Diurnal Behavior Pattern Research Articles

Development of a Novel Classification Approach for Cow Behavior Analysis Using Tracking Data and Unsupervised Machine Learning Techniques.

Global Positioning Systems (GPSs) can collect tracking data to remotely monitor livestock well-being and pasture use. Supervised machine learning requires behavioral observations of monitored animals to identify changes in behavior, which is labor-intensive. Our goal was to identify animal behaviors automatically without using human observations. We designed a novel framework using unsupervised learning techniques. The framework contains two steps. The first step segments cattle tracking data using state-of-the-art time series segmentation algorithms, and the second step groups segments into clusters and then labels the clusters. To evaluate the applicability of our proposed framework, we utilized GPS tracking data collected from five cows in a 1096 ha rangeland pasture. Cow movement pathways were grouped into six behavior clusters based on velocity (m/min) and distance from water. Again, using velocity, these six clusters were classified into walking, grazing, and resting behaviors. The mean velocity for predicted walking and grazing and resting behavior was 44, 13 and 2 min/min, respectively, which is similar to other research. Predicted diurnal behavior patterns showed two primary grazing bouts during early morning and evening, like in other studies. Our study demonstrates that the proposed two-step framework can use unlabeled GPS tracking data to predict cattle behavior without human observations.

Daily rhythm of locomotor and reproductive activity in the annual fish Garcialebias reicherti (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

Abstract Daily rhythms of behavior and their synchronization in relevant social contexts are fundamental for the survival and reproductive success of all animal species. South American annual fish are adapted to extreme environmental conditions, where the ponds they inhabit dry out as the year progresses, while engaging in reproductive behavior from sexual maturity to death. The ever-changing environmental cycles these species are subjected to makes them an excellent model for studying the expression of biological rhythms in nature. In this work we show for the first time that Garcialebias reicherti, an annual fish native to Uruguay shows daily rhythms in both their locomotor and reproductive behavior. This species shows diurnal behavioral patterns, with neither sex nor reproductive context affecting the phase relationship between the light/dark cycle and activity. However, reproductive context modulates the amount of locomotor activity and leads to synchronization between members of the dyads, while introducing a second behavioral rhythm for reproductive events. Reproductive context emerges as a significant modulator of rhythmic behavior, driving circadian rhythms synchronization alongside environmental zeitgebers, while illuminating the complexity of physiological and behavioral coordination.

INPHOVIS: Interactive visual analytics for smartphone-based digital phenotyping

Digital phenotyping is the characterization of human behavior patterns based on data from digital devices such as smartphones in order to gain insights into the users’ state and especially to identify ailments. To support supervised machine learning, digital phenotyping requires gathering data from study participants’ smartphones as they live their lives. Periodically, participants are then asked to provide ground truth labels about their health status. Analyzing such complex data is challenging due to limited contextual information and imperfect health/wellness labels. We propose INteractive PHOne-o-typing VISualization (INPHOVIS), an interactive visual framework for exploratory analysis of smartphone health data to study phone-o-types. Prior visualization work has focused on mobile health data with clear semantics such as steps or heart rate data collected using dedicated health devices and wearables such as smartwatches. However, unlike smartphones which are owned by over 85 percent of the US population, wearable devices are less prevalent thus reducing the number of people from whom such data can be collected. In contrast, the “low-level” sensor data (e.g., accelerometer or GPS data) supported by INPHOVIS can be easily collected using smartphones. Data visualizations are designed to provide the essential contextualization of such data and thus help analysts discover complex relationships between observed sensor values and health-predictive phone-o-types. To guide the design of INPHOVIS, we performed a hierarchical task analysis of phone-o-typing requirements with health domain experts. We then designed and implemented multiple innovative visualizations integral to INPHOVIS including stacked bar charts to show diurnal behavioral patterns, calendar views to visualize day-level data along with bar charts, and correlation views to visualize important wellness predictive data. We demonstrate the usefulness of INPHOVIS with walk-throughs of use cases. We also evaluated INPHOVIS with expert feedback and received encouraging responses.

One week of maternal separation induces more frequent, but less predictable, maternal caregiving behaviors.

