Territory Quality Research Articles

Implications of non-ideal occupancy for the measurement of territory quality

Territory quality shapes population dynamics and has conservation implications for territorial species. Yet, quantifying territory quality using different measures can yield conflicting results, particularly if territory selection is non-ideal, thus challenging the understanding of territory quality. We used a 25-year population study of spotted owls ( Strix occidentalis ) occupying 72 territories to evaluate five commonly used demographic- and occupancy-based measures of territory quality: occupancy rate, annual apparent survival rate, territory fitness, mean annual reproductive rate, and total reproductive output. To do so, we evaluated pairwise relationships between measures of territory quality and assessed the extent to which spotted owls selected territories based on their potential to promote fitness. Measures of territory quality were generally positively correlated. Notably, however, territory occupancy explained less than half of the variation (R 2 = 0.37) in territory fitness (the expected fitness of territory holders). Non-ideal patterns in territory occupancy were the result of weak linkages between the likelihood of vacant territories becoming colonized and their fitness potential, particularly their capacity to promote reproduction. Imperfect territory colonization was likely the product of the spotted owl’s strong site fidelity to even low-fitness territories and constraints on the ability of dispersing individuals to locate high quality territories. Mismatches emerging from non-ideal colonization have important conservation implications because populations may benefit more from habitat restoration at low fitness-high occupancy territories and more from conspecific attraction measures at high fitness-low occupancy territories. Our findings for spotted owls were reasonably consistent with broad patterns observed for other species in previous studies, but the strength of associations between pairs of territory quality measures often varied considerably, suggesting that species-specific assessments of patterns in territory quality are important. Finally, when practical, examination of the ecological processes shaping multiple measures of territory quality will benefit the study and conservation of territorial species.

Territory‐level temperature influences breeding phenology and reproductive output in three forest passerine birds

Temperature plays an important role in determining the breeding phenology of birds in temperate climates, with higher spring temperatures associated with earlier breeding. However, the effect of localised territory‐scale temperature variations is poorly understood, with relationships between temperature and breeding phenology mostly studied using coarse‐grained climatic indices. Here, we interpolate spring temperatures recorded at 150‐m2 grid intersections encompassing 417 ha of forest to examine the influence of territory‐scale temperature, and its interaction with mean annual temperature, on territory selection, breeding phenology, clutch size and fledging success for three co‐occurring single‐brooded passerine birds using data from 672 nests over four years. All species exhibited significant trends in reproductive traits associated with territory‐scale temperature. Pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca settled in cooler territories first, where they raised more fledglings. Blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus laid larger clutches in warmer territories in warm years and always laid earlier at warmer territories irrespective of annual temperature variation. Contrastingly, pied flycatcher and wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix breeding phenology was earlier at warmer territories in cool years and cooler territories in warm years, with wood warbler clutch size responding similarly to this interaction. Greater previous breeding experience and higher rates of historical territory occupancy (territory quality) also predicted earlier breeding phenology and higher fledging success for pied flycatchers. We suggest that the migratory pied flycatcher and wood warbler are best synchronised with their prey availability in cooler years at a local population level. However resident blue tits match local phenology across all years, which is potentially advantageous under warmer predicted climate change scenarios. We conclude that temperature at the territory scale can be an important driver of settlement and breeding phenology and influence reproductive traits.

Particle Swarm Optimization Embedded in UAV as a Method of Territory-Monitoring Efficiency Improvement

Unmanned aerial vehicles have large prospects for organizing territory monitoring. To integrate them into this sphere, it is necessary to improve their high functionality and safety. Computer vision is one of the vital monitoring aspects. In this paper, we developed and validated a methodology for terrain classification. The overall classification procedure consists of the following steps: (1) pre-processing, (2) feature extraction, and (3) classification. For the pre-processing stage, a clustering method based on particle swarm optimization was elaborated, which helps to extract object patterns from the image. Feature extraction is conducted via Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix calculation, and the output of the matrix is turned into the input for a feed-forward neural network classification stage. The developed computer vision system showed 88.7% accuracy on the selected test set. These results can provide high quality territory monitoring; prospectively, we plan to establish a self-positioning system based on computer vision.

