Lunar Cycle Research Articles

Occurrence of larval fishes sampled by drifting light traps in the lower reaches of a South African estuary.

The tidal occurrence of larval fishes was investigated in the permanently open Kowie Estuary on the warm-temperate coast of South Africa. Larval fishes were sampled in the mouth region using two drifting light traps deployed on the ebb and flood tides every second night for two consecutive 14-day periods, coinciding with the dark moon phase. A total of 553 larval fishes were caught, representing nine families and 26 species, of which Blenniidae and Clupeidae dominated. The prevalence of different estuarine association fish guilds was also tide-specific. Marine and estuarine species, such as Omobranchus woodi, were more dominant during flood tides, while marine straggler species, such as Sardinops sagax, which are not dependent on estuaries, were dominant on the ebb tide. Marine estuarine-dependents were only present during flood tides, potentially indicating ingress and entrainment within the estuary. The results confirm that light trap catches yield a different composition of species compared to towed ichthyoplankton net studies. Additionally, drifting light traps allow for better targeting of species with a phototactic response and reduction of incidental catch. Consequently, a mixture of gear is encouraged for more comprehensive surveys of larval fish occurrence.

Absence of lunar phobia in European swarming vespertilionid bats

“Lunar phobia” in bats has been widely discussed since its description in tropical bats in 1978. The phenomenon has been frequently contested and supported and was first reported in European bats in 2020. Our study seeks to clarify the debate by describing the relationship between the activity of selected swarming vespertilionid bats (Family: Vespertilionidae) and moonlight levels. To verify a potential connection to the latter, a swarming dataset was analysed in respect of estimated moonlight illumination. Moonlight estimates were based on geographical location and several lunar parameters, to accurately characterise the non-linear relationship between moon phase and illumination (lux). The swarming data consisted of 32 netting and 14 echolocation recording sessions collected between August and October 2014 and 2015. Our data included 3,265 netted bats from 13 species and 15,919 bat calls from 10 confirmed species. Data was collected at the large Central European hibernation/swarming site – Natura 2000 PLH080003 “Nietoperek” in western Poland (N 52.394400, E 15.480600). Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) determined insignificant relationships between bats and moonlight illumination. Our analysis confirms an absence of impact of moonlight intensity on swarming bats and thereby rejects the lunar phobia phenomena in at least six insectivorous bat species (Myotis myotis, M. daubentonii, M. nattereri, M. bechsteinii, Barbastella barbastellus, Plecotus auritus) swarming in the autumn.

The Near-Infrared Airglow Camera on the International Space Station

Abstract The OH airglow layer is a persistent feature of Earth’s upper mesosphere, centered near 87 km altitude, that can be perturbed by atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) and instabilities. While ground-based airglow imaging has been used to study these perturbations locally, this technique is limited by tropospheric weather. Space-based remote sensing provides a platform to measure these processes globally. In addition, portions of the OH airglow band span an atmospheric window, allowing airglow illumination of the ground for imaging of nighttime clouds and Earth terrain features. The Near-Infrared Airglow Camera (NIRAC) images the airglow at 1.6 μm and while deployed to the International Space Station (ISS) from May 2019 to November 2021 demonstrated these applications. The camera uses a patented motion-compensation system with a custom rectilinear lens that allows multisecond, nearly smear-free imaging (∼<1.5 pixels) at a ground pixel resolution of ∼83 m. With a ∼170 km × 170 km ground swath, NIRAC acquires overlapping images at a 7–10-s cadence. Parallax considerations enable detection of both AGWs and instabilities in the airglow, and scenes can be analyzed for terrain and cloud height. NIRAC also has a short-exposure daytime mode for cloud and ground imagery. This study describes NIRAC and its operations on the ISS and presents imagery examples of Earth terrain and surface phenomenology (such as fires), cloud imagery at all moon phases day and night, and the nighttime detection of AGWs and instabilities above 80 km altitude. Significance Statement The Near-Infrared Airglow Camera (NIRAC) is the first space-based instrument to exploit the bright 1.6 μm OH Meinel airglow emission band for Earth surface imager at resolution of ∼83 m. During its 2.5-yr deployment on the International Space Station (ISS), NIRAC obtained over a half million images of Earth’s surface and OH airglow layer. NIRAC has been able to capture images of the very small-scale (<30 km) AGWs and instabilities under a wide range of viewing conditions, including (i) in the vicinity of city lights, (ii) over complex cloud scenes, and (iii) under both moondown and moonup illumination. NIRAC also acquired daytime and nighttime images of clouds, hurricanes and typhoons, human lighting, and forest fires in the 1.6 μm band.

