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1.
  • Clark, Andrew G., et al. (författare)
  • Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny
  • 2007
  • Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 450:7167, s. 203-218
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Comparative analysis of multiple genomes in a phylogenetic framework dramatically improves the precision and sensitivity of evolutionary inference, producing more robust results than single-genome analyses can provide. The genomes of 12 Drosophila species, ten of which are presented here for the first time (sechellia, simulans, yakuba, erecta, ananassae, persimilis, willistoni, mojavensis, virilis and grimshawi), illustrate how rates and patterns of sequence divergence across taxa can illuminate evolutionary processes on a genomic scale. These genome sequences augment the formidable genetic tools that have made Drosophila melanogaster a pre-eminent model for animal genetics, and will further catalyse fundamental research on mechanisms of development, cell biology, genetics, disease, neurobiology, behaviour, physiology and evolution. Despite remarkable similarities among these Drosophila species, we identified many putatively non-neutral changes in protein-coding genes, non-coding RNA genes, and cis-regulatory regions. These may prove to underlie differences in the ecology and behaviour of these diverse species.
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2.
  • Haycock, Philip C., et al. (författare)
  • Association Between Telomere Length and Risk of Cancer and Non-Neoplastic Diseases A Mendelian Randomization Study
  • 2017
  • Ingår i: JAMA Oncology. - : American Medical Association. - 2374-2437 .- 2374-2445. ; 3:5, s. 636-651
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • IMPORTANCE: The causal direction and magnitude of the association between telomere length and incidence of cancer and non-neoplastic diseases is uncertain owing to the susceptibility of observational studies to confounding and reverse causation. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a Mendelian randomization study, using germline genetic variants as instrumental variables, to appraise the causal relevance of telomere length for risk of cancer and non-neoplastic diseases. DATA SOURCES: Genomewide association studies (GWAS) published up to January 15, 2015. STUDY SELECTION: GWAS of noncommunicable diseases that assayed germline genetic variation and did not select cohort or control participants on the basis of preexisting diseases. Of 163 GWAS of noncommunicable diseases identified, summary data from 103 were available. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Summary association statistics for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are strongly associated with telomere length in the general population. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for disease per standard deviation (SD) higher telomere length due to germline genetic variation. RESULTS: Summary data were available for 35 cancers and 48 non-neoplastic diseases, corresponding to 420 081 cases (median cases, 2526 per disease) and 1 093 105 controls (median, 6789 per disease). Increased telomere length due to germline genetic variation was generally associated with increased risk for site-specific cancers. The strongest associations (ORs [ 95% CIs] per 1-SD change in genetically increased telomere length) were observed for glioma, 5.27 (3.15-8.81); serous low-malignant-potential ovarian cancer, 4.35 (2.39-7.94); lung adenocarcinoma, 3.19 (2.40-4.22); neuroblastoma, 2.98 (1.92-4.62); bladder cancer, 2.19 (1.32-3.66); melanoma, 1.87 (1.55-2.26); testicular cancer, 1.76 (1.02-3.04); kidney cancer, 1.55 (1.08-2.23); and endometrial cancer, 1.31 (1.07-1.61). Associations were stronger for rarer cancers and at tissue sites with lower rates of stem cell division. There was generally little evidence of association between genetically increased telomere length and risk of psychiatric, autoimmune, inflammatory, diabetic, and other non-neoplastic diseases, except for coronary heart disease (OR, 0.78 [ 95% CI, 0.67-0.90]), abdominal aortic aneurysm (OR, 0.63 [ 95% CI, 0.49-0.81]), celiac disease (OR, 0.42 [ 95% CI, 0.28-0.61]) and interstitial lung disease (OR, 0.09 [ 95% CI, 0.05-0.15]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: It is likely that longer telomeres increase risk for several cancers but reduce risk for some non-neoplastic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases.
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3.
  • Hiron, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Crop damage by granivorous birds despite protection efforts by human bird scarers in a sorghum field in western Kenya
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: Ostrich: Journal of African Ornithology. - : National Inquiry Services Center (NISC). - 0030-6525. ; 85, s. 153-159
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Cereal crop damage from granivorous birds poses a serious food security problem for subsistence farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, farmers may rely on human 'bird scarers' to limit crop damage. Here we report feeding behaviour and crop damage patterns caused by Village Weavers Ploceus cucullatus and African Mourning Doves Streptopelia decipiens during four days in a 0.12 ha sorghum field protected by two full-time bird scarers in western Kenya. Despite the scarers' efforts, almost 60% of the seed was lost before harvest. Bird abundance was largely determined by the presence of the bird scarers, with seed loss patterns being a function of distance from these people. Throughout the day, an average of 18 weavers (maximum 120) was present on the crop in any five-minute period. The number of mud projectiles thrown at the birds per 15 min showed only minor diurnal fluctuations, further suggesting that seed eaters attacked the crop throughout the day. Village Weaver individuals took an average 16 seeds per visit, whereas dove individuals took 32 seeds (maximum 105 and 455, respectively). Our study illustrates that avian crop pests can be extremely persistent and, even with consistent diurnal bird scaring activity, severely damage a small crop field. Bird scarers need to be active throughout daylight hours and patrol both the centres and edges of fields to create maximum disturbance to foraging seed eating birds. Further research is needed in order to investigate effects of local-and landscape-level land use patterns on the feeding behaviour of crop pests and the effectiveness of crop protection measures.