Analysis of the state of the urban ecosystem using the method of fluctuating asymmetry

The article presents the results of the analysis of the influence of transport and industrial pollution on the plant Potentilla fruticosa L. It has been established that the plant, in response to man-made effects, exhibits a reaction consisting in reducing the size of assimilation organs. It is shown that the environmental quality of the urbanized territory in terms of the fluctuating asymmetry of the final leaf fraction corresponds to a high level of pollution.

Understanding Extra-Pair Mating Behaviour: A Case Study of Socially Monogamous European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) in Western Siberia

Extra-pair copulation (EPC) occurred in most socially monogamous bird species. The mechanisms leading to the frequent occurrence of extra-pair offspring (EPO, EPY) in socially monogamous couples, as well as the ‘function’ of EPC, are the subjects of strong debates and raise many unanswered questions. We studied the relationship between extra-pair paternity (EPP) and the different characteristics of males and females in the European pied flycatcher in Western Siberia (Russia). The analysis was based on the genotyping of 232 males, 250 females, 1485 nestlings (250 nests). The European pied flycatchers were predominantly socially and genetically monogamous, but about 20% of birds could be involved in EPP. Loss of paternity tended to be more frequent in one-year-old males. EPCs could be multiple: one individual may have up to three extra-pair partners. The EPP rate was independent of the breeding time. The extra-pair mates of an individual were mainly its near neighbours. The EPC status of an individual was unrelated to most of its morpho-physiological traits. The occurrence of EPP was almost twice as high in females nesting in good quality territories. The fitness of within-pair offspring, EPO, paternal half-sibs of EPO and maternal half-sibs of EPO did not differ statistically significantly. Assuming very low heritability of extra-pair mating, we argued that EPCs could be incidental side effects (by-product) of selection. We believe that the evolution and maintenance of extra-pair mating are the episelective processes in the case of the European pied flycatcher.

Methodology for the integrated and intelligent management of tourist destinations in Manabí in Ecuador

<p class="15"><strong>Objective:</strong> To systematize methodologies that harmonize the integrated and intelligent management of tourist destinations with geographic information, for timely and accurate decision making, contributing to quality in the context of the cantonal tourist territories of the province, Manabí-Ecuador.</p><p class="15"><strong>Methodology/approach:</strong> The paradigms of tourism destination management that reconciles all participants, policies, components and parts of the system; expressed in an integrated management. The use of information and communication technologies in an intelligent management that welcomes tourists, communities and managers. Everything in tourism is tied to space and territory, the information systems that are used need to respond to the “where” by means of analysis tools and representation of the places.</p><p class="15"><strong>Originality/Relevance: </strong>The sequence of steps of various methodologies and systematized theory, focus the integrated and intelligent management of tourist destinations, in the transit from the parts to the whole. In practice it implies, the voluntary participation of entrepreneurs, interested in the homogeneous improvement of tourism quality in the territory.</p><p class="15"><strong>Main results: </strong>A theoretical model of the concepts that shape the understanding of the integrated and intelligent management of tourist destinations and territories for the improvement of quality. A methodology reconfigured from others, for the implementation of the theoretical model.</p><p class="15"><strong>Theoretical / methodological contributions:</strong> Guidance for decision making in tourist territories and of understanding by entrepreneurs and managers, to revert the improvement of their businesses, in the homogeneous improvement of the tourist quality of the tourist territories and destinations of the province Manabí.</p><strong></strong>

Living in mixed-sex groups limits sexual selection as a driver of pelage dimorphism in bovids

AbstractAmong mammals, bovids provide some of the most striking examples of sexual dimorphism in colouration and pelage appendages, such as beards and manes. This dimorphism is usually assumed to have evolved through sexual selection on males in the context of intra- or intersexual communication. However, the sexes coloration and pelage appendages look similar between the two sexes in several bovid species thought to be characterized by large opportunities for sexual selection, hinting at fitness costs of dimorphic traits due to other selection pressures. This study applies the comparative method with phylogenetic control to identify the factors promoting and constraining the evolution of dimorphism in coloration and pelage appendages across bovids. We found that trait dimorphism correlated positively with large breeding group size, an indicator of the intensity of sexual selection, and negatively with male territoriality, which is also likely to affect the operation of sexual selection. The relative rarity of color and pelage dimorphism in species with territorial mating systems may be explained by weaker sexual selection due to difficulty in monopolizing females and/or sexual selection targeting other traits, such as territorial quality as an extended phenotype. We also found that dimorphism in color and pelage was reduced in species spending more time in mixed-sex groups outside the breeding season, possibly due to increased predation costs from non-uniformity. This suggests that benefits from integration into mixed-sex groups select against the extravagant male morphologies otherwise promoted by sexual selection.

