Daily Survival Research Articles

Cortical maps of somatosensory perception in human

Tactile and movement-related somatosensory perceptions are crucial for our daily lives and survival. Although the primary somatosensory cortex is thought to be the key structure of somatosensory perception, various cortical downstream areas are also involved in somatosensory perceptual processing. However, little is known about whether cortical networks of these downstream areas can be dissociated depending on each perception, especially in human. We address this issue by combining data from direct cortical stimulation (DCS) for eliciting somatosensation and data from high-gamma band (HG) elicited during tactile stimulation and movement tasks. We found that artificial somatosensory perception is elicited not only from conventional somatosensory-related areas such as the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices but also from a widespread network including superior/inferior parietal lobules and premotor cortex. Interestingly, DCS on the dorsal part of the fronto-parietal area including superior parietal lobule and dorsal premotor cortex often induces movement-related somatosensations, whereas that on the ventral one including inferior parietal lobule and ventral premotor cortex generally elicits tactile sensations. Furthermore, the HG mapping results of the movement and passive tactile stimulation tasks revealed considerable similarity in the spatial distribution between the HG and DCS functional maps. Our findings showed that macroscopic neural processing for tactile and movement-related perceptions could be segregated.

Ordinal Date and Tree Diameter Influence Swallow-Tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) Nest Survival

ABSTRACT Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) continue to rebound from population declines during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and they are considered a species of concern in several southeastern states in the United States. During 2018–2019, we located and monitored 132 active Swallow-tailed Kite nests in and around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Wildlife and Environmental Area in southwest Florida, USA, to determine how nest site characteristics affect nest survival. Including both years, the earliest active nest (with eggs or young) was discovered on 12 March and the latest nest fledged young on 23 July. Modeled survival of nests from the onset of incubation to fledging was 57.7% (95% CI: 44.5–68.9) and apparent nest survival was 48.7%. Daily survival rate was negatively correlated with ordinal date. Consequently, nests initiated early in the nesting season (mid-March) were more than three times as likely to fledge young as nests initiated late in the season (mid-May). Daily nest survival was positively correlated with nest tree diameter at breast height, indicating that Swallow-tailed Kites had greater nest survival when using larger, more mature trees. We found 99.0% (n = 102) of Swallow-tailed Kite nests in south Florida slash pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa) trees and one nest in bald cypress (Taxodium distichum). Trees used for nesting in our study area were among the largest nest trees reported for the species. Our results suggest that the large pine trees and large cypress trees formerly available in old growth bottomland hardwoods and lowland pine forests of the United States may have provided superior nesting opportunities for Swallow-tailed Kites.

Digital competences of older women in Turkey: gender and ageing as double danger

ABSTRACT The Internet is a massive technological breakthrough in terms of interpersonal communication and social connectivity, facilitating citizenship practices of societies of modern life; yet its potential in the inclusion and empowerment of older adults is hampered by low levels of technology usage and often limited digital competences. Many older adults remain relatively distant from modern digital life, further isolated from society and daily public services. Older adults are considered disadvantaged, tend to live dependent upon others, and occasionally deprived of human and social capital. This divide has been more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for older women. Promoting specific actions to improve digital competences can contribute to digital inclusion, particularly for disadvantaged segments of society. This study presents findings from a field research conducted to determine the digital competence levels of older women living in southwest Turkey as part of a nationally funded project. Field notes and survey data collected from 377 older women revealed that digital competence may improve through education, that challenges included dependency, safety/fear, and stoicism, and that any support, social interaction, or training offered to older adults could help them to improve their digital competences and self-confidence for daily survival in the digital age, enabling more independent and self-sufficient living in their later years. Future directions include social connectedness and intergenerational interaction for digital competence, lifelong learning activities and training programmes on digital skills and ICT usage for older adults, and improved designs of digital products to prevent their exclusion from today’s technology-dominated society.