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4.
  • Josefsson, Jonas, et al. (författare)
  • Improving scientific rigour in conservation evaluations and a plea deal for transparency on potential biases
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Conservation Letters. - : Wiley. - 1755-263X. ; 13:5
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The delivery of rigorous and unbiased evidence on the effects of interventions lay at the heart of the scientific method. Here we examine scientific papers evaluating agri-environment schemes, the principal instrument to mitigate farmland biodiversity declines worldwide. Despite previous warnings about rudimentary study designs in this field, we found that the majority of studies published between 2008 and 2017 still lack robust study designs to strictly evaluate intervention effects. Potential sources of bias that arise from the correlative nature are rarely mentioned, and results are still promoted by using a causal language. This lack of robust study designs likely results from poor integration of research and policy, while the erroneous use of causal language and an unwillingness to discuss bias may stem from publication pressures. We conclude that scientific reporting and discussion of study limitations in intervention research must improve and propose some practices toward this goal.
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5.
  • Klionsky, Daniel J., et al. (författare)
  • Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Autophagy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1554-8635 .- 1554-8627. ; 8:4, s. 445-544
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. A key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process vs. those that measure flux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process); thus, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation needs to be differentiated from stimuli that result in increased autophagic activity, defined as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (in most higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the field understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field.
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6.
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7.
  • Rosin, Zuzanna, et al. (författare)
  • Village modernization may contribute more to farmland bird declines than agricultural intensification
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Conservation Letters. - : Wiley. - 1755-263X. ; 14
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The central tenet of European farmland ecology is that agricultural intensification during the 20th century was largely responsible for dramatic declines in species abundances. However, during this time, human rural settlements were also undergoing radical changes through modernization, with undocumented biodiversity impacts in this important wildlife habitat. We performed the first ever large-scale study to disentangle the impact of these simultaneous processes on farmland bird diversity in 104 Polish villages. We show that modernized villages and their surrounding agricultural fields had 50-60% fewer birds than those in and around comparable older villages. The relative contribution of modernization versus agricultural intensification to predicted bird declines was 88% versus 12% for bird communities in villages and 56% versus 44% in surrounding croplands, with considerable variation among ecological species subgroups. These results challenge our current understanding of agricultural ecosystem ecology and how best to implement conservation measures costing billions of euros annually.
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8.
  • Arlt, Debora, et al. (författare)
  • Effect of Geolocators on Migration and Subsequent Breeding Performance of a Long-Distance Passerine Migrant
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Geolocators are small light-weight data loggers used to track individual migratory routes, and their use has increasedexponentially in birds. However, the effects of geolocators on individual performance are still poorly known. Westudied geolocator effects on a long-distance migrating passerine bird, the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenantheL.). We asked the general question of whether geolocators affect migratory behaviour and subsequent reproductiveperformance of small passerines by comparing arrival time, breeding time, breeding success and survival ofgeolocator versus control birds of known identity and breeding history. During two years geolocator birds (n=37)displayed a lower apparent survival (30%) as compared to controls (45%, n=164). Furthermore, returning geolocatorbirds (n=12) arrived on average 3.5 days later, started laying eggs 6.3 days later, and had lower nest success (25%)than control birds (78%). Our results suggest that geolocators affect migratory performance with carry-over effects tothe timing of breeding and reproductive success in the subsequent breeding season. We discuss the implications ofsuch geolocator effects for the study of migratory strategies of small passerines in general and suggest how toidentify and investigate such effects in the future.
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9.
  • Arlt, Debora, et al. (författare)
  • Prolonged stopover duration characterises migration strategy and constraints of a long-distance migrant songbird
  • 2015
  • Ingår i: Animal Migration. - : Walter de Gruyter GmbH. - 2084-8838. ; 2, s. 47-62
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Stopover behaviour is a central element ofmigration strategies. But in recent geolocator studies,despite now being able to track individual songbirdsduring their entire migration, their stopover behaviourhas received little attention. We used light-sensitivegeolocators to identify the migratory routes and schedulesof 12 northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) breedingin Sweden. Three geolocators collected temperature datacomplementing inferences from light data by providingadditional information on behaviour during migration.The wheatears performed a slow migration withconsiderable stopover time (84%/76% of autumn/springmigration), with short stops while traveling throughEurope, and a prolonged stopover period in both autumnand spring in the Mediterranean region. Spring migrationwas faster than autumn migration, mainly because ofdecreased stopover time. Migration routes and timeschedules were similar to those from a German breedingpopulation. Compared to wheatears breeding in Alaskawith a three-fold migration distance, Swedish wheatearsspent more time during stopovers during autumn andspring migration, suggesting less time constraints andpotential flexibility in migration schedules. The findingof prolonged stopovers, similar to other recent geolocatorstudies, shows that temporary residency periods maybe common. This changes our current view on stopoverecology to one where temporary residency periods arepart of spatio-temporal strategies optimising resource useduring the entire annual cycle.