Territorial'nye sistemy: zadachi reorganizatsii i kontseptual'nye osnovy ikh resheniya v formatakh gradostroitel'nogo planirovaniya [Territorial systems: Reorganization and conceptual basis for urban planning

In modern urban planning decisions, the conceptual basis is not systematically investigated and developed when determining the development prospects of regional settlement systems. The priority of such decisions is to meet the requirements for spatial planning, urban planning zoning, territory planning. This is not enough to ensure the integrity of settlements and planning principles.The paper identifies and characterizes the urban planning activities such as the development of territorial systems and quality improvement of living environment. Settlement system development largely depends on both basic regional conditions and readiness of territories to initiate urban planning. These processes have the greatest impact on spatial planning as an element of the strategic planning system.The proposed theoretical and empirical research methods allow to substantiate the transformation stages of settlement systems and characterize their change, formation principles of urban planning, planning, functioning, life cycle. The improvement of town-planning methodology is proposed. All this contributes to the development of regional settlement systems, which can decrease due to the permanent emergence of new urban planning phenomena and processes.

Colonial moorings on spatial planning of Mozambique

Each country has its spatial planning system, which comprises several instruments and objectives focused on city issues and territorial development. On June 25, 1975, the independence of Mozambique was proclaimed, following the end of the colonial war with the military coup of April 25 in Portugal and the Lusaka agreements on September 7, 1974. Consequently, a new framework establishes the bases of public policies for this country, whose main objective is to fulfill territorial quality concerning the collective culture that integrates the local cultural values. Mozambique was an administrative part of Portugal until 1975. There is still a substantial identity between the two countries, sharing the same language and politics, cultural aspects, and administrative organization. In this sense, the present study aims to present a comparative analysis between Mozambique and Portugal's spatial planning systems, seeking to find common characteristics. In conclusion, this research shows similarities based on spatial land use in Mozambique and Portugal. However, there is a clear contrast between land ownership and access. The level of implementation at a diverse level is notorious. We highlight the example of Beira which has a comprehensive plan based on sustainable development and climate-change-resilient mitigation proposals.

La dimensione dello spazio pubblico nelle conurbazioni di fondovalle. Ambiti e prospettive progettuali


 
 
 
 The paper deals with the critical issues concerning the public spaces and linear settlements located in the Alpine valley floors. The development of modern urbanisation caused spatial and relational impacts increasing the demand for the right to the city and nature expressed by the inhabitants of the Alpine suburbs. Therefore, the paper identifies possible project areas for establishing a new system of public and collective spaces, as already tested through the mentioned case studies concerning the different contexts. These selected spaces are widespread in heterogeneous mountain landscapes and constitute design opportunities at different elevations to restore territorial quality and identity and reconnect the interrupted or incomplete relationships. They could compose a new public, collective, and open spaces system to be developed as a real landscape regeneration project made of places, relationships, and identities.
 
 
 

Littoral books: archiving oceanic memory through pressed and printed plants

ABSTRACT This article identifies a Victorian moment in the genealogy of the intellectual formation of the “book of nature” made visible through Charles Anderson’s Sea Mosses herbarium (1873) to demonstrate how the herbarium transforms the metaphorical “book of nature” into a material site of ecological archiving. To underscore the registers of ecological archiving and reading taking shape through Anderson’s album, I introduce the “littoral book.” Alluding to the shoreside littoral zones where Victorian botanists collected seaweed, the littoral book is a material-conceptual book object founded on plant-human-text interconnectivities that invites humans to dwell within the ocean and its vegetal inhabitants. I introduce theoretical interlocutors with shared investments in materiality, book history and material ecocriticism, to map out forms of botanical archiving rooted in the littoral zone’s motions and materials. To capture the timeless and historicized, the sedimentary and dynamic, the territorial and amorphous qualities of the ocean’s littoral zones, I conduct close material analyses of Anderson’s album while initiating broader acts of speculative historical reconstruction by fleshing the techniques Anderson used for creating his herbarium – including specimen mounting, arranging, and labelling. This study of Anderson’s Sea Mosses reveals how the littoral book functions as an immersive, dynamic archive of oceanic memory.