Why hibernate? Tests of four hypotheses to explain intraspecific variation in hibernation phenology

Abstract Hibernation is a remarkable behaviour deployed by a diverse array of endotherms within many clades that greatly reduces metabolic need, but also has somatic costs. Hibernation in modern endotherms is often assumed to be an adaptation allowing animals to avoid extreme thermal conditions or food shortages in seasonal environments. However, many animals hibernate when foraging conditions are energetically profitable, suggesting other causal factors influence hibernation behaviour. Understanding the selection pressures responsible for intraspecific variation in the timing and duration of hibernation can help elucidate the relative evolutionary influences of the ultimate ecological causes of hibernation. We tested four previously proposed mechanistic hypotheses to explain intraspecific variation in hibernation phenology in the federally threatened northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus): (1) thermal tolerance, (2) food limitation, (3) predation avoidance and (4) sexual selection. The predation avoidance and sexual selection hypotheses received the most support, although we also found some support for the thermal tolerance and food limitation hypotheses. Heavy squirrels increased hibernation duration regardless of environmental conditions, as predicted solely by the predation avoidance hypothesis. Reproductive males emerged from hibernation earlier in spring than other sex–age classes, a pattern predicted by the sexual selection hypothesis. Temperature and food availability explained a much smaller amount of the variation in hibernation behaviour, only partially supporting predictions of the thermal tolerance and food limitation hypotheses. Our results indicate that animals navigate life‐history trade‐offs between energetic allocation to survival and reproduction via state‐dependent optimization of hibernation phenology. Consequently, any future environmental changes that influence body condition will have implications for population ecology and life‐history evolution of hibernating animals due to stark differences in daily survival probability between hibernation and the active season. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Vector Surveillance for Lymphatic Filariasis After Mass Drug Administration in an Endemic Area: A Case Study in Bekasi

Introduction: Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) re-transmission in endemic areas that have completed mass drug administration (MDA) should be a concern. Entomological data are required to support the elimination of LF. This research aims to present bionomic and evaluative evidence of Wuchereria bancrofti in Culex quinquefasciatus in Bekasi. Methods: Entomological surveys were carried out in Jatimulya Village, Bekasi, from October to November 2019. Female Cx. quinquefasciatus were caught using Human-baited Double Net traps (HDNs) both indoors and outdoors over a 12-hours (from 6 PM to 6 AM). Female mosquitos were subjected to ovary dissection to determine their longevity. In addition, the Man-Hour Density (MHD), Man-Biting Rate (MBR), Daily Survival Rate (DSR), and estimated longevity were calculated. Wuchereria bancrofti was detected using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) on dissected mosquitos. Results and Discussion: In total 673 female Cx. quinquefasciatus were collected. Culex quinquefasciatus' peak landing time was demonstrated between 12 and 3 AM. The values of Mosquito Parity Rate (MPR) and DSR are 22.88 and 0.692, respectively, implying that the estimated lifespan of dissected mosquitos ranged up to three days. The PCR analysis has revealed that none of the 48 pooled samples of Cx. quinquefasciatus are tested positive for W. bancrofti. Conclusion: Although this survey has found non-existent microfilaria in the LF vector Cx. quinquefasciatus, routine vector monitoring, and surveillance are still required to ensure the long-term viability of the LF elimination program.

Are breeding activities risky for northern bobwhites? An assessment of survival costs of reproduction

Behaviors associated with breeding can increase mortality risk. This increased risk can be thought of as a cost of reproduction. Increased movements prior to breeding are common as individuals search for food and breeding sites. These increased movements are thought to entail greater predation risks as individuals travel through unfamiliar areas but few studies have looked at how these prebreeding movements affect survival, especially at a fine temporal resolution. Costs of reproduction may also occur during reproduction. For birds, incubation and brood‐rearing can increase predation risk because individuals spend most of their time at nest sites or with broods, which may make them more easily detected and captured by predators. Using time‐ and individual‐specific predictors of survival, I examined the relationship between survival, movements, habitat use and breeding status of northern bobwhites Colinus virginianus in Colorado, USA. I found that prebreeding ranges were larger for breeders (29 ha) than non‐breeders (18.7 ha) but daily movement distance was not different (163 m). Range size did not affect survival; however, longer recent daily movement distances (within 10 days) resulted in higher survival. Breeding status also affected survival; laying individuals experienced the highest daily survival rates followed by incubating, non‐breeding and brood‐rearing individuals. Overall, there appears to be a survival cost of reproduction for individuals during brood‐rearing, but I found no evidence that increased movements results in decreased survival.

