Resource Defense Research Articles

A population-level study reveals hidden patterns in resting site choice of free-ranging dogs

Abstract Rest is an essential biological activity for all animals. Urban animals encounter multiple anthropogenic disturbances while resting. Since free-ranging dogs (FRDs) have survived as a population in the Global South for centuries, they provide a unique opportunity to study adaptation to the human-dominated landscape. In a field-based study over 3 years, we documented resting behaviour and site selection in 66 dog groups (284 dogs) in India. Eleven physical parameters of the resting sites, along with biological activities such as mating and pup-rearing, season, and the time of day, affected their choice of resting sites. The frequency-rank distribution of the unique combinations of the 11 parameters followed a power-law distribution, suggesting underlying biological reasons for the observed preferences. Seven of these parameters were most consistently involved in site choice, explaining around 24% of the observations. FRDs prefer to rest near resources at the centre of their territory, where they have maximum visibility and minimal anthropogenic disturbance. They prefer concrete surfaces with low insect presence. Our results suggest that the FRDs choose resting sites that enable better resource and territory defence, foraging effectiveness, and insect avoidance. Urban planners can use these insights to reduce situations of conflict and build more inclusive urban areas.

The social and defensive function of olfactory behaviors in a pair-living sexually monogamous primate.

Olfactory behaviors serve a wide variety of social functions in mammals. Odor may signal information about attributes of individuals important for mating and reproduction. Olfactory behaviors, such as scent-marking, may also function as part of home range or resource defense strategies. We assessed the potential social and home range defense functions of olfactory behavior in a pair-living and sexually monogamous primate, Azara's owl monkey (Aotus azarae), in the Argentinian Chaco. This is the most extensive investigation of owl monkey olfactory behaviors in the wild. Individuals regularly performed olfactory behaviors (group mean + SD = 1.3 + 0.5 per hour). The patterns were generally comparable to those observed in studies of captive owl monkeys, except that urine washing was the most common behavior in the wild, as opposed to scent-marking and genital inspections. Most olfactory behaviors were performed by adults, and there were striking sex differences in genital inspections: almost all consisted of an adult male inspecting the paired adult female. These findings suggest that olfactory behaviors play an important role in signaling and coordinating reproduction among owl monkeys, particularly during periods of female conception and pregnancy. Additionally, our research indicates that these behaviors may also serve as a defense strategy for maintaining the core area of their home ranges. This study offers the first assessment of the role of olfactory behaviors in reproductive contexts and home range defense in pair-living, monogamous platyrrhine primates.

Plant economics spectrum governs leaf nitrogen and phosphorus resorption in subtropical transitional forests

BackgroundLeaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption is a fundamental adaptation strategy for plant nutrient conservation. However, the relative roles that environmental factors and plant functional traits play in regulating N and P resorption remain largely unclear, and little is known about the underlying mechanism of plant functional traits affecting nutrient resorption. Here, we measured leaf N and P resorption and 13 plant functional traits of leaf, petiole, and twig for 101 representative broad-leaved tree species in our target subtropical transitional forests. We integrated these multiple functional traits into the plant economics spectrum (PES). We further explored whether and how elevation-related environmental factors and these functional traits collectively control leaf N and P resorption.ResultsWe found that deciduous and evergreen trees exhibited highly diversified PES strategies, tending to be acquisitive and conservative, respectively. The effects of PES, rather than of environmental factors, dominated leaf N and P resorption patterns along the elevational gradient. Specifically, the photosynthesis and nutrient recourse utilization axis positively affected N and P resorption for both deciduous and evergreen trees, whereas the structural and functional investment axis positively affected leaf N and P resorption for evergreen species only. Specific leaf area and green leaf nutrient concentrations were the most influential traits driving leaf N and P resorption.ConclusionsOur study simultaneously elucidated the relative contributions of environmental factors and plant functional traits to leaf N and P resorption by including more representative tree species than previous studies, expanding our understanding beyond the relatively well-studied tropical and temperate forests. We highlight that prioritizing the fundamental role of traits related to leaf resource capture and defense contributes to the monitoring and modeling of leaf nutrient resorption. Therefore, we need to integrate PES effects on leaf nutrient resorption into the current nutrient cycling model framework to better advance our general understanding of the consequences of shifting tree species composition for nutrient cycles across diverse forests.