Rat composition and population in mature oil palm adjacent to paddy field

Rat is one of the main pests in an oil palm plantation, impacted at various types and stages of oil palm growth. Ungkaya estate has a historical & endemic infestation of rats, especially in several fields adjacent to paddy fields. This study aimed to find out the seasonal migration of rats from paddy fields to oil palm fields in Ungkaya Estate. Five plots were used for trapping, identifying rat species, monitoring of rat population, rat damage intensity, and rat habitat preference at each stage of the paddy season. Trapped rats were identified as Rattus tiomanicus (56.91%), Rattus argentiventer (36.17%), and Rattus tanezumi (6.91%). The intensity of rat damage to the palm was high during the vegetative phase of paddy season and the full moon phase. The regression analysis results showed that the number of trapped rats has a positive relationship to rat damage intensity for the vegetative and harvesting stage at full moon. The number of trapped R. argentiventer at vegetative stage was higher than the generative & harvesting phase of the paddy season. Moreover, there were rat footprints observed on the riverside leading to the oil palm field. The results of all observation parameters concluded that there was seasonal migration of rats between the oil palm fields and the paddy fields in Ungkaya estate. The information is pivotal in drawing up suitable mitigation measures to control and minimize rat damage to the oil palm.

A SABEDORIA LOCAL EM SISTEMAS AGROFLORESTAIS: O ESTUDO DE CASO NA VILA WANGA, SUBDISTRITO DE MOTOLING LESTE, REGÊNCIA DE MINAHASA DO SUL, INDONÉSIA

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to ascertain how the Wanga Village community manages land using agroforestry technologies. Based on the observations, different component kinds are found in the sites of the respondents. Agrisilviculture, agrosilvofishery, agrosilvopasture and agroforestry patterns employed by the residents of Wanga village. Method: The approach is a survey that combines field observations and interviewing methods. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents, and the indigenous inhabitants of Wanga Village who oversee agroforestry land met the selection criterion. Interviews with respondents using questionnaires. Following the research results, a descriptive analysis was conducted on the data. Results and conclusion: The Wanga Village community still uses an agroforestry technique to manage their land with the help of local knowledge. The agroforestry system in Wanga Village is still used to manage land utilizing the traditional knowledge of "mapalus" or "maendo," "toki bulu," and moon observation. Research implications: The way the residents of Wanga Village observe the "New Moon" phase which comes once a month when the moon is in the west, appears at sunset and the moon adopts the appearance of a crescent. The young quartile moon phase follows the "new moon" phase, which lasts for three days during which people are believed to not plant anything. After the young quartile phase, people wait six days for the big moon phase, during which they believe they cannot plant any fruit plants because they will not bear fruit. Originality/value: "Toki Bulu" is a community activity on agrosilvofishery land in providing fish food. Based on the results of interviews, the community's unique way of feeding fish is by "Toki Bulu" (tapping the feathers) first to call the fish. "Mapalus" is a social activity originating from Minahasa culture and is usually called mutual cooperation. "Mapalus" for the Tountemboan people is called "Maendo" which means taking the day or taking advantage of the day to work together with other people. The Wanga Village community still carries out this activity, especially in land preparation.