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10.
  • Aronsson, Malin, et al. (författare)
  • Intensity of space use reveals conditional sex-specific effects of prey and conspecific density on home range size
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 6, s. 2957-2967
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Home range (HR) size variation is often linked to resource abundance, with sex differences expected to relate to sex-specific fitness consequences. However, studies generally fail to disentangle the effects of the two main drivers of HR size variation, food and conspecific density, and rarely consider how their relative influence change over spatiotemporal scales. We used location data from 77 Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from a 16-year Scandinavian study to examine HR sizes variation relative to prey and conspecific density at different spatiotemporal scales. By varying the isopleth parameter (intensity of use) defining the HR, we show that sex-specific effects were conditional on the spatial scale considered. Males had larger HRs than females in all seasons. Females' total HR size declined as prey and conspecific density increased, whereas males' total HR was only affected by conspecific density. However, as the intensity of use within the HR increased (from 90% to 50% isopleth), the relationship between prey density and area showed opposing patterns for females and males; for females, the prey density effect was reduced, while for males, prey became increasingly important. Thus, prey influenced the size of key regions within male HRs, despite total HR size being independent of prey density. Males reduced their HR size during the mating season, likely to remain close to individual females in estrous. Females reduced their HR size postreproduction probably because of movement constrains imposed by dependent young. Our findings highlight the importance of simultaneously considering resources and intraspecific interactions as HR size determinants. We show that sex-specific demands influence the importance of prey and conspecific density on space use at different spatiotemporal scales. Thus, unless a gradient of space use intensity is examined, factors not related to total HR size might be disregarded despite their importance in determining size of key regions within the HR.
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11.
  • Aronsson, Malin, et al. (författare)
  • Resource dispersion and relatedness interact to explain space use in a solitary predator
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Oikos. - : Wiley. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 129, s. 1174-1184
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Resource dispersion or kin selection are commonly used to explain animal spatial and social organization. Despite this, studies examining how these factors interact in wild populations of solitary animals are rare. We used 16 years of individual-level spatial and genetic data to disentangle how resources and relatedness influence spatial organization of a solitary predator, the Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx. As expected, space-use overlap between neighbouring individuals increased when food resources were heterogeneous and unpredictably distributed (as predicted from resource dispersion) or when neighbours were closely related (as predicted from kin selection). However, these patterns were highly dependent on each other. Increased spatial overlap was restricted to mother-daughter dyads, with this effect only occurring in areas and during seasons when prey was clumped and irregularly distributed in the landscape. Additionally, full-siblings with similar levels of genetic relatedness did not show these patterns, suggesting that kin selection is mediated through mother-daughter recognition, and is only beneficial under specific resource dispersion circumstances. Our results provide key insights into the flexibility of spatial organization of solitary animals, and clearly show the importance of considering the interaction between resources and kinship when assessing animal space use patterns.
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12.
  • Ball, Elisabeth, et al. (författare)
  • Repeatability of radiographic assessments for feline hip dysplasia suggest consensus scores in radiology are more uncertain than commonly assumed
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 12
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Variation in the diagnostic interpretation of radiographs is a well-recognised problem in human and veterinary medicine. One common solution is to create a 'consensus' score based on a majority or unanimous decision from multiple observers. While consensus approaches are generally assumed to improve diagnostic repeatability, the extent to which consensus scores are themselves repeatable has rarely been examined. Here we use repeated assessments by three radiologists of 196 hip radiographs from 98 cats within a health-screening programme to examine intra-observer, interobserver, majority-consensus and unanimous-consensus repeatability scores for feline hip dysplasia. In line with other studies, intra-observer and inter-observer repeatability was moderate (63-71%), and related to the reference assessment and time taken to reach a decision. Consensus scores did show reduced variation between assessments compared to individuals, but consensus repeatability was far from perfect. Only 75% of majority consensus scores were in agreement between assessments, and based on Bayesian multinomial modelling we estimate that unanimous consensus scores can have repeatabilities as low as 83%. These results clearly show that consensus scores in radiology can have large uncertainties, and that future studies in both human and veterinary medicine need to include consensus-uncertainty estimates if we are to properly interpret radiological diagnoses and the extent to which consensus scores improve diagnostic accuracy.
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13.