Landscape alteration affects the demography of an endangered avian predator by reducing the habitat quality

Habitat transformation is identified as major threat to biodiversity loss globally, affecting threatened raptors. Changes in land use can alter the abundance and distribution of birds of prey by affecting habitat availability and quality. In this study, we used multivariate analyses to investigate the effect of habitat alteration on the demography of a declining Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca), making assumptions for future population trajectories. We used the Generalized Linear Mixed Models with Poisson distribution and Log link function, searching a relationship between the demographic parameters and the landscape structure and possible effects of fragmentation. In our study area, habitat change affected dramatically permanent grasslands, shrinking their availability. As we expected, the share of grasslands in eagles’ territories significantly affected occupancy rate, but not productivity and breeding frequency. We found that occupancy rate decreased significantly, while productivity and breeding frequency showed no trend. Modeling the effect of habitat alteration on Eastern Imperial Eagle demography, we found out that territory quality was a more powerful factor driving the response of a top predator to the alteration of favorite foraging habitats. Only the habitat quality in source territories had a significant positive effect on eagle productivity. We found that simple rules to predict adverse agricultural impact on territory abandonment or breeding productivity of a top predator were not reliable. Our results could be used for planning conservation of other large territorial raptors, facing the same type of threat.

Software tools of the Internet platform for rating assessment of life the quality of territories

Software tools of the Internet platform for rating assessment of life the quality of territories

Design of an analytical internet platform for rating estimation of the municipal territories life quality

This paper presents some results of designing an analytical platform for rating estimation of the life quality of territories based on the software implementation of the author›s method of integral assessment of municipalities in the context of the national projects. The purpose of creating this Internet platform is a monitor the impact of the results of the national projects implementation on improving the life quality of the population in the municipal territories of the region. The main information resources and operating principles are described in the work.

УНІВЕРСАЛЬНИЙ ПІДХІД ДО ОЦІНКИ ТЕРИТОРІЙ

Assessment of the quality of individual parts of the earth's surface (territories) always causes a certain scientific and practical interest and is the basis of people's daily life. Therefore, the study of processes and the development of methods for assessing the quality of territories always remain an important problem, especially when the process of functional zoning of the territory of Ukraine begins.The task of the research is to develop a universal algorithm for the assessment of territories based on the determination of its quality index and the possibility of using it to establish the value of territories in monetary terms, which will allow state authorities and local governments to effectively develop projects of functional zoning of territories. In world practice, three main methodical approaches are used to determine the value index of territories. All methodical approaches are based on threecomponents: socio-economic, natural and ecological quality, sustainability of agricultural landscapes.The research methodology is based on the methods of mathematical statistics and a systematic analytical approach to the selection of indicators of influence on the territory value index. The purpose of this publication is to develop a methodical approach capable of unifying the procedure for evaluating territories with different functional purposes.In this publication, a fundamentally new approach to the evaluation of territories in Ukraine is proposed, which is based on the territory quality index indicator. At the same time, with the established value of territories in monetary terms, thismethodical approach expands the capabilities of local self-government authority, as they set the price of a unit of area of the corresponding territory by their decision.The proposed methodological approach is universal, which allows its using for territories of various functional purposes, including different categories of land, which greatly simplifies the assessment procedure.

Survival strategies of producers involved in short food supply chains following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic: A Hungarian case-study.

Survival strategies of producers involved in short food supply chains following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic: A Hungarian case-study.

Bioacoustically derived migration arrival times in boreal birds: implications for assessing habitat quality