Bat mating systems-A review and recategorisation.

Mating systems, influenced by the social and ecological environment and individual attributes, are fundamental components of animal social organisation, impacting behaviour, animal distribution, ecosystem processes, individual reproductive success, and population dynamics. Bats are of particular interest for studies of mating systems as they are thought to exhibit a greater diversity in mating systems than any other mammalian order, and thus make great models for improving our fundamental understanding of causes and consequences of social organisation. Here, we review the current knowledge of bat mating systems. Our analyses show that research on bat mating systems has not kept pace with research on bats in general and that traditional typologies do not accommodate the mating system of several species. Therefore, we propose an alternative, functional framework to categorise mating systems of bats and by extension of other taxa. We argue that mating systems can be classified according to a male reproductive skew continuum, with an increasing skew from monogamy to true lekking. We include an additional category of lek-like mating system along the continuum to account for previous trans-categorical cases that have the appearance of resource defence but are functionally akin to a lek. The new framework has a total of seven categories: promiscuity, monogamy, female defence polygyny, resource defence polygyny, a lek-like mating system, exploded classical lek, and clustered classical lek. Applying this framework to bats reveals that lek mating systems are more prevalent in bats than previously recognised. It is our aim that this review and the proposed framework provide a greater understanding of bat mating systems particularly and provoke research into the factors that shape mating systems across animal taxa more generally.

QoS-Aware Power-Optimized Path Selection for Data Center Networks (Q-PoPS)

Data centers consume significant amounts of energy, contributing indirectly to environmental pollution through greenhouse gas emissions during electricity generation. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, information and communication technologies and networks account for roughly 10% of global energy consumption. Reducing power consumption in Data Center Networks (DCNs) is crucial, especially given that many data center components operate at full capacity even under low traffic conditions, resulting in high costs for both service providers and consumers. Current solutions often prioritize power optimization without considering Quality of Service (QoS). Services such as video streaming and Voice over IP (VoIP) are particularly sensitive to loss or delay and require QoS to be maintained below certain thresholds. This paper introduces a novel framework called QoS-Aware Power-Optimized Path Selection (Q-PoPS) for software-defined DCNs. The objective of Q-PoPS is to minimize DCN power consumption while ensuring that an acceptable QoS is provided, meeting the requirements of DCN services. This paper describes the implementation of a prototype for the Q-PoPS framework that leverages the POX Software-Defined Networking (SDN) controller. The performance of the prototype is evaluated using the Mininet emulator. Our findings demonstrate the performance of the proposed Q-PoPS algorithm in three scenarios. Best-case: Enhancing real-time traffic protocol quality without increasing power consumption. midrange-case: Replacing bottleneck links while preserving real-time traffic quality. Worst-case: Identifying new paths that may increase power consumption but maintain real-time traffic quality. This paper underscores the need for a holistic approach to DCN management, optimizing both power consumption and QoS for critical real-time applications. We present the Q-PoPS framework as evidence that such an approach is achievable.

Variation in responses to conspecific and heterospecific advertisement vocalizations in sympatric grasshopper mice (Onychomys).

Advertisement vocalizations that function in mate acquisition and resource defense within species may also mediate behavioral interactions among species. While olfactory signals play an important role in mate choice and territoriality in rodents, less is known about the function of acoustic signals in influencing interspecific interactions. In this study, we used playback experiments in the laboratory to assess the function of long-distance vocalizations within and among three sympatric species of grasshopper mice. We found that, within each species, individuals of both sexes varied widely in spontaneous vocal behavior and response to playback. The largest species (Onychomys leucogaster) was most responsive to conspecifics, but smaller O. arenicola and O. torridus exhibited no clear pattern in their vocal behavior and were even responsive to the white noise controls. Our results indicate that grasshopper mice are broadly responsive to a range of sounds that resemble calls and that long-distance vocalizations function primarily as signals that facilitate localization for subsequent close-distance assessment by both sexes in various social contexts. Variation in vocal responses among species may depend on competitive dominance, degree of interaction, acoustic similarity, or behavioral changes resulting from captivity. Replicating playback experiments in the field will help validate whether the observed variation in the laboratory reflects ecologically relevant patterns in nature.

