Settlement Stage Research Articles

Natal dispersal in a social landscape: Considering individual behavioral phenotypes and social environment in dispersal ecology

Abstract Natal dispersal, the movement of an organism from its birthplace to the site of first reproduction, is fundamental to many ecological and evolutionary processes. Mechanistically, individual dispersal decisions can depend on both individual phenotype and environmental cues. In particular, many established evolutionary theories of dispersal highlight the importance of the social environment. More recent research in behavioral ecology has focused on the importance of individual behavioral phenotypes. We reviewed the literature on individual behavioral phenotypes and dispersal and suggest that how individual behavioral phenotypes interact with the immediate social environment experienced by individuals in influencing dispersal is still poorly understood, despite growing interest. We found that very few studies had examined the interaction of individual behavioral phenotypes and social factors, and behavioral phenotypes related to social tendencies were less commonly measured than were behavioral phenotypes related to exploration or response to risk. Further, and unsurprisingly, studies on social behavioral phenotypes and dispersal behaviors during the transience stage of dispersal were underrepresented compared to the departure or settlement stages. Future studies in this area should aim to: a) make explicit links between behavioral traits and their proposed effects on dispersal decisions throughout multiple stages of dispersal, b) integrate more continuous dispersal variables, and c) consider the effects of the spatial distribution and phenotypes of conspecifics (i.e., the social landscape) encountered by individual dispersers.

Settlement of Tax Disputes in the Russian Federation and Germany

This article is devoted to the settlement of tax disputes in the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany. The features of the conflict settlement mechanism are both shown in the stage of administrative and judicial review. In accordance with German law, the administrative stage of dispute resolution, carried out by the tax authority, always precedes the filing of a complaint to a court. Consequently, the taxpayer submits his first application in writing to the tax authority that issued the tax act, though in some cases to a higher tax authority. This obligatory procedure was borrowed by the Russian tax system. The trial stage of tax dispute settlement in Germany is carried out by specialized courts, forming a two-level system for legal proceedings. Thus, the tax dispute submitted to the Court is settled first by the financial lands courts and then by the higher Federal Financial Court. However, the Federal Financial Court takes into consideration only certain categories of actions listed in the Act (the Regulations) of finance courts (Finanzgerichtordnung). In Russia appeals of administrative review of tax conflicts, unlike in the German system, are handled by arbitration and general jurisdiction courts. The Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation is the supreme judicial body for settling economic disputes and other cases considered by arbitration courts in implementing federal procedural judicial supervision over their activities and provides explanations regarding judicial practices. Arbitration courts established at the level of the Federation to resolve disputes involving commercial entities, e.g. enterprises and entrepreneurs, resolve the bulk of tax disputes. These courts are composed of specially created panels of judges known as bars, i.e. groups of judges who specialize in reviewing taxation cases.