  • Berggren, Åsa, et al. (författare)
  • Approaching Ecological Sustainability in the Emerging Insects-as-Food Industry
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Trends in ecology & evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-5347 .- 1872-8383. ; 34, s. 132-138
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The emerging insects-as-food industry is increasingly promoted as a sustainable alternative to other animal protein production systems. However, the exact nature of its environmental benefits are uncertain because of the overwhelming lack of knowledge concerning almost every aspect of production: from suitable species, their housing and feed requirements, and potential for accidental release. If ecological sustainability is to be a hallmark of mass insect rearing for consumption, ecologists need to engage in research related to sustainability criteria that are directly linked to key elements of the development of the industry. There is more to this subject than simply comparing feed-conversion ratios (FCRs) of insects to traditional livestock production, and we highlight areas where research needs to be immediately focused.
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14.
  • Berggren, Åsa, et al. (författare)
  • The Relationship Between Morphological Symmetry and Immune Response in Wild-Caught Adult Bush-Crickets
  • 2009
  • Ingår i: Symmetry. - : MDPI AG. - 2073-8994. ; 1, s. 106-114
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Despite interest in the relationship between fluctuating asymmetry (FA), immune response and ecological factors in insects, little data are available from wild populations. In this study we measured FA and immune response in 370 wild-caught male bush-crickets, Metrioptera roeseli, from 20 experimentally introduced populations in southern-central Sweden. Individuals with more-symmetric wings had a higher immune response as measured by the cellular encapsulation of a surgically-implanted nylon monofilament. However, we found no relationship between measures of FA in other organs (i.e. tibia and maxillary palp) and immune response, suggesting that this pattern may reflect differing selection pressures
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16.
  • Berggren, Åsa, et al. (författare)
  • Using current systems to inform rearing facility design in the insect-as-food industry
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Journal of insects as food and feed. - 2352-4588. ; 4, s. 167-170
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • As wild harvesting of insects gives way to mass rearing, there is an urgent need to develop expertise and methods in insect animal husbandry and facility design. In order to advance the science of animal husbandry and production in this field, comparisons and contrasts of different insect rearing facilities currently in production are likely to be beneficial. Here we initiate this discussion by suggesting a focus on insect rearing facilities at the two ends of the production scale spectrum (small-scale rearing and mass rearing) that have different end products (insects-as-food and insects for other purposes). We suggest that organisations with a philosophy of information sharing (e.g. universities) need to play an active role in this developing production system, by bridging gaps between academia, industry and traditional knowledge to ensure a rapid and societally acceptable development of wide-scale entomophagy.
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17.
  • Eggers, Sönke, et al. (författare)
  • Differential demographic responses of sympatric Parids to vegetation management in boreal forest
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 319, s. 169-175
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Large-scale removal of small-diameter trees (i.e. thinning from below) in boreal forest can diminish niche diversity for birds that rely on a well-developed understory for nesting and foraging. Yet, few studies have examined how reduced niche diversity in managed forests affects fitness measures in closely-related species and the ability of competing species to co-exist. We related forest thinning to population trends of the willow tit Poecile montana (declining) and its dominant competitor the crested tit Lophophanes cristatus (stable), and conducted a 3-year comparative study to determine how variation in understory spruce density differentially influences survival and reproduction in these species. In line with our prediction that crested tits would gain resource priority under conditions of reduced forest understory complexity, willow tits and their nestlings suffered a disproportionate decline in both nest and adult survival prospects relative to crested tits as understoiy spruce density declined. Willow tits also had increased numbers of tail feather fault bars with decreasing understory complexity, further supporting the idea that willow tits suffer from food shortage and increased predation risk in areas of reduced understory. The long-term population declines of willow tits in boreal forest appears linked to large scale harvest of small-diameter spruce trees that provide important understory vegetation. A patchy arrangement of different thinning treatments through 'Understory Retention Thinning' (URT) may provide a cost-effective way to restore long-term structural complexity and biodiversity in densely stocked conifer stands. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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18.
  • Feckler, Alexander, et al. (författare)
  • When significance becomes insignificant: Effect sizes and their uncertainties in Bayesian and frequentist frameworks as an alternative approach when analyzing ecotoxicological data
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. - : Wiley. - 0730-7268 .- 1552-8618. ; 37, s. 1949-1955
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Bayesian methods and frequentist confidence intervals are proposed as an alternative approach in ecotoxicology, emphasizing effect sizes and associated (un)certainties to judge the biological relevance of effects instead of basing decisions on p values. These approaches show advantages over null hypothesis significance testing. In particular, Bayesian methods revealed more potential than frequentist counterparts, as the posterior distribution and its credible intervals can be directly interpreted as the probability of effect sizes. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1949-1955. (c) 2018 SETAC
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19.
  • Hopkins, Richard, et al. (författare)
  • Tropiska ekologer i Kenya
  • 2011
  • Ingår i: Resurs (Uppsala). - 1653-2058. ; , s. 3-3
  • Tidskriftsartikel (populärvet., debatt m.m.)