Rodent models of early life adversity disrupt typical interactions between dams and offspring, impacting pup development over the lifespan. Predictability of caregiver interactions is a critical feature of the environment, and unpredictability is associated with behavioral and cognitive deficits in offspring. In the maternal separation (MS) paradigm, dams are not able to engage with pups while they are separated, and maternal care is impacted even after pups and dams are reunited. Using a 3.5-h daily MS protocol in rats, the present study sought to compare diurnal patterns of maternal behavior, specifically predictability and fragmentation of care, between MS- and control-reared dams. Three observation periods were assessed (1430, 2330, and 0830) between postnatal days 8-9. Frequencies and durations of maternal behaviors were measured, including pup-directed licking/grooming, arched-back and passive nursing, and carrying pups, as well as non-pup-directed self-grooming, rearing, burrowing, nest-building, and eating. The frequency of nest entries was interpreted as a measure of fragmentation, and entropy rate was calculated from transitional probability matrices to measure predictability of maternal behavioral sequences. After dam-pup reunion, MS dams engaged in more bouts of nursing and licking/grooming and more nest entries, and behavioral sequences were less predictable than control dams. MS-induced enhancement of care is a replication of previous research, but unpredictability and fragmented care during MS is a novel finding, as these measures have not been previously reported for MS.

3 Towards Automated Behavior Analysis for Individually Housed Piglets–Sampling Considerations

Abstract Behavior sampling is commonly applied to represent a complete picture of animal behavior. Traditional sampling methods often fail to capture complete sequences of events, diurnal behavior, or behavior patterns. As digital technologies allow more frequent collection of behavior, there is a need to understand if the potential increase in sampling frequency yields an increase in the knowledge we gain from additional observations. In this study, 24-h behavior was labelled for three individually housed research piglets, creating a ground truth dataset. An ethogram with five categories (resting, consumption, maintenance, exploratory, and social interactions) including 23 behavior labels was applied for behavior observation for every frame in the video data set. Using Python to automatically sample behavior data from the complete dataset, the results of instantaneous and continuous sampling strategies at various sampling intervals and times of day were compared with the ground truth continuous data set using a two-sample t-test for: (a) total percentage of observations, (b) average bout length, and (c) normalized number of occurrences. Results were considered significant for alpha< 0.05, which indicated a sampling method was different from ground truth. Continuously sampled data were collected at the start of each hour for 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20-min periods. Instantaneously sampled data were collected at the intervals: 1, 5, 10, 20, and 40-s; 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 60-min. Every sampling strategy resulted in misrepresentation of behavior. For example, results for the 1-s instantaneous sampling method (every 15th frame versus every frame) revealed that seven of the 23 behaviors observed were misrepresented in at least one metric: (a) total percentage of observations [P=0.027 (drinking behavior); P=0.027 (sham chewing), P=0.011 (head tossing)]; (b) average bout length [P=0.033 (feeding behavior), P=0.032 (nosing), P=0.040 (exploring pen), P=0.039 (head tossing)]; and (c) normalized number of occurrences [P=0.005 (exploring pen), P=0.018 (head tossing)].

Identifying typologies of diurnal patterns in desk-based workers' sedentary time.

The purpose of this study was to identify typologies of diurnal sedentary behavior patterns and sociodemographic characteristics of desk-based workers. The sedentary time of 229 desk-based workers was measured using accelerometer devices. The within individual diurnal variations in sedentary time was calculated for both workdays and non-workdays. Diurnal variations in sedentary time during each time period (morning, afternoon, and evening) was calculated as the percentage of sedentary time during each time period divided by the percentage of the total sedentary time. A hierarchical cluster analysis (Ward’s method) was used to identify the optimal number of clusters. To refine the initial clusters, a non-hierarchical cluster analysis (k-means method) was performed. Four clusters were identified: stable sedentary cluster (46.7%), off-morning break cluster (26.6%), off-afternoon break cluster (8.3%), and evening sedentary cluster (18.3%). The stable sedentary cluster had the lowest variations in sedentary time throughout the day and the highest amount of total sedentary time. Participants in the off-morning and off-afternoon break clusters had nearly the same sedentary patterns but took short-term breaks during non-workday mornings or afternoons. The evening sedentary cluster had a completely different pattern, with a longer sedentary time during the evening both on workdays and non-workdays. Sociodemographic attributes such as sex, household income, educational attainment, employment status, sleep duration, and residential area, differed significantly between groups. Initiatives to address desk-based workers’ sedentary behavior need to focus not only on the workplace but also on the appropriate timing for reducing excessive sedentary time in non-work contexts depending on the characteristics and diurnal patterns of target subgroups.