Ethnography, cacophony, and Lebanon as a zone of prestige in the anthropology of the Middle East

Ethnography, cacophony, and Lebanon as a zone of prestige in the anthropology of the Middle East

Overwintering diapause and survival of western Leucotaraxis argenticollis, a promising biological control agent for Adelges tsugae, in the eastern United States

Successful use of biological control agents can be improved with a thorough understanding of the life history, survival, diapausing strategy, and synchrony with the host in the introduced range. Introduction of a novel organism can be influenced by abiotic factors that can impact the interactions with their target prey. Leucotaraxis argenticollis (Zetterstedt) and Le. piniperda (Malloch) (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae) are two species of predatory fly showing promise in the biological control program to manage the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae (Annand)(Hemiptera: Adelgidae), in eastern North America. Field releases of these Leucotaraxis spp. began in 2015, but little is known about their potential for survival or how they overwinter. In an effort to explore Le. argenticollis establishment potential, laboratory reared puparia were observed at seven sites, across a latitudinal gradient, on the east coast and one site on the west coast (native range) of North America from July 20, 2020, to June 1, 2021. Leucotaraxis piniperda puparia were included at five sites and observed to be diapausing in a different stage or using a different cue. Adult Le. argenticollis emerged in spring 2021, after successfully overwintering as puparia, with a subset emerging in summer-fall 2020 at all observation sites. Results suggest that 1) the interaction of mean daily fall maximum temperatures and relative humidity has the most impact on survival, 2) mean daily minimum fall temperatures influence induction/maintenance of diapause, and 3) mean average daily fall temperatures and relative humidity impact survival to spring emergence. Substantial variation in survival and facultative diapause of Le. argenicollis was observed along a latitudinal gradient, potentially influencing predator establishment, supporting the need for continued research.

Experimental translocation for restoration of an ecosystem engineer

The longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) savanna ecosystem in North America has declined by 97% from its historic range and its restoration is a conservation priority. The southeastern pocket gopher (Geomys pinetis), an ecosystem engineer in longleaf pine savannas, is absent from most of its historic range. Translocation of pocket gophers may be needed to reestablish ecosystem services of restored longleaf savannas. To determine translocation feasibility, we quantified survival, site fidelity, and homing of pocket gophers translocated using soft releases (with a starter burrow system; n = 13), hard releases (without a starter burrow system; n = 17), or released into their own burrows (control; n = 10). Naïve survival was 46 and 35% for soft‐ and hard‐released individuals, respectively, and 80% for controls. Most mortalities of translocated individuals (75.0%) occurred within 12 days. Including all radiotagged pocket gophers, daily survival of soft‐released animals ( = 0.990) was intermediate between hard‐released ( = 0.986) and controls ( = 0.993), and only hard‐released was lower than controls. Using only individuals that survived greater than 14 days, we found no difference in daily survival. Site fidelity was low, with 70% of translocated pocket gophers making aboveground movements away from release point. However, soft‐released individuals stayed at the release point three times longer than hard‐released animals. No pocket gopher exhibited homing. Our results suggest translocation has potential for establishing pocket gopher populations into restored longleaf pine savannas and that mitigating mortality during establishment will increase the likelihood of success.