Spawning, larval morphological ontogeny and first feeding of yellow-striped cardinalfish Ostorhinchus cyanosoma (Bleeker, 1853)

The yellow-striped cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma) can be found in the Indo-West Pacific region. It possesses great potential for the ornamental aquarium market due to its vibrant body coloration and tendency of group swimming. This study aims to investigate the spawning frequency and larval morphological ontogeny, and develop first feeding techniques of O. cyanosoma reared in capacity. From April 2021 to August 2022, a total of 70 spawning events were documented for the broodstock. These spawning events did not exhibit specific patterns related to seasonal or lunar cycles. The effects of four live prey treatments (mono-feeding and co-feeding of SS-type rotifer Brachionus sp. and nauplii of copepod Bestiolina coreana) on the mouth opening rate, prey ingestion rate, and prey selectivity of the 0 day-post-hatch (dph) larvae were investigated. The O. cyanosoma larvae displayed significantly higher mouth opening rate, ingestion rate and prey selectivity on the copepod nauplii over the rotifer. In the 7-d larviculture experiment, the larvae showed significant higher survival rate in the copepod feeding treatment (68%) than the rotifer feeding treatment (0%). For ontogeny, O. cyanosoma larvae appeared to be altricial (at pre-flexion stage with no gas bladder and poor-developed fins) and small-mouthed (235.94 μm) when leaving the mouthbrood. The standard length increased from 2.64 to 6.51 mm during 0 to 21dph. Ntochord flexion initiated at 12 dph, and the metamorphosis was completed by 21 dph. This study is the first attempt to document the broodstock management, first feeding protocol and larval ontogeny of O. cyanosoma. The findings could have implications for larviculture of cardinalfishes.

Recruitment Patterns and Environmental Sensitivity of Glass Eels of Anguilla japonica in the Yangtze Estuary, China.

The decline of Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica) populations in the Yangtze River estuary represents a critical conservation concern. Eleven-years of daily catch data during recruitment periods (i.e., January-April, 2012-2022) indicate that annual catch averaged from 153 to 1108 eels, and show a bimodal pattern in glass eel arrivals. Utilizing seasonal-trend decomposition and generalized additive models, we demonstrated a strong correlation between catch abundance, optimal water temperatures, and lunar cycles. An auto-regressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model predicts an increase in glass eel numbers for 2023-2024 but also points to a concerning trend of delayed recruitment timing since 2016, attributable to the 0.48 °C per decade rise in sea surface temperatures. This delay correlates with a significant decrease in the average body weight of glass eels, suggesting potential energy deficits that may hinder successful upstream migration. This study not only furthers our understanding of glass eel recruitment dynamics but also underscores the urgent need for targeted conservation measures. Additionally, it highlights the importance of sustained, detailed monitoring to mitigate the detrimental effects of climate change on these eels, vital for preserving the Yangtze River's ecological integrity.

Applicability Analysis of Three Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Models in Nighttime

The relatively stable lunar illumination may be used to realize radiometric calibration under low light. However, there is still an insufficient understanding of the accuracy of models and the influence of parameters when conducting research on low-light radiometric calibration. Therefore, this study explores the applicability of three atmospheric radiative transfer models under different nighttime conditions. The simulation accuracies of three nighttime atmospheric radiative transfer models (Night-SCIATRAN, Night-MODTRAN, and Night-6SV) were evaluated using the visible-infrared imaging radiometer suite day/night band (VIIRS/DNB) data. The results indicate that Night-MODTRAN has the highest simulation accuracy under DNB. The consistency between simulated top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance and DNB radiance is approximately 3.1%, and uncertainty is 2.5%. This study used Night-MODTRAN for parameter sensitivity analysis. The results indicate that for the lunar phase angle, aerosol optical depth, surface reflectance, lunar zenith angle, satellite zenith angle, and relative azimuth angle, the average change rates are 68%, 100%, 2561%, 75%, 20%, and 0%. This paper can help better understand the performance of models under different atmospheric and geographical conditions, as well as whether existing models can simulate the complex processes of atmospheric radiation.

Lunar synchrony, geography, and individual clocks shape autumn migration timing in an avian migrant.