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20.
  • Johansson, Örjan, et al. (författare)
  • Identification errors in camera-trap studies result in systematic population overestimation
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Reliable assessments of animal abundance are key for successful conservation of endangered species. For elusive animals with individually-unique markings, camera-trap surveys are a benchmark standard for estimating local and global population abundance. Central to the reliability of resulting abundance estimates is the assumption that individuals are accurately identified from photographic captures. To quantify the risk of individual misidentification and its impact on population abundance estimates we performed an experiment under controlled conditions in which 16 captive snow leopards (Panthera uncia) were camera-trapped on 40 occasions and eight observers independently identified individuals and recaptures. Observers misclassified 12.5% of all capture occasions, resulting in systematically inflated population abundance estimates on average by one third (mean +/- SD = 35 +/- 21%). Our results show that identifying individually-unique individuals from camera-trap photos may not be as reliable as previously believed, implying that elusive and endangered species could be less abundant than current estimates indicate.
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21.
  • Johansson, Örjan, et al. (författare)
  • Seasonal variation in daily activity patterns of snow leopards and their prey
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 12
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The daily and seasonal activity patterns of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are poorly understood, limiting our ecological understanding and hampering our ability to mitigate threats such as climate change and retaliatory killing in response to livestock predation. We fitted GPS-collars with activity loggers to snow leopards, Siberian ibex (Capra sibirica: their main prey), and domestic goats (Capra hircus: common livestock prey) in Mongolia between 2009 and 2020. Snow leopards were facultatively nocturnal with season-specific crepuscular activity peaks: seasonal activity shifted towards night-sunrise during summer, and day-sunset in winter. Snow leopard activity was in contrast to their prey, which were consistently diurnal. We interpret these results in relation to: (1) darkness as concealment for snow leopards when stalking in an open landscape (nocturnal activity), (2) low-intermediate light preferred for predatory ambush in steep rocky terrain (dawn and dusk activity), and (3) seasonal activity adjustments to facilitate thermoregulation in an extreme environment. These patterns suggest that to minimise human-wildlife conflict, livestock should be corralled at night and dawn in summer, and dusk in winter. It is likely that climate change will intensify seasonal effects on the snow leopard's daily temporal niche for thermoregulation in the future.
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22.
  • Johansson, Örjan, et al. (författare)
  • Sex-specific seasonal variation in puma and snow leopard home range utilization
  • 2018
  • Ingår i: Ecosphere. - : Wiley. - 2150-8925. ; 9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Territory size is often larger for males than for females in species without biparental care. For large solitary carnivores, this is explained by males encompassing a set of female territories to monopolize their reproduction during mating (area maximization). However, males are expected to behave more like females outside of breeding, with their area utilization being dependent on the range required to secure food resources (area minimization). To examine how male and female solitary carnivores adjust their spatial organization during the year as key resources (mates and prey) change, we radio-collared 17 pumas (Puma concolor; nine males and eight females) and 14 snow leopards (Panthera uncia; seven males and seven females) and estimated home range size and overlap on two temporal scales (annual vs. monthly). Contrary to expectation, we found no evidence that males monopolized females (the mean territory overlap between females and the focal male during the mating season was 0.28 and 0.64 in pumas and snow leopards, respectively). Although male-male overlap of annual home ranges was comparatively high (snow leopards [0.21] vs. pumas [0.11]), monthly home range overlaps were small (snow leopards [0.02] vs. pumas [0.08]) suggesting strong territoriality. In pumas, both males and females reduced their monthly home ranges in winter, and at the same time, prey distribution was clumped and mating activity increased. In snow leopards, females showed little variation in seasonal home range size, following the seasonal stability in their primary prey. However, male snow leopards reduced their monthly home range utilization in the mating season. In line with other studies, our results suggest that female seasonal home range variation is largely explained by changes in food resource distribution. However, contrary to expectations, male territories did not generally encompass those of females, and males reduced their home ranges during mating. Our results show that male and female territorial boundaries tend to intersect in these species, and hint at the operation of female choice and male mate guarding within these mating systems.
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23.
  • Johansson, Örjan, et al. (författare)
  • The timing of breeding and independence for snow leopard females and their cubs
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Mammalian Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1616-5047 .- 1618-1476. ; 101, s. 173-180
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Significant knowledge gaps persist on snow leopard demography and reproductive behavior. From a GPS-collared population in Mongolia, we estimated the timing of mating, parturition and independence. Based on three mother-cub pairs, we describe the separation phase of the cub from its mother as it gains independence. Snow leopards mated from January-March and gave birth from April-June. Cubs remained with their mother until their second winter (20-22 months of age) when cubs started showing movements away from their mother for days at a time. This initiation of independence appeared to coincide with their mother mating with the territorial male. Two female cubs remained in their mothers' territory for several months after initial separation, whereas the male cub quickly dispersed. By comparing the relationship between body size and age of independence across 11 solitary, medium-to-large felid species, it was clear that snow leopards have a delayed timing of separation compared to other species. We suggest this may be related to their mating behavior and the difficulty of the habitat and prey capture for juvenile snow leopards. Our results, while limited, provide empirical estimates for understanding snow leopard ecology and for parameterizing population models.