10 Behavior and Landscape-Use Pattern of Small Ruminants Co-grazed in Woodlands with different Vegetation Characteristics

Abstract Woodland is the major landcover in Alabama (69%) and other states of the Southeast (≈60%). The understory vegetation present in woodlands can be a great feed resource for small ruminants when woodland grazing is practiced well, for which the understanding of animals’ landscape-use pattern is important. The study objective was to determine the diurnal behavior and landscape-use pattern of Kiko wethers and Katahdin rams co-stocked in woodlands. Eight Kiko wethers (77±2.5 kg. LW) and five Katahdin rams (92±4.6 kg. LW) were co-stocked rotationally in three woodland plots (0.4-ha. each) during May–August 2019 in Atkins Agroforestry Research and Demonstration site, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama. Each study plot contained four treatments, where the average canopy height were 0.82 m, 1.34 m, 1.67 m and 1.73 m. The diurnal behavior (grazing, browsing, loafing, lying) and landscape-use pattern of animals were monitored from dawn to dusk when they were in each study plot at each rotation. Diurnal period was categorized into morning (dawn–11:00 am), midday (11:00 am–3:00 pm), and post-midday (3:00 pm–dusk) for the analysis and diurnal behavior and distribution pattern of animals were analyzed in SAS 9.4, GLM procedure with MANOVA option. Animal species differed in their feeding behavior (P < 0.0001), with wethers mostly browsing and rams grazing. Significant interaction effects of animal species and diurnal period occurred on all behavior categories, except loafing and lying (P < 0.0001). Wethers spent less time grazing (84–88%), but more time browsing (90%) during morning and post-midday vs. rams. Animals were actively feeding when the weather was nice and cool, and resting when it was hot. Feeding behavior was dominant during the post-midday period (3 PM–dusk) and lying during midday (11 AM–3 PM). The specific behavior and landscape-use pattern observed in this study can be useful to design and utilize woodland resources more efficiently.