Lead exposure is correlated with reduced nesting success of an urban songbird

Lead exposure is a concern in urban ecosystems, with physiological and behavioral effects well documented in humans. Wildlife inhabiting urban ecosystems are also exposed to lead, yet little work has documented the sublethal effects of lead exposure in urban wildlife. We studied northern mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) in three neighborhoods of New Orleans, Louisiana, two with high soil lead and one with low soil lead, to better understand how lead exposure may influence mockingbirds' reproductive biology. We monitored nesting attempts, measured lead concentrations in blood and feathers of nestling mockingbirds, documented egg hatching and nesting success, and assessed rates of sexual promiscuity in relation to neighborhood soil lead levels. We found that nestling mockingbirds’ blood and feather lead levels reflected the soil lead levels of their neighborhoods and nestling blood lead levels were similar to those of adult mockingbirds in the same neighborhoods. Nest success, as evaluated by daily nest survival rates, was higher in the lower lead neighborhood. Clutch sizes varied substantially across neighborhoods, but rates of unhatched eggs did not covary with neighborhood lead levels, suggesting that other drivers are influencing variation in clutch sizes and hatching success in urban habitats. At least one-third of nestling mockingbirds were sired by an extra-pair male, and there was no relationship between extra-pair paternity rates and neighborhood lead levels. This study provides insight on how lead contamination may influence reproduction in urban-dwelling wildlife and suggests that nestling birds could serve as useful bioindicators of lead levels in urban neighborhoods.

A potential consequence for urban birds’ fitness: Exposed anthropogenic nest materials reduce nest survival in the clay-colored thrush

Urban bird dwellers survive and reproduce in highly urbanized ecosystems. Some individuals adjust to these novel conditions by changing natural nesting materials for artificial materials, thus making nests more conspicuous in the environment. The consequences of using artificial materials for nesting remain poorly understood, especially from a nest-predator perspective. We studied if exposed artificial materials on bird nests affect the daily survival rate in a common dweller species, the clay-colored thrush (Turdus grayi). We used previously collected nests with a different area of exposed artificial materials and placed them with clay eggs on the main campus of the Universidad de Costa Rica. During 12 days of the reproductive season, we monitored the nests using trap cameras located in front of each nest. We found that nest survival decreased as the proportion of exposed artificial materials increased in the nest and, unexpectedly, that the principal predators were conspecifics. Thus, artificial materials used in the outer layer of nests make them more susceptible to predation. The use of artificial materials likely reduce reproductive success and population size in urban clay-colored thrush, but further field experiments measuring the effect of waste in birds' nests on the reproductive success of urban birds are needed.

Is green the new black? Black-backed Woodpecker vital rates do not differ between unburned and burned forests within a pyrodiverse landscape

AbstractWoodpeckers often reflect rapid changes to forest health and serve as indicator species to help guide forest management decisions. The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is known for its strong association with recently burned forests and is a species of conservation concern due to habitat loss stemming from post-fire management of burned forest. Several studies have found the Black-backed Woodpecker occupying extensive areas of unburned (i.e., green) forests in the western part of its range during the breeding season, raising questions about whether green forests can support viable nesting populations in this region. We studied breeding Black-backed Woodpeckers in southern Oregon, USA to evaluate whether 2 vital rates critical to population recruitment—nest survival and post-fledging survival—differed between green and burned forests. During 2018, 2019, and 2021, we monitored 91 Black-backed Woodpecker nests (n = 34 in green forest, n = 57 in burned forest) and found that neither daily nest survival rate nor reproductive output (i.e., the number of fledglings per successful nest) differed between nests located in green and burned forest; however, nestling body condition was slightly enhanced in green forest. We also quantified survival of recently fledged individuals using VHF radio telemetry and found that the survival rate of birds in green forest was nearly identical to those in burned forest, with most mortalities occurring within 4 weeks of fledging. Our results indicate that Black-backed Woodpeckers in green forests were equally successful at breeding as conspecifics in recently burned forest, although densities of nesting pairs in green forest were lower than those in burned forest. Our findings indicate certain types of green forest, particularly mature lodgepole pine, can support viable populations of the Black-backed Woodpecker in the western portion of its range. This finding has conservation implications given that green forest occupies much of the forested landscape in this region and is often juxtaposed to areas subjected to high severity fire. Therefore, practices that promote pyrodiversity—landscape-level spatial and temporal variability in fire effects—as well as connectivity between green and burned forest within fire-prone landscapes are likely to provide the greatest conservation benefit for this species.