Early life stages of plaice Pleuronectes platessa in cold-water nurseries

Event Abstract Back to Event Early life stages of plaice Pleuronectes platessa in cold-water nurseries Filipe Martinho1*, Vânia Freitas2, 3, Paulo T. Santos4, Camila Bremm4, Joana Campos2, 3 and Henk W. Van Der Veer2 1 Centre for Functional Ecology - CFE, Department of Life Sciences, Portugal 2 NIOZ - Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Netherlands 3 CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Portugal 4 FCUP – Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Portugal Plaice Pleuronectes platessa (Linnaeus, 1758) is one of the most important commercial flatfish in the European continent, whose captures have reduced considerably in recent decades due to the high pressure of fisheries. Despite the wide distribution of this species, most studies have focused on the North Sea, its central area of occurrence, and very little information is available concerning the populations living at the northern limit of its distribution. Age determination is essential to study population dynamics of commercially important species such as plaice, and can be inferred through otolith microstructure analysis. The aim of this work was to investigate the timing of early life events (spawning, larval, metamorphosis and settlement stage duration) and growth of juvenile plaice in two cold-water nursery areas in northern Norway (Valosen estuary and Storfjord). A latitudinal cline was observed in the main life-history events, such as spawning, and the onset of larval and metamorphosis stages. Settlement to benthic habitats (which coincides with metamorphosis) was estimated to have occurred between mid-May and early-September (peak from the end May and mid July) in the Valosen, and between the end of May and early July (peak in June) in the Storfjord. In the Storfjord area, larval and metamorphosis stage duration seemed to be shorter, probably due to a reduced window of opportunity for growth and survival at the northernmost extremes. Size at settlement was negatively related with hatch day, implying that the older larvae were larger at settlement, a consequence of higher fecundity of females earlier in the spawning season. A significant relationship between size at settlement and total length reinforced this evidence. The results demonstrate the influence of latitude in the early life stages of plaice, mainly by the regulatory effect of temperature in the growth and survival of larvae and juveniles. Acknowledgements This study was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, through the following grants, with funds from the European Social Fund and the Portuguese Operational Human Potential Program (POPH): F Martinho - Investigador FCT programme IF/01410/2012 V Freitas - Post doc grant SFRH/BPD/75858/2011 J Campos - Post doc grant SFRH/BPD/71205/2010 Keywords: latitudinal gradient, Plaice, otolith microstructure, Nursery grounds, Norway Conference: XV European Congress of Ichthyology, Porto, Portugal, 7 Sep - 11 Sep, 2015. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Otoliths as a tool to study fish life cycles Citation: Martinho F, Freitas V, Santos PT, Bremm C, Campos J and Van Der Veer HW (2015). Early life stages of plaice Pleuronectes platessa in cold-water nurseries. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XV European Congress of Ichthyology. doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2015.03.00090 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 18 Nov 2015; Published Online: 19 Nov 2015. * Correspondence: Dr. Filipe Martinho, Centre for Functional Ecology - CFE, Department of Life Sciences, Coimbra, 3000-456, Portugal, fmartinho@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Filipe Martinho Vânia Freitas Paulo T Santos Camila Bremm Joana Campos Henk W Van Der Veer Google Filipe Martinho Vânia Freitas Paulo T Santos Camila Bremm Joana Campos Henk W Van Der Veer Google Scholar Filipe Martinho Vânia Freitas Paulo T Santos Camila Bremm Joana Campos Henk W Van Der Veer PubMed Filipe Martinho Vânia Freitas Paulo T Santos Camila Bremm Joana Campos Henk W Van Der Veer Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

The Influence of Substrate to Larval Settlement of the Tropical Abalone (Haliotis asinina)

Larval settlement stage of abalone (Haliotis asinine) depends on availability of feed and substrate compatibility. Existing feed size and feed type diversity in substrate will affect larval settlement stage, feeding habit and survival rate of abalone larvae. This study aims to find out the most suitable substrate for larval settlement of the tropical abalone. It is conducted in February-April, 2013 at Brackish Water Aquaculture Center, Takalar Regency, South Sulawesi. Applied experimental design is Completely Randomized Design. There are 3 types of test substrate: coral, cement and plastic with 3 replications for each substrate. This study shows that statistically, substrate differences do not affect to larval settlement stage. The highest stage of larval settlement is to coral substrate by 3.3%, followed by cement and plastic by 2.2% and 0.2% respectively. The highest average stage of living larva on coral and cement substrate are 15.3%, while on plastic substrate is 8.7%.

Four lessons on Randstad-Holland

The Dutch delta, at the confluence of the courses of the Rhine, Meuse and Scheldt rivers, is the paradigmatic territory of networks from the earliest stages of the human settlement. In an unsteady landscape, made up of a mosaic of marshes, bogs and sand dunes; irrigated by a maze with rivers, streams and canals; transportation network is the element that strengthens and unites the urban structure for centuries. This article discusses the integration of the Dutch transport network and the urban network from four noted episodes in the history of mobility in the Netherlands: the Trekvaarten [towpaths], the Oude Lijn [Old railway line], the Halsketting [nodal corridor], and finally, the intermodal center Zuidas-Amsterdam. The aim of this article is to show how the development of the Dutch urban network is conditioned by structural changes in the transportation network, and how the evolution of the urban mobility system determines simultaneously both: regional and local spheres. Ultimately, four lessons in mobility and urbanity in the Randstad-Holland that take the case of study further and are a model in the development of an integrated metropolitan system.