Behavioral patterns of yaks (Bos grunniens) grazing on alpine shrub meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Proliferation of shrubs at the expense of native forage in pastures has been associated with large changes in biomass and spatial distribution of forage for grazing livestock, and such changes influence the grazing behavior of ruminants. However, little information is available concerning the effect of pastoral shrub coverage on grazing pattern. To better understand the grazing behavior of yaks and their response to increased shrub coverage in alpine meadows, 48 yak steers were randomly assigned to four pastures with shrub coverage of 0, 5.4 %, 11.3 %, and 20.1 % (referred to as control, low, middle, and high, respectively) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The primary behavioral patterns (grazing, walking, and ruminating/resting) of three focus animals per experimental group were recorded repeatedly in scan sampling every 10 min from 07:00 to 19:00 h in three observation periods (the first 10 days of each month) from July through September. Furthermore, the secondary behavioral patterns (bites per minute, steps per minute, and bites per step) were observed 15 times per focus yak on each observation day. Behavioral observations showed that yaks had similar diurnal behavioral patterns with two main grazing bouts—in the morning and afternoon—and a ruminating/resting peak at midday when grazing in pastures with different shrub coverage. However, yaks significantly enhanced the time allocated to walking (P = 0.029) and decreased ruminating/resting time (P = 0.045) with increasing shrub coverage, although the grazing time was not significantly different (P = 0.663). Compared with the control and low shrub-coverage groups, yaks in the middle and high groups had more bites per minute (P = 0.036) and steps per minute (P = 0.029), whereas the number of bites per step was not influenced (P = 0.877) by shrub coverage. The increased time allocated to walking at the expense of ruminating/resting as well as the high number of feeding stations may be an adaptive strategy for searching and obtaining sufficient forage resources. Increased walking time and step rate for the yaks grazing in the high shrub-coverage pasture could increase the energy expenditure and consequently reduce the energy available for growth and production. Our findings provide evidence for the influence of shrub coverage on grazing behavior of yaks grazing in alpine meadows as well as insights into the sustainable production of grazing yaks on lands with increasing shrub coverage on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Diurnal patterns of sedentary behavior and changes in physical function over time among older women: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundSedentary behavior (SB) is linked to negative health outcomes in older adults. Most studies use summary values, e.g., total sedentary minutes/day. Diurnal timing of SB accumulation may further elucidate SB-health associations.MethodsSix thousand two hundred four US women (mean age = 79 ± 7; 50% White, 34% African-American) wore accelerometers for 7-days at baseline, yielding 41,356 person-days with > 600 min/day of data. Annual follow-up assessments of health, including physical functioning, were collected from participants for 6 years. A novel two-phase clustering procedure discriminated participants’ diurnal SB patterns: phase I grouped day-level SB trajectories using longitudinal k-means; phase II determined diurnal SB patterns based on proportion of phase I trajectories using hierarchical clustering. Mixed models tested associations between SB patterns and longitudinal physical functioning, adjusted for covariates including total sedentary time. Effect modification by moderate-vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) was tested.ResultsFour diurnal SB patterns were identified: p1 = high-SB-throughout-the-day; p2 = moderate-SB-with-lower-morning-SB; p3 = moderate-SB-with-higher-morning-SB; p4 = low-SB-throughout-the-day. High MVPA mitigated physical functioning decline and correlated with better baseline and 6-year trajectory of physical functioning across patterns. In low MVPA, p2 had worse 6-year physical functioning decline compared to p1 and p4. In high MVPA, p2 had similar 6-year physical functioning decline compared to p1, p3, and p4.ConclusionsIn a large cohort of older women, diurnal SB patterns were associated with rates of physical functioning decline, independent of total sedentary time. In particular, we identified a specific diurnal SB subtype defined by less SB earlier and more SB later in the day, which had the steepest decline in physical functioning among participants with low baseline MVPA. Thus, diurnal timing of SB, complementary to total sedentary time and MVPA, may offer additional insights into associations between SB and physical health, and provide physicians with early warning of patients at high-risk of physical function decline.

Activity pattern, budget and diurnal rhythmicity of the brown-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) in northeastern Brazil

Previous studies exploring the rhythmic activity of sloths of the Bradypus genus in undisturbed forests revealed cathemeral patterns of activity. In the current study we wished to examine sloth behavior in a highly disturbed secondary forest habitat. We evaluated activity pattern, time budget and rhythmic activities of brown-throated three-toed sloths (B. variegatus) living in the border of a highly disturbed forest fragment in northeastern Brazil. Three adults (2 females and 1 male) and 2 infants were studied over 29 days. Observational data were collected in 15 min increments over the 24-h day in the following categories: resting, moving, travelling, eating and grooming. Time series data were subjected to X2 periodogram, Fourier (Fast Fourier Transformation, FFT), cosinor and CircWave circadian rhythm analysis, and revealed significant 24-h rhythms in all behaviors in most circumstances. Unlike sloths located in an undisturbed forest, this population exhibited primarily diurnal activity patterns of behavior, with the center of gravity for each behavior occurring in the middle of the day. Furthermore, several behaviors were expressed in a bimodal pattern, with a morning and a late afternoon peak of activity. These data suggest that with decreased predator presence and with a more ubiquitous food source, sloths adjust their temporal niche to daytime.

Accelerometer-Measured Diurnal Patterns of Sedentary Behavior among Japanese Workers: A Descriptive Epidemiological Study.