Nest‐site features influence nest survival of the Hellmayr's pipit in extensive cattle‐grazed grasslands

AbstractThe Pampas Grasslands in South America have been almost completely transformed by urbanization and agriculture. Many grassland birds persist only in extensive natural pasturelands, which are under constant pressure from fragmentation, cattle‐grazing, and exotic plant species. Identifying which habitat features affect bird breeding success is important for their conservation in altered habitats, although few studies have been conducted in the Pampas Grasslands. We analyzed the influence of habitat features on the daily nest survival rates (DSR) of the Hellmayr's pipit (Anthus hellmayri), a grassland passerine endemic to South America, in a cattle‐grazed grassland. We evaluated the effects of vegetation features at a nest‐site scale, proximity to habitat edges, cattle density, and temporal factors. During 3 breeding seasons (2017–2020), we confirmed the fate of 90 nests, 25 of which were successful (27.8%). Predation was the most common cause of failure (80%), followed by weather‐induced abandonment (10.8%). Average DSR was 0.9106, with a cumulative survival probability of only 7.4%. The best model indicated that DSR was higher in nests adjacent to grass clumps than in those placed in depressions and followed a quadratic trend with nest age. Clump nests may be better protected from aerial predators and rainfall; hence pipits could be more successful in areas with more grass clumps. The very low nest success raises concern regarding the value of these grazing fields as breeding habitats; we urge authorities and landowners to increase conservation efforts in the remaining natural grasslands in the Pampas.

Editorial

Over the last few months, grassroots activists based in urban Russia have got involved in humanitarian projects supporting the inhabitants of Mariupol, a city almost fully destroyed by what the Russian government calls a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. Control over the city was surrendered to the Russian military in May 2022. Volunteers provide survivors of a three-month-long siege with clothes, food, medicine and firewood – the latter being important as heavy bombardment and severe fighting have damaged the heating systems of residential apartment blocks, which means that many individual apartments are kept warm this winter with the help of home- or industrially made metal wood-burning stoves. Yet, apart from bringing these material necessities to Mariupol, volunteers also return with new perspectives on the conflict. ‘Mariupolitans are remarkably resilient’, explained one of the volunteers. But they also pointed to the ‘flip side’ of this resilience: ‘This woman, for instance, thinks that after managing her daily survival thanks to the stuff that we bring, things might start looking up and [that] she might be eventually able to continue as before, living essentially a European life’. Volunteers saw their duty here also in explaining that the inhabitants of Mariupol had yet to fully grasp what kind of society they were now a part of. Conveying new regimes of silence and hierarchies can be seen as a form of grassroots humanitarianism. The present special issue of Social Anthropology/Anthropologie Sociale explores cases of humanitarianism and their sociohistorical conditioning.

GULAG in the memories of prisoners: gender and chronological aspects of content analysis

The periodization of political repression in the USSR was and remains an urgent issue in the study of the GULAG. According to A.V. Bakunin, when determining the main stages of political repression in the USSR, it is necessary to proceed from the periodization of Soviet totalitarianism, which includes three main stages: the formation (genesis) of totalitarianism (1917–1929), the domination (apogee) of totalitarianism (1929–1953), stagnation and collapse of totalitarianism (1953–1991). After 1991, the mass publication of memoirs of former prisoners of Soviet camps has begun, and it is the memories that are the main source for our research. As part of the current work, we hypothesize that the perception and transmission of memories of the camps may be influenced by the period or stage of repression in which the prisoners served time. The conducted content analysis of memoirs of former GULAG prisoners in subgroups by gender and stage of political repression allows us to conclude that in all subgroups of documents the categories of "Power", "Life" and "Work" dominate, regardless of the stage of political repression and the gender of the authors of the memoirs. This confirms the thesis that in the memory of former prisoners, first of all, memories associated with daily survival in the camp and overcoming inhuman living and working conditions leave an imprint. At the same time, it can be noted that in the subgroups with a small number of incoming documents and marked elements, for example, in the subgroup "women, dates of arrest from 1918 to 1922", significant deviations in the frequency of occurrence are observed – bright connections of atypical categories are revealed. Conversely, the more texts and the larger the studied subgroup, the more common features of the perception of camp life appear. This confirms the hypothesis about the massive nature of large arrays of thematically similar texts.

