two depth layers: the sea-surface (0.5 m) and 266 m. The results show a significant impact of the Norwegian Coastal Current (NCC) on the thermohaline structure of the upper Lofoten Basin, underestimated previously. The NCC penetrates deep into the central Lofoten basin as far as the longitude 0°. In the subsurface layer, the area over which the NCC influences water structure is comparable to the area of the Norwegian Atlantic Slope Current (NASC), as well as to that of the Norwegian Atlantic Frontal Current (NAFC). The NCC maximum influence on the surface water of the Basin is reached in August. The inflow of the NCC is associated with relatively fresh water intrusions (0.5–2‰ fresher than the surrounding waters) moving from the coast to the central part of the Basin. The NASC and NAFC form two main sources of the Atlantic Water in the Lofoten Basin. At 266 m level, the NASC and NAFC waters dominate water structure in the basin. Herewith the NASC influence prevails over that of the NAFC, the latter being limited to the western periphery of the Basin. At this level, the NCC is observed only along a narrow band following the eastern coast. During summer, the core of the Lofoten Vortex (LV) at 266 m is mainly composed of the NAFC water. This fact contradicts the previous point of view of the dominance of the NASC in the LV core at all depth levels. Using two types of Lagrangian maps, we highlighted the summer and the autumn periods in the LV annual lifecycle. The summer LV is characterized by high orbital velocities, which are several times higher than those of the currents along the basin boundaries. The monthly mean orbital velocities in the LV reach 35 сm s−1. To the end of autumn, the LV weakens with the monthly mean orbital velocities below 10 cm s−1.

Evaluation of a two-season banding program to estimate and model migratory bird survival.

The management of North American waterfowl is predicated on long-term, continental-scale banding implemented prior to the hunting season (i.e., July-September) and subsequent reporting of bands recovered by hunters. However, single-season banding and encounter operations have a number of characteristics that limit their application to estimating demographic rates and evaluating hypothesized limiting factors throughout the annual cycle. We designed and implemented a two-season banding program for American Black Ducks (Anas rubripes), Mallards (A. platyrhynchos), and hybrids in eastern North America to evaluate potential application to annual life cycle conservation and sport harvest management. We assessed model fit and compared estimates of annual survival among data types (i.e., pre-hunting season only [July-September], post-hunting season only [January-March], and two-season [pre- and post-hunting season]) to evaluate model assumptions and potential application to population modeling and management. There was generally high agreement between estimates of annual survival derived using two-season and pre-season only data for all age and sex cohorts. Estimates of annual survival derived from post-season banding data only were consistently higher for adult females and juveniles of both sexes. We found patterns of seasonal survival varied by species, age, and to a lesser extent, sex. Hunter recovered birds exhibited similar spatial distributions regardless of banding season suggesting banded samples were from the same population. In contrast, goodness-of-fit tests suggest this assumption was statistically violated in some regions and years. We conclude that estimates of seasonal and annual survival for Black Ducks and Mallards based on the two-season banding program are valid and accurate based on model fit statistics, similarity in survival estimates across data and models, and similarities in the distribution of recoveries. The two-season program provides greater precision and insight into the survival process and will improve the ability of researchers and managers to test competing hypotheses regarding population regulation resulting in more effective management.

Scaling and Structural Properties of Juvenile Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana).

SynopsisBull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), the only canopy-forming kelp in the Salish Sea, provides primary production in the nearshore subtidal environment and serves as an important habitat for economically and ecologically important species. An annual species, each year juvenile bull kelp sporophytes must grow from the hydrodynamically more benign benthos to the water column, where they experience substantial drag at the surface. Because of the differences in morphology and ecology across life stages, and the fact that previous work has focused mainly on adult bull kelp, we tested whether morphology and structural properties change with stipe length, investigating scaling of both juvenile (stipe length < 40 cm) and mature (stipe length > 40 cm) kelp, and testing how juvenile stipes fail. Juvenile bull kelp grow proportionally (isometric growth) when young, but lengthen more quickly than would be predicted by bulb size (negative allometry) at maturity. Based on our data, the predicted breakpoint between isometric and allometric growth occurred at about 33 cm, likely approximately one to two weeks of growth. Cross-sectional area of the stipe, force to failure, work to failure, and stiffness (Young's modulus) all grow more slowly than would be predicted based on length, while maximum stress and toughness increase more quickly than predicted. There is no change in extensibility over the size range we tested, suggesting that this material property does not change with stipe length. The differences in biomechanics between juvenile and adult kelp are likely a response to the varied hydrodynamic environments experienced during the annual life cycle, which highlights the importance of studying organisms across life stages.

Roof System Suitability for IT Mission-Critical Facilities

ABSTRACT Information technology (IT) mission-critical facilities house operations that, when interrupted, can prove disastrous to an organization's operations. Limited market research is available to determine what roof system types are best suited to meet the unique demands of these buildings. The purpose of this research was to rate the suitability of commonly used roofing systems for IT mission-critical facilities and determine their associated lifecycle costs. This research was performed with a leading US based telecommunications company to help evaluate roofing system options used in their IT mission-critical facilities. A survey was administered to roofing professionals across the US to obtain lifecycle cost information and ratings for various roofing systems. The research found that single-ply roofs generally had lower annual lifecycle costs than built-up roofs, due to lower installation and removal costs and increasing life expectancies. Metal roofs also had a low annual lifecycle cost due to the longer estimated lifespan. On the other hand, lowest installation cost was not the governing factor for recommended selection of roof systems for IT mission-critical structures. Rather, built-up and metal roofs were rated highest by roofing professionals, for their value in mission-critical facilities, ultimately indicating a necessary prioritization for risk reduction versus cost savings.

Did the animal move? A cross-wavelet approach to geolocation data reveals year-round whereabouts of a resident seabird

Considerable progress in our understanding of long-distance migration has been achieved thanks to the use of small geolocator devices (GLS). The tracking of resident or short-distance migrant animals remains however challenging because geolocation errors are substantial and difficult to estimate. This study aims to examine the sex-specific marine space uses of a resident tropical seabird, the masked booby (Sula dactylatra), during its full annual life cycle at the Fernando de Noronha archipelago (Brazil). Masked boobies (n = 31) tagged with GLS recording light intensity, seawater immersion, and water temperature showed a resident behaviour over their entire annual cycle. A wavelet analysis of GLS data revealed oscillatory patterns of inferred longitude correlated with changes in immersion frequency. This synchronicity demonstrated that birds traveled away and back from the colony on consecutive trips of short length (\(\sim\) 2–4 days) and short range (\(\sim\) 100–300 km) eastward of the colony. Duration and range of trips depended on the sex of the individual and on the time of the year. Trip duration increased gradually from the end of the breeding period to the post-breeding period, probably due to the release of the central-place breeding constraints. During the pre-breeding period, females had farther ranges eastward and spent more time in water than males. Despite inherent limits of light-based geolocation, this study demonstrates the relevance of synchronicity analysis of GLS data for investigating year-round movements of resident or short-distance migrants.