Increased sedentary behavior (SB) can adversely affect health. Understanding time-dependent patterns of SB and its correlates can inform targeted approaches for prevention. This study examined diurnal patterns of SB and its sociodemographic associations among Japanese workers. The proportion of sedentary time (% of wear time) and the number of breaks in SB (times/sedentary hour) of 405 workers (aged 40–64 years) were assessed using an accelerometer. SB patterns and sociodemographic associations between each time period (morning, afternoon, evening) on workdays and nonworkdays were examined in a series of multivariate regression analyses, adjusting for other sociodemographic associations. On both workdays and nonworkdays, the proportion of sedentary time was lowest in the morning and increased towards evening (b = 12.95, 95% CI: 11.28 to 14.62; b = 14.31, 95% CI: 12.73 to 15.88), with opposite trend for breaks. Being male was consistently correlated with SB. Other sociodemographic correlates differed depending on time-of-day and day-of-the-week. For instance, desk-based workstyles and urban residential area were associated with SB during workday mornings and afternoons, being single was related to mornings and evenings, workdays and nonworkdays. Initiatives to address SB should focus not only on work-related but time-of-day contexts, especially for at-risk subgroups during each period.

Diurnal behavior and distribution patterns of Kiko wethers and Katahdin rams in woodlands with different vegetation heights during fall

Meat-type goats and sheep are common small ruminants in the southeast USA, where a vast coverage of woodland (61%) presents a huge potential for supporting small ruminant grazing. However, dense and tall growing plants in woodlands restrict animals’ movement and their access to vegetation. Thus, vegetation growing beyond animals’ reach in woodlands should be managed at low heights for efficient utilization. Studies on how animals would interact with the landscape having different vegetation characteristics is lacking. The objective of the current study was to determine the diurnal behavior and distribution patterns of Kiko wethers (castrated male goats) and Katahdin rams (male sheep) in woodlands with different vegetation heights during fall. Study plots (6 plots, 0.4-ha each) comprised of southern pines, hardwoods, and numerous understory vegetation. The non-target (non-pine) species were either left uncut (control) or cut to one of the heights from the ground level: 0 m, 0.9 m, and 1.5 m. Kiko wethers and Katahdin rams were rotationally stocked in separate plots (3 plots/species) during 2017 and 2018, and their diurnal behavior (dawn–dusk) and distribution patterns monitored when they were in each plot. Animal behavior and distribution data were analyzed in SAS v 9.4, and the distribution evenness index (DEI) in R v 3.4.4. Wethers spent predominant feeding time browsing in areas where non-target plants were cut to 0.9 m and 1.5 m (53–71%), and rams grazed predominantly (49–61%) in areas with non-target plants cut to the ground level, mostly during post-midday (p < 0.05). Lying was predominant during midday (p < 0.0001), especially in open spaces (p < 0.05). Wethers had a higher DEI than rams throughout the study period (p < 0.01). Vegetation utilization in woodlands was highly influenced by the vegetation height, diurnal period, and study year (age of animals).

Diurnal behavior of Kiko wethers in southern-pine silvopastures planted with warm-season forages

Goats are the common grazing livestock integrated into the silvopasture system. Previous grazing studies with goats in southern-pine silvopastures showed significant debarking of pine trees during the cool-season grazing period. However, goats’ behavior in this system during the warm-season grazing period has not been previously reported. The objective of the study was to determine the diurnal behavior and distribution pattern of Kiko wethers in southern-pine silvopastures planted with warm-season forages. The study was conducted at the Atkins Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, USA. The study site consisted of three silvopasture plots (0.4-ha each) comprising 12-year-old longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.) and loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) pines, with a tree density of 402 trees ha−1 (loblolly: longleaf ratio – 1.27). Study plots were divided into three zones, and three different warm-season forages were grown in these zones. Forage samples were collected and analyzed for productivity and quality. Ten Kiko wethers (2.75–2.90-year-old, 62.9 ± 1.56 kg BW) were rotationally stocked in the study plots, and their diurnal behavior and distribution pattern studied when they were in each study plot. Data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum test in R-package. Grazing was the predominant diurnal behavior (46%) shown by Kiko wethers followed by staying in shelters (22%) and lying (17%). Wethers did not show any pine debarking behavior. Wethers spent predominant diurnal time in Zone 3 (42%) planted with sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don) that had the highest quality forages followed by Zone 1 (31%) planted with bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flueggé). Kiko wethers could be safe to stock in southern-pine silvopastures containing 12-year-old trees during the warm-season grazing period.