A trait-based root acquisition-defence-decomposition framework in angiosperm tree species

To adapt to the complex belowground environment, plants make trade-offs between root resource acquisition and defence ability. This includes forming partnerships with different types of root associating microorganisms, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi. These trade-offs, by mediating root chemistry, exert legacy effects on nutrient release during decomposition, which may, in turn, affect the ability of new roots to re-acquire resources, thereby generating a feedback loop. However, the linkages at the basis of this potential feedback loop remain largely unquantified. Here, we propose a trait-based root ‘acquisition-defence-decomposition’ conceptual framework and test the strength of relevant linkages across 90 angiosperm tree species. We show that, at the plant species level, the root-fungal symbiosis gradient within the root economics space, root chemical defence (condensed tannins), and root decomposition rate are closely linked, providing support to this framework. Beyond the dichotomy between arbuscular mycorrhizal-dominated versus ectomycorrhizal-dominated systems, we suggest a continuous shift in feedback loops, from ‘high arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis-low defence-fast decomposition-inorganic nutrition’ by evolutionarily ancient taxa to ‘high ectomycorrhizal symbiosis-high defence-slow decomposition-organic nutrition’ by more modern taxa. This ‘acquisition-defence-decomposition’ framework provides a foundation for testable hypotheses on multidimensional linkages between species’ belowground strategies and ecosystem nutrient cycling in an evolutionary context.

Plant trait approach to assess the vulnerability of Rhododendron arboreum in western Himalayas

Climate change is profoundly impacting Himalayan ecosystems, with substantial challenges to keystone species like Rhododendron arboreum. Present study attempted to investigate R. arboreum response to varying environmental conditions at altitudes between 1500 and 3000 m in three western Himalayan temperate forests, through evaluating plant functional traits. IPCC's internal vulnerability framework, characterised by two dimensions: sensitivity and adaptive capacity was applied. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied to elucidate the relationship between traits and the dimensions. Sensitivity was analysed using sub components like Light Harvesting, Nutrient and Gas Fluxes, while adaptive capacity by Resource Efficiency, Architecture and Defence, Resource Limitation and Resource Facilitation. The results revealed high sensitivity (0.64) in moru oak forests, high adaptive capacity in moist temperate deciduous forests (0.59), and high vulnerability in ban oak forests (0.54). SEM Models for sensitivity and adaptive capacity were significant. Sensitivity exhibited positively significant influence of Nutrient and Gas Fluxes with path coefficient of 1.07 and 0.80, respectively. Adaptive capacity showed a positive relationship with the Resource Limitation and Architecture and Defence, while a negative relationship with Resource Facilitation, with a path coefficient of 0.94, 0.42 and −0.11, respectively. Overall, the vulnerability of R. arboreum to environmental changes is shaped by a complex interplay of physical characteristics (morphological), biological functions (physiological), and interactions with surroundings (ecological). These insights underscore the importance of understanding trait vulnerability dynamics for effective forest management strategies amidst changing environmental conditions.

Food safety regulations implementation and their impact on food security level in Malaysia: A review

The purpose of the present review paper is to provide a preliminary review related to current research on the implementation of food safety regulations, and the impact on three dimensions of food security level namely food resources, food production, and logistics. All 16 research papers published in 2016 - 2023 on implementation of food regulations among food industries in Malaysia were collected from Google Scholar and discussed herein. The main factors that contribute to low number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with food safety assurance certification are due to high certification and business renovation costs, language barrier between industries and authorities, as well as lack of motivation and knowledge among SMEs. In addition, the negligence of food manufacturers in following regulations leaves negative impact on Malaysia’s food security level. The present review suggests future research on food fraud, food defence, and stability of food resources to secure higher level of food safety and security.