Ontogenetic development of the sagittal otoliths of Lipophrys pholis (Blenniidae) during the embryonic, larval and settlement stages

Eggs and settlers of Lipophrys pholis were collected during low tides from a northern Portuguese rocky beach in March and May of 2013. The eggs were reared under controlled-laboratory conditions until the larval stage, while settlers were immediately sacrificed. Sagittae were viewed by scanning electron microscopy to assess the occurrence of different microstructural checks during embryonic, larval and settlement stages. Otoliths recorded several micro-increments (8–10) before hatching in late embryo phases. In larval otoliths a visible hatching check was observed and micro-increments were deposited on a daily basis. Early settlers presented in the otolith edge two types of settlement marks. These findings are important to prevent a misidentification of some life history events and/or to avoid overestimation of individual age from otolith studies.

Characteristics of settling coral reef fish are related to recruitment timing and success.

Many marine populations exhibit high variability in the recruitment of young into the population. While environmental cycles and oceanography explain some patterns of replenishment, the role of other growth-related processes in influencing settlement and recruitment is less clear. Examination of a 65-mo. time series of recruitment of a common coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus, to the reefs of the upper Florida Keys revealed that during peak recruitment months, settlement stage larvae arriving during dark lunar phases grew faster as larvae and were larger at settlement compared to those settling during the light lunar phases. However, the strength and direction of early trait-mediated selective mortality also varied by settlement lunar phase such that the early life history traits of 2–4 week old recruit survivors that settled across the lunar cycle converged to more similar values. Similarly, within peak settlement periods, early life history traits of settling larvae and selective mortality of recruits varied by the magnitude of the settlement event: larvae settling in larger events had longer PLDs and consequently were larger at settlement than those settling in smaller pulses. Traits also varied by recruitment habitat: recruits surviving in live coral habitat (vs rubble) or areas with higher densities of adult conspecifics were those that were larger at settlement. Reef habitats, especially those with high densities of territorial conspecifics, are more challenging habitats for young fish to occupy and small settlers (due to lower larval growth and/or shorter PLDs) to these habitats have a lower chance of survival than they do in rubble habitats. Settling reef fish are not all equal and the time and location of settlement influences the likelihood that individuals will survive to contribute to the population.

Spatial distribution and settlement strategies in willow ptarmigan

In heterogeneous landscapes individuals select among several habitat patches. The fitness rewards of these choices are assumed to play an important role in the distribution of individuals across landscapes. Individuals can either use environmental cues to directly assess the quality of breeding sites, or rely on social cues to guide the settlement decision. We estimated the density of adult birds and per capita reproductive success of willow ptarmigan over 5–15 years in 42 survey areas, nested within 5 spatially separated populations in south-central Norway. Our aims were to (1) examine spatial and temporal patterns of variation in densities of adult birds (i.e., the breeding densities) and reproductive success (juveniles/pair) measured in autumn and (2) evaluate which habitat distribution model best described the distribution of willow ptarmigan across heterogeneous mountain landscapes. Variation in density of adult birds was primarily attributable to variation between survey areas which could arise from spatial heterogeneity in adult survival or as a consequence of spacing behavior of juveniles during the settlement stage. In contrast, reproductive success was more variable between years and did not vary consistently between survey areas once year effects were accounted for. The lack of any relationship between the density of adult birds and reproductive success supported the predictions of an ideal free distribution (IFD), implying that within years, the mean reproductive success was approximately equal across survey areas. However, analysis based on Taylor's power law (i.e., the relationship between logarithms of spatial variance and mean density of adult birds) suggested that aggregation was stronger than expected under IFD. This implies that the relative change in density of adult birds was larger in areas with high mean densities than in areas with low densities. The exact mechanisms causing this statistical pattern are unclear, but based on the breeding biology of willow ptarmigan we suggest that yearlings are attracted to areas of high densities during the settlement period in spring. Our study was conducted during a period of low overall density and we suggest that this pattern might be particular to such situations. This implies that the presence of conspecifics might represent a cue signaling high adult survival and thus high habitat quality.