Timing programs in animal migrants have been selected to synchronize movements that coincide with predictable resources on the breeding and nonbreeding grounds. Migrants face potential temporal conflicts if their migration schedules benefit from synchrony to conflicting rhythms associated with annual biogeographical (circannual) cues, lunar (circalunar) cues, or individually repeatable internal clocks. We repeat-tracked individuals of an avian lunaphilic species, Eastern Whip-poor-will (Antrostomus vociferus), for two to three successive autumn migrations to determine the influence of the lunar cycle, breeding location, and individual repeatability on migration timing. Almost all birds avoided departing for migration during a full moon, likely to take advantage of the bright moonlight to facilitate visual foraging and enhance pre-migration fattening. However, groups from two latitudinally distant sampling areas adjusted their autumn departure timing differently relative to the timing of the September full moon, presumably due to differences in seasonal prey availability. Individual repeatability increased throughout autumn migration, suggesting that the factors responsible for shaping migration timing may differ for different migration stages. Our results, that lunar synchrony, local climate, and individual internal clocks appeared to account for much of the variation in migration timing in whip-poor-wills, underscore the value of measuring potentially interacting factors that shape migratory behavior at species, group, and individual levels. It remains unclear if, or how, maintaining individually repeatable annual migration schedules provides an adaptive benefit for whip-poor-wills or other lunaphilic migrants. Further clarifying the reasons for phenotypic variation in whip-poor-will migration timing will improve predictions of their abilities to adjust migratory movements under changing environmental conditions.

Influence of lunar phases and meteorological factors on rainfall in Karachi City, Pakistan

Climate change is responsible for unpredictable weather patterns in Southeast Asia, especially in Pakistan. To better understand the influence of lunar phases and meteorological factors on extreme rainfall events in Karachi City, 42 years of rainfall data and 12 years of sea level data were analyzed. The study used wavelet transform coherence to assess the influence of lunar phases and sea level fluctuations on extreme rainfall. Additionally, three machine learning algorithms - random forest, decision tree, and extreme gradient boosting - were applied first to meteorological data (Case A) and then to combined meteorological and lunar data (Case B) to evaluate their influence on extreme rainfall. Humidity in case A, and cloud cover in case B were the most influential meteorological factors along with west winds, and north winds in both cases, while the waning crescent, waning gibbous, and waxing gibbous lunar phases were the most dominant lunar phases in Case B. The coefficient of determination (R2) in random forest increased from 0.871 in Case A, to 0.893 in Case B and proved to be the most accurate algorithm in both cases. A rainfall threshold of 50 mm, above which urban pluvial flooding occurred, was consistently observed during the waxing gibbous, waning crescent, and waning gibbous lunar phases. The study improves our understanding of lunar influenced extreme rainfall temporal variations values of machine learning models for rainfall analysis and extreme events projection and provide essential information to develop efficient adaptation and mitigation policies in pluvial flood-prone urban areas.

The menstrual cycle is influenced by weekly and lunar rhythms

To study whether the menstrual cycle has a circaseptan (7 days) rhythm and whether it is associated with the lunar cycle (also defined as the synodic month, it is the cycle of the phases of the Moon as seen from Earth, averaging 29.5 days in length). Cross-sectional study. A total of 35,940 European and North American women aged 18-40 years. Data were collected in real-life conditions. No intervention was performed. The onset of menstruation was assessed in prospectively measured menstrual cycles (311,064 cycles) over 3 full years (2019-2021). Associations were calculated between the onset of menstruation and the day of the week, and between the onset of menstruation and the lunar phase. In this large data set, a circaseptan (7-day) rhythmicity of menstruation was observed, with a peak (acrophase) of menstrual onset on Thursdays and Fridays. This circaseptan rhythm was observed in every age group, in every phase of the lunar cycle, and in all seasons. This feature was most pronounced for cycle durations between 27 and 29 days. In winter, the circaseptan rhythm was found in cycles of 27-29 days, but not in other cycle lengths. A circalunar rhythm was also statistically significant, but not as clearly defined as the circaseptan rhythm. The peak (acrophase) of the circalunar rhythm of menstrual onset varied according to the season. In addition, there was a small but statistically significant interaction between the circaseptan rhythm and the lunar cycle. Although relatively small in amplitude, the weekly rhythm of menstruation was statistically significant. Menstruation occurs more often on Thursdays and Fridays than on other days of the week. This is particularly true for women whose cycles last between 27 and 29 days. Circalunar rhythmicity was also statistically significant. However, it is less pronounced than the weekly rhythm.