Dawn of snake sociality: resource defence and social behaviours of Lycodon semicarinatus foraging on sea turtles

Abstract Snakes are traditionally considered to be the least social among non-avian reptiles. Therefore, social behaviours that are not related to mating have rarely been studied in wild snakes. Nonetheless, in two species of snakes, Lycodon semicarinatus and Oligodon formosanus, intraspecific interactions unrelated to mating have been reported among individuals that forage on sea turtles and cluster around sea turtle nests. In this study, we conducted a field survey on L. semicarinatus on a sandy beach on Okinawa Island for four years by route census and fixed videography to quantify interactions between individuals that occurred at sea turtle nests. Snakes repelled conspecifics from the nest by using a ritual combat dance. Whether the snakes attacked the conspecific depended on the opponent at the nest. Some snakes waited for the conspecific to leave the nest. This decision-making may be based on individual recognition by chemical cues, because the snakes exhibited frequent tongue-flicking toward the occupant before contacting. Their tongue-flicking duration was significantly longer when the subsequent response was attacking than when it was fleeing. These intraspecific interactions imply the occurrence of territoriality and suggest the possible occurrence of a dominance hierarchy in L. semicarinatus. A comparison of L. semicarinatus with a previous study on O. formosanus revealed that they express different social interactions, although the two species use a similar feeding environment. Oligodon formosanus removes conspecifics from the nest by simply biting, but L. semicarinatus competed for the priority to access the nest by combat dance, and its decision-making whether to challenge the combat dance changed flexibly depending on the opponent. In addition, several L. semicarinatus that did not challenge the combat dance waited for hours near the opponent that were foraging on the nest. Lycodon semicarinatus exhibited behaviours to avoid encounter and fights with conspecific individuals. Although there are differences in the social level between the two snake species, the exploitation of a food resource that contains large numbers of prey in one place, such as sea turtle nests, may be an ecological factor that favours the evolutionary development of social behaviours in solitary snakes.

Accelerated K-Serial Stable Coalition for Dynamic Capture and Resource Defense

Accelerated K-Serial Stable Coalition for Dynamic Capture and Resource Defense

Forecasting methods for financial support of military capability during the democratisation

Background . The progressive exhaustion of Ukraine's economy due to the war, which, among other things, led to industrial, demographic, and environmental crises, forced the Government to look for reliable external sources of financial borrowing and material and humanitarian support as well as implementing efficient mechanisms of internal financial sources. During the first year of the Russian-Ukrainian war, international financial support, together with the monetary policy of the National Bank of Ukraine in terms of the emission of funds, was crucial to stabilising the stagnating economy. However, in the following years, the Government pursued an exceptional external and internal borrowing policy, which led us to identify the main bases for verification of the impact of financial support on the development and maintenance of an adequate level of Ukraine's military capability in the context of democratisation, – an essential requirement for Euro-Atlantic integration. The purpose of the article is to make predictions and provide practical recommendations for continuing the relatively successful policy of the Government of Ukraine and the National Bank of Ukraine to attract external and internal borrowing to fill the state budget, allocate funds for the needs of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and use financial resources efficiently to ensure national and economic security. The object of the study is the financial support of military capability, i. e. trust funds and Western aid. Methods . To achieve the research objective, we used the method of analysis and hypothesis formulation based on observations of the phenomena that most accurately describe military and economic indicators. The hypothesis was confirmed and established on regression analysis, trends, and forecasts. Results . The indicator of financial support to the state budget from democratic governments is highlighted as well as national trust funds. The variance indicators of democratisation, economic growth and military expenditures are determined. The data of the above indicators are analysed using the double-squared method, and their forecasting was made. Conclusions . It has been found that financial support, due to the appropriate democratisation of public administration processes, is the primary basis for developing Ukraine's military capability.

Long-term video and genetic data yield insights into complex sociality of a solitary large carnivore

American black bears (Ursus americanus) may be more social than currently understood. We used long-term video and genetic data to evaluate social interactions among wild, independent-aged black bear on a conservation property in western Montana, USA. We used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate predictions about male-male interactions within the context of individual fitness, female-female interactions within the context of inclusive fitness, and male-female interactions within the context of female counterstrategies to infanticide. Overall, our findings challenged the assumption that independent-aged bears interact only during the mating season or when concentrated feeding sites are present. We documented 169 interaction events by at least 66 bear pairs, 92 (54%) of which occurred outside of the peak mating season and in the absence of concentrated feeding sites. The probability that male-male pairs engaged in play and other non-agonistic behaviours was higher than that for female-female pairs. Conversely, the probability that female-female pairs engaged in chase behaviour was higher than that for male-male and male-female pairs. We documented evidence of female mate choice, female resource defense, sexually selected infanticide (SSI), and female counterstrategies to avoid SSI. Our findings improve our understanding of ursid ethology and underscore the complexity of ursid sociality.