Mammalian predators and vegetated nesting habitat drive reduced protected area nesting success of Kentish plovers, Yellow Sea region, China.

Protected areas provide essential habitats for wildlife by conserving natural and semi-natural habitats and reducing human disturbance. However, whether breeding birds vulnerable to nest predation can benefit from strict land management in the protected area is unclear. Here, we compare the nesting performance of two groups of a ground-nesting shorebird, the Kentish plover (Charadrius alexandrinus), in the protected area (Liaohekou Natural Reserve, hereinafter PA), and the control non-protected area (non-PA) around the Liaohekou Natural Reserve, in the north of the Yellow Sea, China, and identify which environmental factors, such as nesting habitat and nest materials, influence the daily nest survival rate (DSR). We found similar nesting habitats in both study areas, dominated by bare land or Suaeda salsa grassland. However, DSR was lower in PA (0.91 ± 0.01) than in non-PA (0.97 ± 0.01). Kentish plovers nesting in areas with vegetation cover experienced lower DSR than in bare lands in both areas, and nests built with materials of S.salsa sticks had the lowest DSR in the bare land. Data from infrared cameras confirmed relatively higher predator abundances and nest predation rates by nocturnal mammals, such as Eurasian badgers (Meles meles), in PA than in non-PA, and this pattern was especially evident for plover nests located in S.salsa grassland. Our results suggest that Liaohekou Natural Reserve protected area may not necessarily provide safe nesting sites for Kentish plovers due to the abundance of generalist mammal nest predators. However, the PA includes about 80% of the nests from both locations. This means the contribution of the total number of successful nests continues to be much higher within PA, with the benefit for the species that this brings in terms of conservation. The variation and mechanisms underlying differences in the nest predator communities of PA and non-PA deserve further study.

Factors influencing survival of female eastern wild turkeys in northeastern South Dakota

AbstractPopulation growth can be sensitive to changes in survival rates for many avian species. Understanding sources of mortality, and how to mitigate negative effects on survival, can give managers insight into factors contributing to population change. Harvest trends of eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) in northeastern South Dakota suggest a decline in abundance. We investigated factors influencing survival of wild turkeys to identify potential factors contributing to the decline. We monitored 122 female wild turkeys using VHF radio transmitters from February 2017 to April 2019. Annual survival was 0.52 (95% CI = 0.33–0.64) for juvenile and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.23–0.63) for adult females, respectively. Daily survival probability was significantly lower during the spring (log‐odds ratio [LOR] = −0.9; 95% CI = −1.5–−0.2) and while a juvenile female was incubating (LOR = −0.67; 95% CI = −1.23–−0.09) but not while an adult female was incubating (LOR = −0.35; 95% CI = −0.92–0.24). Mammalian predation was the leading cause of mortality, and female wild turkeys were most vulnerable to predation during the spring while engaging in nesting and rearing of young broods. Wild turkeys were at risk for additional sources of mortality while incubating nests that were not contributors to mortality during other periods of the year, as deaths caused by haying equipment—the second greatest cause of mortality—only occurred while a female was incubating. Reducing female mortality due to haying, by delaying cutting, installing flushing bars on haying equipment, or increasing availability of suitable nesting cover types to reduce the probability of nesting in hayfields, could improve female survival. Annual survival during our study was about 16–29% lower than survival estimates from northeastern South Dakota during the 1990s, suggesting that reduced female survival could be contributing to the apparent decline in wild turkey abundance.