Environment not ‘nativeness’ dictates reproductive trait shifts in Ponto‐Caspian gobies

Amongst the many theories explaining success of introduced species (e.g., the ‘enemy release theory’, ‘invasional meltdown’ theory), that of ‘alternative ontogenies and invasive potential’ (henceforth AOIP) has recently been put forward as regards invasional success of, amongst others, fish. The theory of alternative ontogenies (Balon 2004) suggests that environmental cues, acting mostly during early ontogeny, can shift an individual (or cohort, as members of each cohort often encounter identical conditions) along a generalised-specialised r-K (or altricial-precocial) gradient of life-history strategies. Several recent studies have widened this theory in relation to invasive biology, resulting in the AOIP theory (e.g., Z ahorsk a et al. 2013; Horkov a & Kov a c 2014). This predicts that (i) the invasive potential of a species is supported by its life-history plasticity, and (ii) that individuals in a recently established invasive population will shift to more altricial strategies (Z ahorsk a et al. 2013). The latter hypothesis predicts higher fecundity, lower size-at-maturity and smaller oocytes in non-native populations (Horkov a & Kov a c 2014). Data from both native and non-native ranges are needed to verify this hypothesis. Such comparative data are still lacking for most invasive species (Parker et al. 2013), however, despite the huge benefits of such comparisons to fundamental hypotheses and principles of invasion biology. One such ‘blank spot’ relates to reproductive traits in invasive Ponto-Caspian gobiids. Five PontoCaspian gobiid species (monkey goby Neogobius fluviatilis, racer goby Neogobius gymnotrachelus, bighead goby Neogobius kessleri, western tubenose goby Proterorhinus semilunaris and the round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814)) have greatly increased their ranges over recent decades, having spread across several major European river basins, including those of the Danube (beyond their original range), Rhine and Vistula (see Roche et al. 2013 for a review). The aim of this study is to provide missing comparative reproduction data for invasive Ponto-Caspian gobies and to interpret this data in the context of AOIP. The two most commonly used reproductive trait measurements [i.e., absolute fecundity (FA), sizeat-maturity] were compared between native and nonnative populations to test whether gobies in recently invaded areas do indeed shift to a more altricial strategy. To avoid bias connected with using native-area data from published literature [which frequently describe fish sampled from marine environments where growth of gobies is accelerated (Corkum et al. 2004)], we sampled both native and non-native freshwater populations of three goby species (monkey, round and bighead goby). In each case, samples were taken from a single population. Furthermore, a single analyst determined the reproductive traits using identical methodology. Native goby populations were sampled from the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube near the town of Vidin in April 2005 (round and bighead gobies at river km 780–781 and monkey gobies at rkm 790; Table S1, Fig. 1). Non-native populations were sampled from the German Rhine near the town of Rees in April 2011 (rkm 831 for monkey gobies and rkm 844–845 for round and bighead gobies; Table S1, Fig. 1). All non-native populations were at an early stage of settlement; that is, less than five generations from first record in the Rhine (Roche et al. 2013), and both native and non-native populations were sampled before their spawning seasons. Estimated relative abundance at native and non-native sites was 0.3 and 0.58 fish m 1 of shoreline surveyed for round goby,

Age Validation inOctopus vulgarisBeaks Across the Full Ontogenetic Range: Beaks as Recorders of Life Events in Octopuses

ABSTRACT This study demonstrates the daily deposition of increments in Octopus vulgaris beaks for both lateral wall surfaces (LWS) and rostrum sagittal sections (RSS). Forty-nine marked wild animals kept in aquaria (weight range, 158–3,521 g) and 24 captive-reared known-age individuals (paralarvae, 0–98 days old; adults, 200–734 days old) were studied, encompassing for the first time the full age range of the species, including known-age individuals older than 1 mo. The daily deposition of beak increments was validated in the LWS by injection of Calcofluor, and in the RSS by environmental marking (thermal, confinement, capture, and stress of the chemical marking process). A total of 111 successful validations (when beak increments corresponded precisely to days elapsed) were achieved, and the maximum validated periods were 57 days (LWS) and 112 days (RSS). In the pelagic stage and transition to the settlement stage, a new pattern of microincrements that record age was demonstrated in the lateral hood surf...

Explaining Variations in Immigrants’ Satisfaction with Their Settlement Experience

The study seeks to determine the extent to which economic integration factors, social integration factors, human capital and area-level factors are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement experience in Canada. The Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (Wave 1) and the 2001 Census Profiles are used for multilevel modelling. The study confirmed that factors from all broad groupings are associated with immigrants’ satisfaction with their settlement. Skilled class and highly educated migrants report lower levels of satisfaction, highlighting the contradiction in the Canadian immigration system which targets these migrants at the selection stage but lacks mechanisms that could help unlock their potential at the settlement stage. The study also demonstrates that migrants who have an ethnically diverse circle of friends are more satisfied with their settlement. At the contextual level, immigrant concentration was negatively associated with satisfaction. These findings speak in favour of settlement policies encouraging integration of newcomers into the receiving society.