Evaluation of three pruning intensities and four lunar phases in cocoa hybrids

El estudio se realizó con el objetivo de evaluar los efectos de tres niveles de poda en híbridos experimentales de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) de origen Trinitario x Nacional, considerando las cuatro fases lunares. Se empleó un Diseño Experimental Bifactorial con dos repeticiones y 6 unidades experimentales. Se evaluaron diversas variables, incluyendo el número de mazorcas sanas y enfermas, el total de mazorcas, la presencia de "escoba de bruja", la floración, brotación, el índice de semillas y el índice de mazorcas. Los resultados mostraron que la poda leve durante la Luna nueva y el cuarto menguante (tratamientos T1 y T4) produjo los mejores rendimientos en kg/ha/año, cantidad de mazorcas y calidad de semillas. En términos de salud de las plantas, las podas severas durante la Luna llena y el cuarto menguante (T11 y T12) y las podas moderadas durante la Luna llena y el cuarto menguante (T7 y T8) redujeron la incidencia de la "escoba de bruja" y mazorcas enfermas. Además, los tratamientos T1, T4 y T5 promovieron una mayor floración, la poda leve y las fases lunares de menor luminosidad tuvieron efectos positivos en la producción, salud y desarrollo vegetativo de los híbridos de cacao.

Календарные праздники Египта греко-римского времени: специфика религиозного взаимовлияния

The article analyzes the main Egyptian festivals during the Greco-Roman period concerning the influence of Greek and Roman mystery religions, which significantly affected changes in Egyptian festive culture. Through the examination of Egyptian temple reliefs, including calendar lists and scenes of the Osirian Khoiak Festival, the Coronation of the Sacred Falcon, the Feast of the Beautiful Reunion, as well as lunar festivals, it becomes evident that, from the Hellenistic period onwards, gloomy mystical subjects prevailed in the programs of Egyptian festivals. The rituals were reminiscent of dramatic performances rooted in the myths of Osiris’ and Dionysus-Zagreus’ deaths. The festival concept strengthened the principles of dualism of ideas and things, which were seen in ancient mysteries and involved the immersion of the participants in the darkness and then their unexpected exit to the dazzling light. These actions were associated with initiation stages, symbolizing the soul’s transition from the material world to the spiritual realm, and its posthumous exit from the dark depths of the underworld to Elysium, or the Isles of the Blessed, linked to the Egyptian Fields of Iaru. This dualistic festival concept is expressed, for example, in the reliefs of Dendera and Edfu temples, representing the processions of priests descending into dark rooms and ascending to the temple roof with statues of deities for the rite Xnm itn (meaning “unity with the solar disk”). At the same time, the balance between solar and lunar cults inherent to the ancient Egyptian religion was violated during the Greco-Roman period. The religious practices proposed a shift of the emphasis towards the Osirian cult, correlated with the moon phases.

РОЛЬ РИТМИЧЕСКОЙ ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ БИОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ СИСТЕМ В ВОЗНИКНОВЕНИИ И ТЕЧЕНИИ СЕРДЕЧНО-СОСУДИСТЫХ ЗАБОЛЕВАНИЙ

The article substantiates the essential role of natural physical cosmoplanetary fields, in particular, those associated with the Moon, in the regulation of life processes in biological systems of any level of organization, including humans in normal and in various diseases. The results of studies demonstrating changes in several physiological and biochemical parameters of the human body in different phases of the lunar cycle are presented.The possible molecular and cellular mechanisms through which the influence of the Moon on terrestrial processes can be realized are generalized. The literature data indicating the existence of interrelations between the phases of the lunar cycle, the occurrence and course of acute disorders of coronary and cerebral blood flow, acute aortic dissections and some other cardiovascular diseases are presented. The expediency of considering the phases of the lunar cycle and other cosmic factors in the organization of medical care for patients of cardiotherapy and cardiac surgery is indicated.