Confinement influenced the diurnal behavior of Katahdin rams and Kiko wethers in southern-pine silvopastures

Previous studies with Kiko wethers rotationally stocked in southern-pine silvopastures showed a significant debarking of 10-11-year-old pine trees during winter and spring. There is a need to identify suitable animals and management strategies to protect trees in silvopastures. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of confinement on diurnal behavior and distribution pattern of Katahdin rams and Kiko wethers cograzing in southern-pine silvopastures during the cool-season grazing period. Diurnal behavior and distribution pattern of Kiko wethers (n = 6; 61.5 ± 1.58 kg live weight) and Katahdin rams (n = 6; 72.7 ± 4.80 kg live weight) were monitored in two sets of studies: (1) animals were rotationally stocked in three silvopasture plots with confinement (plot-gate closed), and (2) the same study was repeated with non-confinement (plot-gate open), allowing access to wooded area and open space located outside the silvopasture plots. Rams did not debark pine trees irrespective of confinement. They spent less time (17%) grazing (p < 0.05) and stayed out of the silvopasture plots for a significant period (42%) with non-confinement. Wethers showed some debarking (2%) of pine trees with confinement, but none without confinement. With non-confinement, wethers’ grazing time decreased (53%) (p < 0.0001), browsing time increased (48×) (p < 0.0001), and distribution outside the silvopasture plots remained significant (73%). Katahdin rams were found safe to use in southern-pine silvopastures consisting of 12-year-old longleaf and loblolly pine trees; however, non-confinement would be necessary while using Kiko wethers to safeguard young southern-pine trees in small silvopasture plots containing similar understory vegetation during the cool-season grazing period.

Temporal variation in resource selection of African elephants follows long‐term variability in resource availability

AbstractThe relationship between resource availability and wildlife movement patterns is pivotal to understanding species behavior and ecology. Movement response to landscape variables occurs at multiple temporal scales, from sub‐diurnal to multiannual. Additionally, individuals may respond to both current and past conditions of resource availability. In this paper, we examine the temporal scale and variation of current and past resource variables that affect movement patterns of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) using sub‐hourly movement data fromGPS‐GSMcollared elephants in Etosha National Park, Namibia. We created detailed satellite‐based spatiotemporal maps of vegetation biomass, as well as distance from surface water, road and fence. We used step selection functions to measure the relative importance of these landscape variables in determining elephants’ local movement patterns. We also examined how elephants respond to information, in locations they have previously visited, on productivity integrated over different temporal scales: from current to historical conditions. Our results demonstrate that elephants choose patches with higher than average annual productivity and grass biomass, but lower tree biomass. Elephants also prefer to walk close to water, roads, and fences. These preferences vary with time of day and with season, thereby providing insights into diurnal and seasonal behavioral patterns and the ecological importance of the landscape variables examined. We also discovered that elephants respond more strongly to long‐term patterns of productivity than to immediate forage conditions, in familiar locations. Our results illustrate how animals with high cognitive capacity and spatial memory integrate long‐term information on landscape conditions. We illuminate the importance of long‐term high temporal resolution satellite imagery to understanding the relationship between movement patterns and landscape structure.

Diurnal patterns of sedentary behavior and physical activity in adults: a systematic review

Diurnal patterns of sedentary behavior and physical activity in adults: a systematic review

“Everything in the Water Column is Connected”: Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Floodplain Fishers of Bangladesh