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24.
  • Kanuch, Peter, et al. (författare)
  • Gene flow relates to evolutionary divergence among populations at the range margin
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: PeerJ. - : PeerJ. - 2167-8359. ; 8
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Background: Morphological differentiation between populations resulting from local adaptations to environmental conditions is likely to be more pronounced in populations with increasing genetic isolation. In a previous study a positive clinal variation in body size was observed in isolated Roesel's bush-cricket, Metrioptera roeselii, populations, but were absent from populations within a continuous distribution at the same latitudinal range. This observational study inferred that there was a phenotypic effect of gene flow on climate-induced selection in this species. Methods: To disentangle genetic versus environmental drivers of population differences in morphology, we measured the size of four different body traits in wild-caught individuals from the two most distinct latitudinally-matched pairs of populations occurring at about 60 degrees N latitude in northern Europe, characterised by either restricted or continuous gene flow, and corresponding individuals raised under laboratory conditions. Results: Individuals that originated from the genetically isolated populations were always bigger (femur, pronotum and genital appendages) when compared to individuals from latitudinally-matched areas characterised by continuous gene flow between populations. The magnitude of this effect was similar for wild-caught and laboratory-reared individuals. We found that previously observed size cline variation in both male and female crickets was likely to be the result of local genetic adaptation rather than phenotypic plasticity. Conclusions: This strongly suggests that restricted gene flow is of major importance for frequencies of alleles that participate in climate-induced selection acting to favour larger phenotypes in isolated populations towards colder latitudes.
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25.
  • Kanuch, Peter, et al. (författare)
  • On variation of polyandry in a bush-cricket, Metrioptera roeselii, in northern Europe
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Journal of Insect Science. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1536-2442 .- 0970-3837. ; 13, s. 1-10
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Patterns of polyandry in nuptial-gift-giving insects are often explained in terms of sexually antagonistic coevolution. However, the potential influence of environmental constraints and life- history traits on polyandry in these species is still largely unexplored. As an initial step in examining the role of these factors, this study measured the number of matings (spermatodoses per female) of female Roesel’s bush-crickets, Metrioptera roeselii Hagenbach (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae), along a latitudinal gradient in northern Europe (16 sites, 53.89–60.47° N). Females contained between 0 and 5 spermatodoses (mean ± SE: 1.7 ± 0.08; N = 114), with the degree of polyandry generally increasing at higher latitudes (approximately 0.12–0.3 matings per degree of latitude). As expected, female body size also had an influence on polyandry; the number of matings increased from small to moderately large individuals before declining. The field-based results suggested that there were potentially interesting interactions between environment, life-history traits, and patterns of polyandry in nuptial-gift-giving insect species, and these potentially interesting interactions are used to outline future research directions.
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26.
  • Klein, Julian, et al. (författare)
  • Short-term experimental support for bird diversity retention measures during thinning in European boreal forests
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 509
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Current levels of forestry expansion in boreal forests threaten to radically reduce biodiversity. For many forest dwelling species the threat is not simply because the forest is used for biomass production, but rather how it is used. Retention forestry practices aim to limit impacts on biodiversity during the final felling stage of a forestry cycle. However, the efficiency of such methods in retaining biodiversity have rarely been studied for intermediate forestry stages (e.g., forest thinning) with experimental approaches entirely absent from boreal forests. Therefore, we conducted a before-after control-impact experiment in Sweden to investigate the short-term response in occurrence of individual bird species, guilds, and population trend groups (positive, stable, or negative population trend), as well as the response in nest box occupancy and in the reproductive success of Parus major to three different thinning treatments. The three treatments were i) conventional thinning at the plot and stand scale, (ii) understory retention thinning, where at least 250 spruces with live branches below 2 m above ground are retained per hectare, and (iii) complete retention plots, where the forest was not thinned on-1 ha plots within conventionally thinned forest stands. We found that conventional forest thinning was likely the cause for observed declines in bird occurrence, with-20% of the species showing clear negative responses. Our results indicate that understory retention thinning with double the retention level as previously suggested and combining conventional thinning with complete retention plots, could largely alleviate the short term negative effects of conventional thinning. This was the case for all guilds, population trend groups and individual bird species, except for Poecile montanus, which responded negatively to complete retention. Among the birds occupying the nest boxes, only Cyanistes caeruleus responded to any of the treatments, with higher nest box occupancy upon understory retention thinning. No thinning treatment affected reproductive success in P. major. Our results clearly show that thinning practices that retain the diversity of forest-dwelling birds are possible. Hence, this study provides a crucial puzzle piece towards more sustainable forestry practices in the boreal region.