Catch of Otolithes ruber (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) under Varying Fishing Practices of Municipal Fisherfolks in San Miguel Bay, Philippines

Tiger-toothed croaker or Otolithes ruber (Bloch & Schneider 1801) is native to San Miguel Bay in Bicol, one of the most productive fishing grounds in the Philippines. Locally known as “abo”, it is one of the major fish catch in the bay and its processing is a seasonal livelihood among coastal villages that commands high market price. With the present state of area, this study aimed to provide information on O. ruber catch trend under the different fishing practices among municipal fisherfolks. On-board surveys and observations (fishing trips) were conducted from the selected barangays of the seven municipalities around the Bay, which were attended by fisherfolk who have been into fishing activity for a long time. The morphometric characteristics of the fish in terms of size (lengths and weights), sex type, and sexual maturity were assessed. Fisherfolks prefer to perform fishing activities applying fishing methods such as “timbog” (“tupak”), “patalang” and “hugos”, if the water is turbid while others believed in the phases of the moon wherein better catch is experienced when the moon is on its first or last quarters. Fishing trips demonstrated that fisherfolks used bottom-set gillnets and commonly explored the middle to the mouth of the Bay off the municipalities of Mercedes and Siruma. From the 162.69 kg total catch during the 22 fishing trips, 31.49% or 51.22 kg of which were O. ruber caught largely from Mercedes, Calabanga and Cabusao areas. Mercedes employed the “patalang” method while the other two employed “timbog” method. Out of 434 O. ruber samples, 222 females and 212 males, having 1:1 ratio, were identified with TL of 19.14 + 0.11 cm and body weight of 70.76 + 1.46 g. Moreover, macroscopic analyses of gonads revealed that maturity stages of females ranged from mature to ripe or spawning while most males are already mature and gravid with some developing virgin.

Experience from a light trap Lepidoptera survey in a populated settlement: effects of meteorological factors and changes in lunar phases

In the framework of the research, light trap Lepidoptera collections were carried out in the territory of a settlement (Velyki Berehy, Zakarpatska Oblast, Ukraine), which is bordered by nature reserves, forests, and agricultural areas, as well as by the remains of a large marsh (Szernye bog) that had been drained in the past. A Jermy light trap with a household LED bulb was used to capture the moths and butterflies. In addition to assessing the Lepidoptera fauna of the area, the study aimed to find out which species of Lepidoptera are attracted to energy-saving light bulbs commonly used in households in a settlement located in a habitat-diverse environment. In addition to the artificial light pollution conditions and other anthropogenic influences of the settlement, the direction and magnitude of the effects of temperature, relative humidity, cloud cover, wind speed, and moon phase parameters at the time of collection on the flight trends of nocturnal Lepidoptera species were also investigated. A total of 97 days of collecting between May 2018 and May 2019 resulted in the collection of 122 Lepidoptera species from 16 families. In terms of their ecological requirements, species were found in closed and open forest, forest edge, scrub, meadow, actively cultivated and abandoned agricultural areas, as well as in dry and wet areas. Several species considered being agricultural, forestry, or horticultural pests were identified, but not in abundance. Among the environmental variables, temperature variation showed a strong significant positive correlation with daily species numbers and abundance, while relative humidity, wind speed, cloud coverage and moon phases showed varying degrees of negative correlation, but were generally weak. The effects of the interactions of natural and man-made environmental influences on living organisms are difficult to assess objectively, but their research is of paramount importance for the long-term effective conservation of habitats of particular conservation value and for the preservation of their biodiversity.

Start of dawn singing as related to physical environmental variables in an alpine environment

Birds often have a peak of singing activity at dawn, and the timing of dawn song is species-specific. However, the start of singing at dawn may also depend on environmental factors. We investigated the effects of different environmental variables on the start of dawn singing in six common songbird species in the woodlands of the Swiss National Park. Moon phase, aspect, temperature and road noise had the most consistent effects across species: dawn singing started earlier after brighter and warmer nights, on more east-exposed slopes, and in areas with more road noise. On average, birds started to sing 2.8 min earlier in areas with high road noise level compared to areas without road noise, and 4.7 min earlier in east-exposed slopes compared to west-exposed slopes. Further, birds started to sing on average 5.0 min earlier after full moon compared to new moon nights, 1.2 min earlier after warmer compared to colder nights, and 2.5 min earlier at 2200 m than at 1500 m a.s.l. The effects of date were more species-specific: Alpine Tits started to sing on average 4.9 min later at the end compared to the beginning of the study period, whilst Song Thrushes started to sing 9.0 min earlier. Our findings are in line with the results of previous studies on the effects of road noise, nocturnal light, and partly on temperature. Our study shows that variation in environmental variables may influence the start of dawn singing in different ways, and that anthropogenic factors like road noise can affect bird behaviour even in a highly protected area.