Long-distance migrant songbirds are declining globally. Reversing declines requires a good understanding of habitat quality. Local studies have shown that territory settlement date (arrival) is generally correlated with density and productivity. Despite widespread acceptance, large-scale multispecies demonstrations of arrival time being correlated with habitat quality are lacking. We investigated whether arrival date estimated from ecozonal scale bioacoustic monitoring could be predicted by an independent estimate of estimated density for Ovenbird (<em>Seiurus aurocapilla</em>), Tennessee Warbler (<em>Leiothlypis peregrina</em>), and Yellow-rumped Warbler (<em>Setophaga coronata</em>). We also examined local Ovenbird settlement patterns by comparing relative arrival and observed local density differences between nearby territories. Arrival date was estimated as the first focal species detection date on a breeding territory and the cure4insect R package was used to predict estimated average density. Using predicted average density as a habitat quality proxy, we found earlier arrivals in higher quality territories (Ovenbird 1.04 +/- 0.33 days earlier, Tennessee Warbler 1.96 +/- 0.36 days earlier, Yellow-rumped Warbler 1.23 +/- 0.54 days earlier). We also showed that arrival time was earlier in habitats preferred by each species. Spatial patterns of arrival varied among species although latitude was always an important predictor. Locations where predicted Ovenbird densities were estimated to be higher were filled before sites with lower predicted density but only 600 m away (2.9 +/- 1.4 days earlier). Correlating migrant arrival time and density suggests density is a reasonable measure of habitat quality. Combined, density and arrival data from bioacoustics provide a low-cost habitat-assessment tool that better informs the types of forest that need to be protected for species of concern, which will be particularly important as land-use and climate change impacts increase in the boreal forest.

Positive impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on the environment of India’s national capital, Delhi

The rapid emergence of novel coronavirus disease has shown some positive impact on the health of natural environment. Present study was aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on the water quality of Yamuna River and air quality of national capital territory, Delhi. Significant decline in air quality pollutants like NH3, SO2, CO, PM2.5, NO2 were observed. The major decline was found in the levels of PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and NH3. The less significant decline was seen in the CO level during the lockdown period. Furthermore, the overall decline in the concentrations of BOD, COD and increase in pH suggesting an improvement in Yamuna water during the lockdown. However, the concentration of DO was found insignificant during the lockdown period. Additionally, comparative analysis of morbidity, mortality as well causalities during this period has also been recorded to establish correlation of pre and post COVID-19 situations. Altogether, present study is found to be a useful supplement for policymakers because marked improvements in the water and air quality indices have been observed after enforcement of lockdown leading to control of the various pollution sources. Therefore, periodical lockdown can be utilized as an effective mitigation measures for natures’ restoration.

Sex Differences in How Territory Quality Affects Aggression in Convict Cichlids.

SynopsisIn animal contests, the value an individual assigns to limited resources can directly impact the level of aggression it demonstrates. For territorial species, individuals often assess their territory quality and appropriately modify the time and energy invested in its defense. In this study, male and female convict cichlids, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, were acclimated to one of three territorial treatments representing either a low, medium, or high resource value. Territories with a “Low Value” included substrate alone, “Medium Value” territories included substrate and a nest site, and a “High Value” territory included substrate, a nest site, and constant food source. After three days of acclimation, a size-matched intruder was introduced to elicit territorial aggression and behaviors were observed. Territory quality affected one measure of low-intensity aggression (displays) in residents but had no effect on high-intensity aggression (bites and chases). Moreover, there was a significant effect of sex, with males and females differing in the types of aggressive behaviors demonstrated across all treatments. Females showed more low-intensity aggressive behaviors toward intruders than males did. Additionally, a significant interaction of sex and territory quality was observed on two measures of high-intensity aggressive behavior (bites and chases), with females more likely than males to increase aggressive behaviors along with increasing territory quality. This suggests that females may be more sensitive and/or responsive to changes in the quality of a territory, possibly due to the necessity of a suitable nest site for egg deposition within a territory.

Should females prefer old males?

Whether females should prefer to mate with old males is controversial. Old males may sire offspring of low quality because of an aging germline, but their proven ability to reach an old age can also be an excellent indicator of superior genetic quality, especially in natural populations. These genetic effects are, however, hard to study in nature, because they are often confounded with direct benefits offered by old males to the female, such as experience and high territory quality. We, therefore, used naturally occurring extra‐pair young to disentangle different aspects of male age on female fitness in a natural population of collared flycatchers because any difference between within‐ and extra‐pair young within a nest should be caused by paternal genetic effects only. Based on 18 years of long‐term data, we found that females paired with older males as social partners experienced an overall reproductive advantage. However, offspring sired by old males were of lower quality as compared to their extra‐pair half‐siblings, whereas the opposite was found in nests attended by young males. These results imply a negative genetic effect of old paternal age, given that extra‐pair males are competitive middle‐age males. Thus, offspring may benefit from being sired by young males but raised by old males, to maximize both genetic and direct effects. Our results show that direct and genetic benefits from pairing with old males may act in opposing directions and that the quality of the germline may deteriorate before other signs of senescence become obvious.