With ongoing resource depletion and environmental degradation in the floodplains of Bangladesh, there is a clear need to include insights from traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in developing and implementing plans for sustainable natural resource management. The knowledge, skills, and practices related to fishing in the floodplains of Bangladesh are almost exclusively a product of the local fishers' TEK. As fishers are deeply integrated with their landscapes, they develop and refine their ecological knowledge through multi-generational sharing of experience of and knowledge about fishing and socio-cultural learnings. This study documents the knowledge of floodplain fishers of Bangladesh and examines their decision-making about harvesting as a process based on heuristic rules developed through years of curiosity experimentation, adaptive learning, and empirical and inductive reasonings. Using a participatory ethnographic approach, ten major categories of TEK systems are examined: ethno-topography of floodplains, ethno-taxonomy and aquatic productivity, diurnal and nocturnal variation patterns of fish behavior, birds and other animals, actions for aggregating fish in leased waterbodies, importance of aquatic vegetation for growth and conservation of floodplain fisheries, breeding biology tuned to complex hydrological cycles, fishers' perception of fish ulcerative syndrome, landlocked Hilsa fish from the Hakaluki haor, and fishers' views on biodiversity. This research explores the cognitive mechanisms behind fishers' decision-making about harvesting. Experienced fishers argue that if the important mother fishery sites are protected and managed through community-based institutions, floodplains of the country would benefit immensely in terms of production and biodiversity conservation.

PSV-4 Confinement Influenced the Diurnal Behavior and Distribution Pattern of Katahdin Rams and Kiko Wethers in Southern-pine Silvopastures.

PSV-4 Confinement Influenced the Diurnal Behavior and Distribution Pattern of Katahdin Rams and Kiko Wethers in Southern-pine Silvopastures.

Nighttime activities and peripheral clock oscillations depend on Wolbachia endosymbionts in flies

Wolbachia are ubiquitous bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and affect host gene expression. Although Wolbachia infections were suggested to modulate sleep in flies, their influence on the circadian clock remained obscure. Here, we screened bacterial symbionts in a laboratory Drosophila melanogaster colony, and observed widespread infections of wMel strain Wolbachia. We established a Wolbachia-free strain from a clock gene reporter strain, period-luciferase (per-luc). Temperature (19–29 °C)-compensated free-running periods were detected regardless of infections which may reflect the lack of wMel infections in central circadian pacemaker neurons. However, locomotor activity levels during the night or subjective night were significantly amplified in uninfected flies. Moreover, the behavioral phenotype of F1 offspring of an uninfected female and infected male resembled that of uninfected flies. This trait is consistent with maternal transmission of Wolbachia infection. Interestingly, per-luc activities in headless bodies, as an index of peripheral circadian oscillators, were severely damped in uninfected flies. Additionally, circadian amplitudes of PER immunoreactivities in Malpighian tubules were reduced in uninfected flies. These results demonstrate that Wolbachia boost fly peripheral clock oscillations and diurnal behavioral patterns. Genetic mechanisms underlying behavioral rhythms have been widely analyzed using mutant flies whereas screening of Wolbachia will be necessary for future studies.

Behavior and distribution patterns of Katahdin rams in southern-pine silvopastures with cool-season forages

Selection of a suitable grazing livestock is a key for successful management of silvopasture systems. Previous studies have pointed out some damaging behavior of Kiko, a meat goat breed, wethers on pine trees in mixed-pine silvopastures, thereby indicating the need for identifying alternative animal species for this system. Our objective was to determine the diurnal behavior and distribution patterns of Katahdin, a hair sheep breed, rams in southern-pine silvopastures during the cool-season grazing period. The study was conducted during the spring of 2017 at the Atkins Agroforestry Research and Demonstration Site, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama, USA. Three 0.4-ha longleaf (Pinus palustris Mill.)-loblolly (Pinus taeda L.) mixed-pine silvopasture plots were planted with three different combinations of coolseason forages in separate subplots. Forage samples were collected before bringing animals into the plots, and analyzed for productivity and quality. Six Katahdin rams (12–15 months old, 72.7 ± 4.80 kg live weight) were rotationally stocked in the study plots, and their diurnal (dawn-dusk) behavior and distribution patterns were observed. Grazing was the most dominating behavior (44%) of rams followed by lying (39%) and loafing (10%). Rams used tree shade while resting and stayed in shelters during the rain. There was no pine debarking by rams throughout the observation period. Rams in silvopastures spent more time grazing during morning (dawn-1100 h) and post-midday (1500 h-dusk) periods, and lying during the midday (1100–1500 h) period. They mostly stayed together irrespective of where they went, resulting in a small value of distribution evenness index. Katahdin rams were found safe to graze in mixed southern-pine silvopasture systems consisting of 12-year-old trees during the coolseason grazing period.