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27.
  • Klein, Julian, et al. (författare)
  • Tree species identity and composition shape the epiphytic lichen community of structurally simple boreal forests over vast areas
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Greatly simplified ecosystems are often neglected for biodiversity studies. However, these simplified systems dominate in many regions of the world, and a lack of understanding of what shapes species occurrence in these systems can have consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services at a massive scale. In Fennoscandia, ~90% of the boreal forest (~21Mha) is structurally simplified with little knowledge of how forest structural elements shape the occurrence and diversity of for example epiphytic lichens in these managed forests. One form of structural simplification is the reduction of the number and frequency of different tree species. As many lichen species have host tree preferences, it is particularly likely that this simplification has a huge effect on the lichen community in managed forests. In a 40–70 years old boreal forest in Sweden, we therefore related the occurrence and richness of all observed epiphytic lichens to the host tree species and beta and gamma lichen diversity at the forest stand level to the stand’s tree species composition and stem diameter. Picea abies hosted the highest lichen richness followed by Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Alnus glutinosa, Betula spp., and Populus tremula. However, P. tremula hosted twice as many uncommon species as any of the other tree species. Stand level beta and gamma diversity was twice as high on stands with four compared to one tree species, and was highest when either coniferous or deciduous trees made up 40–50% of the trees. The stem diameter was positively related to lichen richness at the tree and stand level, but negatively to beta diversity. For biodiversity, these findings imply that leaving a few trees of a different species during forest thinning is unlikely as effective as combining life-boat trees for endangered species with an even tree species mixture.
  •  
28.
  • Klein, Julian, et al. (författare)
  • What is good for birds is not always good for lichens: Interactions between forest structure and species richness in managed boreal forests
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 473
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Forestry in the boreal region increasingly replaces natural disturbances in shaping biodiversity. Large-scale removal of small diameter trees (thinning), is ubiquitous in northern European forestry, yet an understanding of how it relates to biodiversity across taxa is lacking. To address this, we examined how two forest structural elements, commonly impacted by forest thinning (i.e. vegetation density in the understory and overstory), are correlated with the species richness of forest-dwelling birds and epiphytic lichens. These taxa were chosen because they likely have opposing habitat demands: epiphytic lichens potentially benefitting from more light in open forests, and birds benefitting from structurally complex forests for foraging, nesting and cover. We used remote sensing tools, already applied in forestry planning, to see if management recommendations could be found that balance the needs of both taxonomic groups within the same forests. Our results show that richness in epiphytic lichens and forest-dwelling birds is not correlated and that a high species richness (similar to 15 birds & similar to 40 epiphytic lichens) in both taxa is only predicted in the same stand under a specific vertical distribution and density of the forest's vegetation: this occurs when the vegetation above 3 m is open (to promote epiphytic lichen richness) and below 3 m is dense (to promote bird richness). Dense vegetation up to 7 m above ground has a diverging effect on forest birds (positive) and epiphytic lichens (negative). A larger stem diameter further increases species richness in both taxa. Our study provides results that are directly implementable in forestry planning over large areas with the help of remote sensing tools (LiDAR).
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29.
  • Kulma, Katarzyna, et al. (författare)
  • Malaria-infected female collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) do not pay the cost of late breeding
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:1, s. e85822-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Life-history theory predicts that the trade-off between parasite defense and other costly traits such as reproduction may be most evident when resources are scarce. The strength of selection that parasites inflict on their host may therefore vary across environmental conditions. Collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) breeding on the Swedish island Oland experience a seasonal decline in their preferred food resource, which opens the possibility to test the strength of life-history trade-offs across environmental conditions. We used nested-PCR and quantitative-PCR protocols to investigate the association of Haemosporidia infection with reproductive performance of collared flycatcher females in relation to a seasonal change in the external environment. We show that despite no difference in mean onset of breeding, infected females produced relatively more of their fledglings late in the season. This pattern was also upheld when considering only the most common malaria lineage (hPHSIB1), however there was no apparent link between the reproductive output and the intensity of infection. Infected females produced heavier-than-average fledglings with higher-than-expected recruitment success late in the season. This reversal of the typical seasonal trend in reproductive output compensated them for lower fledging and recruitment rates compared to uninfected birds earlier in the season. Thus, despite different seasonal patterns of reproductive performance the overall number of recruits was the same for infected versus uninfected birds. A possible explanation for our results is that infected females breed in a different microhabitat where food availability is higher late in the season but also is the risk of infection. Thus, our results suggest that another trade-off than the one we aimed to test is more important for explaining variation in reproductive performance in this natural population: female flycatchers appear to face a trade-off between the risk of infection and reproductive success late in the season.
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30.