Correction: Home is where the high-quality resources are: nursery characteristics and territory distribution suggest reproductive resource defense in golden rocket frogs

Correction: Home is where the high-quality resources are: nursery characteristics and territory distribution suggest reproductive resource defense in golden rocket frogs

Responses of leaf biomechanics and underlying traits to rangeland management differ between graminoids and forbs

AbstractQuestionAlthough leaf biomechanical properties have been identified as critical traits for plant‐herbivore interactions, their responses to grazing pressure have been poorly investigated. Intensification of rangeland management, associated with fertilization and an increase in grazing pressure, has been shown to favour fast‐growing species that can compensate for biomass losses due to grazing. According to the postulated trade‐off between resource acquisition and defence, it is often expected that acquisitive traits should be associated with low leaf mechanical resistance. Here we investigated the responses of two leaf biomechanical traits, and their underlying traits, to management intensification.LocationWe used a long‐term experiment in a rangeland located in the Mediterranean region of Southern France, in which three treatments corresponding to different fertilizer inputs and sheep grazing pressures were established.MethodsWe sampled 24 abundant graminoid and forb species. The responses of work to shear and force to tear to the treatments were tested together with those of growth‐related leaf traits (leaf mass per area, dry matter content). To better understand the observed patterns, we tested whether the difference between species’ leaf biomechanics could be explained by morpho‐anatomical characteristics such as leaf thickness and density.ResultsConsistent with the acquisition–defence trade‐off hypothesis, we found that graminoids from fertilized and intensely grazed areas had lower leaf resistance than those in ungrazed areas. However, no difference in leaf biomechanics was found in forbs despite a significant decrease in leaf mass per area and leaf dry matter content with management intensification. Consistent with this, we found no significant effect of morpho‐anatomical traits on either biomechanical trait in forbs.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the observed responses in graminoids result from phenotypic constraints between resource acquisition and biomechanical defence. However, these phenotypic constraints appeared to be released in forbs, questioning the idea of a universal relationship between these two functions.

Home is where the high-quality resources are: nursery characteristics and territory distribution suggest reproductive resource defense in golden rocket frogs

Home is where the high-quality resources are: nursery characteristics and territory distribution suggest reproductive resource defense in golden rocket frogs

Seasonally variable and sex‐specific motivation for cooperative resource defence in a duetting songbird—The Chubb's cisticola

AbstractDuets are one of the most complex forms of acoustic displays, involving two individuals vocalising in a coordinated way to defend resources cooperatively. However, motivation to defend resources may be sex specific and variable in time and space, which should be reflected in the changes in duet singing behaviour. We experimentally examined whether the motivation to defend resources is sex specific and seasonally variable in an Afrotropical, sedentary songbird living in pairs or small groups—the Chubb's cisticola. We broadcasted songs of males, females and duets in a random order, both at the beginning and the end of the breeding season. We quantified the birds' responses from the perspective of the entire group as well as its individual members. We found cooperative responses to each type of intruder, with the birds flying and singing. Groups consisting of two to four individuals responded significantly more strongly towards intrusions by females than pairs, and at the beginning than at the end of breeding season. Solo syllables comprised less than 4% of all recorded syllables, and in most cases were sung within a song also containing duet and chorus syllables (only 12 from 1773 songs analysed were solo songs). Males sang solo syllables more often than females (83% vs. 17% of all solo syllables) and did it significantly more often towards intruding females than males or pairs. The number of solo syllables sung by females was independent of treatment and season. Together, our results suggests that Chubb's cisticola uses duets to cooperatively defend resources located within its territory, but the intensity of reaction is sex specific and seasonally variable. We suggest that defended resources could be mates, group stability or reproductive effort. Looking at the function of duets from the perspective of the group and its particular members, various stages of the season and different resources defended by birds allow for a better understanding of cooperative singing.