A Study on the Effect of a Dyke Reinforced by Geotextile-Encased Sand Columns

A dyke construction was dealed with geotextile-encased sand columns. The dyke was used to enclose a polder in Hamburg-Finkenwerder, Germany. With the help of geotextile, the columns can be used in very soft soils , even undrained shear strength cu < 15 kN/m2, without excessive bulging. After the system is installed, the dike can be filled immediately. To analysis observed data of the long-term settlements in the dyke, three stages can be gotten i.e. "Primary settlements" - "Secondary settlements" - "Creep settlements". Most settlements occurred during the primary filling, while, only little settlements appeared after that construction was accomplished. The settlement rate decreases from the first settlement stage to the last one. No jump takes place when unloading soft soil. Furthermore, the method shorten time and saved a lot of money.

ANALISIS KESULITAN PEMAHAMAN KONSEP ALAT OPTIK PADA SISWA KELAS VIII SEMESTER GENAP SMP NEGERI 3 METRO TAHUN PELAJARAN 2012/2013

The purpose of this research to know form of difficulties were experienced by students looked form cognitive domain and questionsettlement stage. The subject of this research was student of grade VIIIc of junior high school 3 Metro academic year 2012/2013 the total of 33 students. Data capture technique used essay test. Data analysis was done by qualitative by identification, tabulation, describtion, and interpretationsteep. Base on analysis can be knowed that the most dominant difficulties were looked from question settlement stage that was operated stage the rules or the laws as much as 73%. Students difficulties were looked from coqtinive domain in ability stage such as knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis. Difficulties in cognitive domain the most dominant wasexperienced by students are in analysis ability stage as much as 91%. To overcome the difficulties, the teacher is adviced in order that learning the most important to physic concept are felt difficult, that are aplication stage and analysis.

MKK7 mediates miR‐493‐dependent suppression of liver metastasis of colon cancer cells

The prognosis of advanced colon cancer patients is profoundly affected by the presence or absence of liver metastasis. miR-493 functions as a potent suppressor of liver metastasis, and low-level miR-493 expression in human primary colon cancer is associated with an elevated incidence of liver metastasis. We previously showed that IGF1R is a target gene of miR-493, and that the inhibition of IGF1R partly explains how miR-493 suppresses liver metastasis. However, major functional targets that mediate the antimetastatic activity of miR-493 remain elusive. Here, we extended our search for target genes and identified MKK7, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase, as a novel target of miR-493. miR-493 inhibits MKK7 expression by targeting the binding site at the 3′-UTR of the mkk7 gene. MKK7 was expressed in six out of seven colon cancer cell lines examined but not in non-transformed colon epithelial cells, and its expression was required for the activating phosphorylation of JNK. RNA interference-mediated inhibition of MKK7 resulted in marked suppression of liver metastasis of colon cancer cells. A significant decrease of metastasized cells by the MKK7 knockdown was observed, even at early stages of the metastatic settlement, in accordance with a time course of the miR-493-mediated inhibition of the metastasis. Immunohistochemical examination in human primary colon tumors revealed that the occurrence of liver metastasis is associated with elevated levels of MKK7. Thus, MKK7 is a major functional target of miR-493, and its suppression thwarts liver metastasis of colon cancer cells.

Habitat degradation is threatening reef replenishment by making fish fearless

Habitat degradation is one of the 'Big Five' drivers of biodiversity loss. However, the mechanisms responsible for this progressive loss of biodiversity are poorly understood. In marine ecosystems, corals play the role of ecosystem engineers, providing essential habitat for hundreds of thousands of species and hence their health is crucial to the stability of the whole ecosystem. Climate change is causing coral bleaching and degradation, and while this has been known for a while, little do we know about the cascading consequences of these events on the complex interrelationships between predators and their prey. The goal of our study was to investigate, under completely natural conditions, the effect of coral degradation on predator-prey interactions. Settlement stage ambon damselfish (Pomacentrus amboinensis), a common tropical fish, were released on patches of healthy or dead corals, and their behaviours in situ were measured, along with their response to injured conspecific cues, a common risk indicator. This study also explored the effect of habitat degradation on natural levels of mortality at a critical life-history transition. We found that juveniles in dead corals displayed risk-prone behaviours, sitting further away and higher up on the reef patch, and failed to respond to predation cues, compared to those on live coral patches. In addition, in situ survival experiments over 48h indicated that juveniles on dead coral habitats had a 75% increase in predation-related mortality, compared to fish released on live, healthy coral habitats. Our results provide the first of many potential mechanisms through which habitat degradation can impact the relationship between prey and predators in the coral reef ecosystem. As the proportion of dead coral increases, the recruitment and replenishment of coral reef fishes will be threatened, and so will the level of diversity in these biodiversity hot spots.