Assessment of Ecological Bridges at Wildlife Crossings in Türkiye: A Case Study of Wild Boar Crossings on the Izmir-Çeşme Motorway.

In this study, the use of an ecological bridge installed as a wildlife overpass and constructed in the Zeytinler neighborhood in 2020 was analyzed as a mitigating factor in wild-boar-vehicle collisions (WVCs) on the Izmir-Çeşme motorway. In this context, this study aimed to assess the use of the Zeytinler Ecological Bridge by wild boars (Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758). To this end, wildlife crossings were monitored, analyzed, and modeled with Bayesian networks. Between August 2020 and December 2022, a total of 686 instances of movement were observed among six medium to large wild mammal species. Wild boars accounted for approximately 87.5% of the recorded wildlife crossings, with foxes comprising 10%. The findings showed that the highest frequency of wildlife crossings occurred during the autumn season, particularly between 22:00 (10 p.m.) and 02:00 (2 a.m.), coinciding with the Waxing Gibbous and Waxing Crescent phases of the moon. The model outcomes highlighted that during the autumn season with a full pond, wild boar crossings increased by one and a half times in comparison to regular herd crossings. Throughout the observation period, there were no instances of wild boar fatalities subsequent to the completion of the bridge.

The moon cycle influences reproductive and productive traits in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) from a tropical Andean area

ABSTRACT There is currently innumerable evidence showing that the lunar cycle affects various reproductive aspects in farm animals. However, there is very little information on the effect of the lunar cycle on productive traits in these species. A retrospective study was conducted (2015–2018) to evaluate the influence of the lunar cycle on some reproductive and productive traits in a guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) production system in the southern Andean region of Ecuador. A total of 7352 productive and reproductive records of guinea pig females housed in 3 m2 cages with a breeding male were analyzed. The following variables were considered: offspring sex ratio, litter size per cage, number of weaned guinea pigs, mortality, individual and litter weaning weight of guinea pigs, and calving frequency. The lunar cycle was split into eight periods of ~3.7-d length each. Data were analyzed by logistic regression and general linear model, and means were compared by the least mean squares method of the SAS. The offspring sex ratio was not correlated to the lunar cycle. The lunar cycle at mating and calving influenced the litter size per cage, number of weaned, and mortality of guinea pigs. The individual and litter-weaning weights were influenced by the lunar cycle at calving. The frequency of calving was greater around the new and full moon than in the remaining periods of the lunar cycle. In conclusion, the lunar cycle influenced several productive and reproductive traits in guinea pigs, such as litter size, mortality, number of pups weaned, and individual and litter weaning weights. This valuable information may have practical applications in management of guinea pig production systems.

Basic Survey Scheduling for the Wide Field Survey Telescope (WFST)

Aiming at improving the survey efficiency of the Wide Field Survey Telescope, we have developed a basic scheduling strategy that takes into account the telescope characteristics, observing conditions, and weather conditions at the Lenghu site. The sky area is divided into rectangular regions, referred to as “tiles,” with a size of 2.°577 × 2.°634 slightly smaller than the focal area of the mosaic CCDs. These tiles are continuously filled in annulars parallel to the equator. The brightness of the sky background, which varies with the moon phase and distance from the moon, plays a significant role in determining the accessible survey fields. Approximately 50 connected tiles are grouped into one block for observation. To optimize the survey schedule, we perform simulations by taking into account the length of exposures, data readout, telescope slewing, and all relevant observing conditions. We utilize the Greedy Algorithm for scheduling optimization. Additionally, we propose a dedicated dithering pattern to cover the gaps between CCDs and the four corners of the mosaic CCD array, which are located outside of the 3° field of view. This dithering pattern helps to achieve relatively uniform exposure maps for the final survey outputs.