Frass from yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as plant fertilizer and defense priming agent

World population growth requires the development of a sustainable agriculture that allows feeding all the inhabitants of the planet, while reducing the use of agrochemicals. Currently, the insect farming industry for food and feed production is developing exponentially throughout the world; also producing insect frass with a potential utilization within agriculture and greenhouse industry. In the case of the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), few studies have been developed so far on the use of frass as a fertilizer, and there are none on its ability to activate plant defenses. By applying 2% sterilized mealworm frass to tomato we found a significant increase in its growth, demonstrating that the microbiota might not play a key role in its fertilizing capacity. In addition, the application of frass to sunflowers under different situations of nutritional deficit allowed us to determine what specific nutrients this fertilizer may be providing to the plant, finding a possible deficiency in the supply of N, but with sufficient amounts of P, K, Ca, and S. With respect to the induction of defenses, mealworm insect frass did not induce local root defenses in a root callose deposition assay in Arabidopsis thaliana under our experimental conditions. However, it activated systemic defenses in Arabidopsis thaliana by inducing defense genes in the absence of pathogen, further enhanced by infection with the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Therefore, mealworm frass could be a good fertilizer resource and plant defense inducer to support development of sustainable agriculture.

Reproductive payoffs of territoriality are snow‐dependent in a mountain ungulate, the Alpine chamois

AbstractFemale density and distribution are dependent on resource phenology and female availability strongly influences male mating behaviour and success. When a male adopts a ‘resource defence’ tactic, his reproductive success depends on the location and attractiveness of his territory. Environmental factors associated with territory quality are expected to influence mating success, for example, through territory features or male–male competition. In a protected population of a mountain‐dwelling polygynous herbivore, the Alpine chamois Rupicapra r. rupicapra, we investigated the relationships among mating opportunities, some environmental variables (snow depth, topographic features and size of territories) and male intra‐sexual competition for mating. We recorded the mating behaviour and territory size of 15 GPS‐GSM radio‐tagged territorial males, during five rutting seasons (early November to early December: N = 8 individuals in 2011, N = 9 in 2012, N = 8 in 2015, N = 11 in 2016, N = 7 in 2017; 80% of them were observed for more than one mating season) and related them to snow depth and topography of territories. In ruts with deep snow cover, territorial males had smaller territories and higher number of mating opportunities than in ruts with lower snow cover. Smaller territories showed the highest values of terrain roughness, in turn with little or no snow cover in the mating season, and were visited by a greater number of females, than larger territories. Number of wins was positively influenced by snow depth and negatively related to the frequency of aggressions. The frequency of male–male aggressive interactions was greater during ruts with deep snow cover and for males with territories at higher elevations; additionally, it was negatively related to interactions won. Thus, snow depth, which influences resource distribution and female movements, is confirmed as a strong determinant of male mating opportunities and mating behaviour.

Females occasionally create duets with males but they never sing solo-year-round singing behaviour in an Afrotropical songbird

Our knowledge of birdsong mainly comes from studies focused on male songs produced in a short breeding period, even though we know that sedentary species sing year-round, female song is quite widespread and many species sing collectively creating duets and choruses. In this study we focused on daily and seasonal changes in singing activity of an endemic, sedentary, duetting, Afrotropical songbird—the Bangwa forest warbler. We collected soundscape recordings in six recording locations and used singing activity index to examine how vocal activity of males and females varies daily and seasonally and how it correlates with the rainfall. We found that Bangwa forest warblers sing year-round, yet they do it more in wet than in dry season. The rapid increase of singing activity occurs after first rain, at the beginning of the rainy season. Males sing significantly more than females. Females never sing solo, however, in 13% of songs they create duets by joining male solos. The pattern of daily singing activity is sex-specific and seasonally variable, with two peaks (dawn and dusk) observed in males and only one in females (dawn). In Bangwa forest warbler male singing behaviour is similar to that of many songbirds, suggesting that territory defence and female attraction as main functions of singing. Females, which create duets and never sing solo may use songs in mate guarding, signalling commitment, resource defence or intersex territory defence. Duets observed year-round may suggest cooperative resource defence. Results of the study show that examining year-round singing behaviour is crucial to fully understand the evolution and functions of male and female songs.