Larval vision contributes to gregarious settlement in barnacles: adult red fluorescence as a possible visual signal

Gregarious settlement, an essential behavior for many barnacle species that can only reproduce by mating with a nearby barnacle, has long been thought to rely on larval ability to recognize chemical signals from conspecifics during settlement. However, the cyprid, the settlement stage larva in barnacles, has one pair of compound eyes that appear only at the late nauplius VI and cyprid stages, but the function(s) of these eyes remains unknown. Here we show that cyprids of the intertidal barnacle Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite can locate adult barnacles even in the absence of chemical cues, and prefer to settle around them probably via larval sense of vision. We also show that the cyprids can discriminate color and preferred to settle on red surfaces. Moreover, we found that shells of adult B. amphitrite emit red auto-fluorescence and the adult extracts with the fluorescence as a visual signal attracted cyprid larvae to settle around it. We propose that the perception of specific visual signals can be involved in behavior of zooplankton including marine invertebrate larvae, and that barnacle auto-fluorescence may be a specific signal involved in gregarious larval settlement.

Concurrent effects of age class and food distribution on immigration success and population dynamics in a small mammal

During the settlement stage of dispersal, the outcome of conflicts between residents and immigrants should depend on the social organization of resident populations as well as on individual traits of immigrants, such as their age class, body mass and/or behaviour. We have previously shown that spatial distribution of food influences the social organization of female bank voles (Myodes glareolus). Here, we aimed to determine the relative impact of food distribution and immigrant age class on the success and demographic consequences of female bank vole immigration. We manipulated the spatial distribution of food within populations having either clumped or dispersed food. After a pre-experimental period, we released either adult immigrants or juvenile immigrants, for which we scored sociability and aggressiveness prior to introduction. We found that immigrant females survived less well and moved more between populations than resident females, which suggest settlement costs. However, settled juvenile immigrants had a higher probability to reproduce than field-born juveniles. Food distribution had little effects on the settlement success of immigrant females. Survival and settlement probabilities of immigrants were influenced by adult female density in opposite ways for adult and juvenile immigrants, suggesting a strong adult-adult competition. Moreover, females of higher body mass at release had a lower probability to survive, and the breeding probability of settled immigrants increased with their aggressiveness and decreased with their sociability. Prior to the introduction of immigrants, resident females were more aggregated in the clumped food treatment than in the dispersed food treatment, but immigration reversed this relationship. In addition, differences in growth trajectories were seen during the breeding season, with populations reaching higher densities when adult immigrants were introduced in a plot with dispersed food, or when juvenile immigrants were introduced in a plot with clumped food. These results indicate the relative importance of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on immigration success and demographic consequences of dispersal and are of relevance to conservation actions, such as reinforcement of small populations.

La colonización minera y agrícola en la ciudad Imperial del Sur de Chile: 1551-1561

Study of the economic organization of the Imperial city district established since 1551 in southern Chile. We analyze the characteristics of the Spanish colonization around gold mining production, agricultural production of wheat, commercial traffic in connection with the port of Valdivia and the volume of the indigenous workforce, in the initial stage of the Spanish settlement in the region of rivers and Tolten Cautin.