European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) Nest Predation: A Study with Artificial Nests

Nest predation significantly impacts the population decline of the long-living European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis). Kis-Balaton is one of the most important habitats of this species in Hungary, and in May 2017 more than 400 damaged nests were counted. To reveal predation pressure, we conducted a study with artificial nests on three sites in this area. On each site, we used 11 depredated real nests, and near each of them, we created new artificial nests; then in every nest we put one quail egg, one plasticine egg and several turtle egg shells. After that, we sprayed the smoothed surface of the covered holes with water-diluted turtle urine, imitating the turtle's behaviour. Already in the first three nights, 94% of all nests were depredated by the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and in one case by the European badger (Meles meles), which was confirmed by the bite marks preserved on the plasticine eggs, by the footprints and excrements found near the nests, as well as by camera recordings. Only 6% of the nests survived during the three weeks of our study. Daily survival rates of quail eggs in artificial nests established in both real (damaged) and in new nests were similar, suggesting that estimates obtained with artificial nests reflect the degree of predation pressure on real nests. On the site where the nests were scattered, their daily survival rate (33%) was significantly lower than on the sites where their arrangement was partly scattered, partly linear (83%), or only linear (76%). On two additional sites, by using simulated turtle nests we showed that spraying the nests with diluted turtle urine and marking them with a flag did not affect their survival, although further methodological testing is needed. The information obtained with artificial nests enables the organization of the protection of the nests of the European pond turtle and selective predator control.

PENGABDIAN MASYARAKAT PROYEK EKSPEDISI NUSANTARA (PENA): PELATIHAN PEMBUATAN NUGGET SAYUR SEBAGAI PRODUK OLAHAN BERNILAI GIZI DAN EKONOMIS TINGGI DI TENGAH PANDEMI COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in people's purchasing power and a reduction in the number of stock items as a form of suppressing household spending. Even so, the community certainly has basic material needs that must be met for daily survival, both in the form of clothing, food, and board, so the Proyek Ekspedisi Nusantara (PENA) is present as a student community that seeks to contribute to the village community in the form of innovation in the use of resources. agricultural products to help the community's economy. Through the creative economy program, PENA seeks to provide training on the use of agricultural products in Ngagrong Village, Boyolali, to be used as nutritious household consumption and economic value innovations which can later be used as business ideas for the community in the future. Through the implementation of the program from pre-activity, implementation of activities to post-activity, it can be concluded that PENA has an important contribution to facilitating the community to be able to take advantage of community agricultural products to reduce household food costs as well as become innovative business creative ideas that have the potential to be developed by the community. Based on the results of testimonies from the mothers of the program training targets, they are very enthusiastic because the use of vegetables as nuggets is a new thing for them and on the one hand it can be a new product to improve children's nutrition and in the future, it can become household economic land Keyword: Covid-19 Pandemic, Creative Economy, Vegetable Nugget, Empowerment, Proyek Ekspedisi Nusantara

Singing on the nest is a widespread behavior in incubating Northern Mockingbirds and increases probability of nest predation

Abstract In this study, we documented for the first time singing on the nest (SOTN) in 74% of 65 Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) nests that were monitored with continuous-running video cameras (8,353.9 hr sampled). As predicted, higher rates of SOTN significantly decreased daily survival rates of nests. SOTN occurred almost exclusively by females during the egg stage and in 86% (48 of 56) of nests for which we had sampling from the egg stage. While extensive at the population level, the average rate of SOTN per individual was low (5.24 ± 1.24 s SOTN per hour of video sampled). We found mixed support for the hypothesis that SOTN functions in territory maintenance. We found no support for the hypotheses that SOTN functions to coordinate parental care, defend nests, or aid in vocal learning. Given the limited attention SOTN has received and the mostly anecdotal accounts of it, our understanding of its costs and benefits is lacking. We conclude that while individual rates of SOTN are quite low, SOTN may be more widespread in populations than previously thought and that studies specifically designed to test hypotheses regarding potential functions are critically needed.