The Beginning of Scandinavian Settlement in England: The Viking ‘Great Army’ and Early Settlers, c. 865–900 by Shane McLeod (review)

Reviewed by: The Beginning of Scandinavian Settlement in England: The Viking ‘Great Army’ and Early Settlers, c. 865–900 by Shane McLeod Roderick McDonald McLeod, Shane, The Beginning of Scandinavian Settlement in England: The Viking ‘Great Army’ and Early Settlers, c. 865–900 (Studies in the Early Middle Ages, 29), Turnhout, Brepols, 2013; hardback; pp. xvi, 330; 8 b/w illustrations, 3 b/w tables, 6 b/w line art; R.R.P. €80.00; ISBN 9782503545561. Based on his doctoral thesis, Shane McLeod has produced a finely nuanced analysis of the earliest stages of Scandinavian conquest and settlement in England, from approximately 865 to 900. He differentiates between the more commonly used evidence for subsequent generations of Scandinavian settlement in the tenth century and evidence available for the first generation of settlers, associated with the ‘great army’, who (in McLeod’s well-argued view) included others, both domestic and civilian. McLeod’s thesis critiques the limits of available evidence – annalistic/historical, literary, archaeological – and draws upon migration theory to argue in favour of the early stages of conquest and settlement being undertaken not solely by warriors and settlers coming from the Scandinavian [End Page 192] lands of Denmark and Norway. A sound case is developed that the great army and associated settlers included those with prior migration experience, in particular coming from lands that had already been settled by Scandinavians in both Ireland and Francia. McLeod also makes the case that right from the very early stages the invasion and settlement of England involved not just young adult fighting men, but included women and children in greater numbers than scholars have hitherto believed. It also stands to reason that the migrations would have also included administrators, given the nature of the settlement and establishment of Scandinavian rule. McLeod maps out the underlying principles in migration theory, and identifies in particular five of nine principles that can be applied specifically to the evidence for Scandinavian migration to England. The five principles, for which evidence exists in relation to migration of Scandinavians to England, are: migration through the use of advance ‘scouts’ for setting up migration ‘chains’; the tendency for a migratory flow to continue over a period; migrants being a select group of people from the population of origin; migrants being more likely to have experience of previous migration; and migrants often returning to their place of origin. Having mapped out the evidence for supporting his application of migration theory, McLeod then traces the likely origins of the settlers. He uses annalistic and archaeological evidence to argue for the presence of a significant proportion of Scandinavians from both Ireland and the Frisian coastal areas of Francia in the great army, and thus forming the basis of the early stages of migration to England. In comparison, the evidence for great army members coming directly from the Scandinavian homelands in the early phases of Scandinavian settlement in England is shown to be limited. McLeod also looks at a number of other aspects of the migrations, as a means for describing a more complete picture of the people and the circumstances that led to their migration. He discusses the likely motivations behind the migrations, and makes a good argument for the immigrants’ desire for economic and social advancement as an important motivating factor. He argues that this is especially the case in the desire for wealth through land ownership, which was of high cultural value and for which opportunities were limited in both Ireland and Francia. McLeod considers the use of client kings as one example of a number of political and economic innovations that came about during the early phases of Scandinavian migration to England. Inter alia, he argues that the use of a written treaty between Guthrum and Alfred through which boundaries were agreed and administrative units established was another such innovation, possibly reflecting a continental experience of treaties, resulting in the creation of buffer zones on the margins of Scandinavian rule in England. He also makes the case for Scandinavian innovation in the acculturation of administrative and economic conditions (in particular in Mercia and East Anglia) to existing [End Page 193] Anglo-Saxon activities. He argues that the use of...

Crop Selection Strategies of Squatters at Early Stage of Settlement in Lower Amazon

Since 1980s, the settlement and occupancy into abandoned or non-cultivated land by poor peoples or landless peasantsbecame popular in Brazil. These people sometimes lack agricultural experiences to yieldsufficient production for livelihoods and it lead them to abandon the land and repeating forest clearance. Sufficient and sustainable agricultural production for subsistence and crop sale is important, especially during the early stage of immigration, in order to settlers to remain the land they had occupied. To elucidate the difference in crop selection tendencies between households with production sales and those without sales, we categorised the households within a single study area in Brazil into three types: (1) households with sales income from agricultural products (SA), and households without sales income in which the variety among cultivated crops was (2) low (NL) or (3) high (NH). The crops were divided into six types: (1) tubers and herbaceous crops that can be harvested within or around a year; tree crops that can be harvested within 3 years either (2) seasonally or (3) year-round; tree crops that can be harvested only after 4 years either (4) seasonally or (5) year-round; and (6) tree crops for timber, colouring, and oil use. Our survey results indicate that the SA households had a well-designed combination of crop species, including both commercial and subsistence crops, whereas the NH and NL households were lacking in short- and long-term sales. None of the NH had any sales income, even though they had the highest calculated number of calories coming from the consumption of agricultural products.