  • Kulma, Katarzyna, et al. (författare)
  • Malaria infections reinforce competitive asymmetry between two Ficedula flycatchers in a recent contact zone
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 22:17, s. 4591-4601
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Parasites may influence the outcome of interspecific competition between closely related host species through lower parasite virulence in the host with which they share the longer evolutionary history. We tested this idea by comparing the prevalence of avian malaria (Haemosporidia) lineages and their association with survival in pied and collared flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca and F. albicollis) breeding in a recent contact zone on the Swedish island of Oland. A nested PCR protocol amplifying haemosporidian fragments of mtDNA was used to screen the presence of malaria lineages in 1048 blood samples collected during 6 years. Competitively inferior pied flycatchers had a higher prevalence of blood parasites, including the lineages that were shared between the two flycatcher species. Multistate mark-recapture models revealed a lower survival of infected versus uninfected female pied flycatchers, while no such effects were detected in male pied flycatchers or in collared flycatchers of either sex. Our results show that a comparatively new host, the collared flycatcher, appears to be less susceptible to a local northern European malarial lineage where the collared flycatchers have recently expanded their distribution. Pied flycatchers experience strong reproductive interference from collared flycatchers, and the additional impact of species-specific blood parasite effects adds to this competitive exclusion. These results support the idea that parasites can strongly influence the outcome of interspecific competition between closely related host species, but that the invading species need not necessarily be more susceptible to local parasites.
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31.
  • Locke Grandér, Barbara, et al. (författare)
  • Adapted tolerance to virus infections in four geographically distinct Varroa destructor-resistant honeybee populations
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, is unarguably the leading cause of honeybee (Apis mellifera) mortality worldwide through its role as a vector for lethal viruses, in particular, strains of the Deformed wing virus (DWV) and Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) complexes. Several honeybee populations across Europe have well-documented adaptations of mite-resistant traits but little is known about host adaptations towards the virus infections vectored by the mite. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the possible contribution of adapted virus tolerance and/or resistance to the enhanced survival of four well-documented mite-resistant honeybee populations from Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands and France, in relation to unselected mite-susceptible honeybees. Caged adult bees and laboratory reared larvae, from colonies of these four populations, were inoculated with DWV and ABPV in a series of feeding infection experiments, while control groups received virus-free food. Virus infections were monitored using RT-qPCR assays in individuals sampled over a time course. In both adults and larvae the DWV and ABPV infection dynamics were nearly identical in all groups, but all mite-resistant honeybee populations had significantly higher survival rates compared to the mite-susceptible honeybees. These results suggest that adapted virus tolerance is an important component of survival mechanisms.
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32.
  • Locke Grandér, Barbara, et al. (författare)
  • An integrated management strategy to prevent outbreaks and eliminate infection pressure of American foulbrood disease in a commercial beekeeping operation
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Preventive Veterinary Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-5877 .- 1873-1716. ; 167, s. 48-52
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The bacterial disease American Foulbrood (AFB), caused by the Gram-positive bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, is considered the most contagious and destructive infectious disease affecting honeybees world-wide. The resilient nature of P. larvae bacterial spores presents a difficult problem for the control of AFB. Burning clinically symptomatic colonies is widely considered the only workable strategy to prevent further spread of the disease. Antibiotic use is banned in EU countries, and although used commonly in the U.S. and Canada, it only masks symptoms and does not prevent the further spread of the disease. Not surprisingly, there is an increased demand for chemical-free strategies to prevent and control of AFB. The aim of this study was to implement a management program with a long-term perspective to reduce infection pressure and eliminate AFB outbreaks. The study was conducted within a commercial beekeeping operation in central Sweden that has previously experienced reoccurring AFB outbreaks. For 5 years, P. larvae were cultured from adult bee samples taken in the fall. The following spring, any identified sub-clinically infected colonies were shaken onto new material and quarantined from the rest of the beekeeping operation. After the first year clinical symptoms were not again observed, and during the 5 years of the study the proportion of apiaries harbouring P. larvae spores decreased from 74% to 4%. A multinomial regression analysis also clearly demonstrated that the proportion of infected colonies with the highest levels of spore counts disproportionately declined so that by the end of the study the only remaining infected apiaries were in the lowest spore count category (the three higher spore count categories having been eradicated). These results demonstrate the importance of management practices on AFB disease epidemiology. Early detection of subclinical spore prevelance and quarantine management as presented here can provide an effective sustainable chemical-free preventive solution to reduce both the incidence of AFB outbreaks and continued transmission risk at a large-scale.
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33.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Allometric models for aboveground biomass estimation of small trees and shrubs in African savanna ecosystems
  • 2023
  • Ingår i: Trees, Forests and People. - : Elsevier BV. - 2666-7193. ; 11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Quantification of plant biomass and carbon in ecosystems is critical for establishing climate change mitigation potential. For large trees in various ecosystems, allometric models for estimating biomass have been developed but few biomass equations exist for small trees and shrubby vegetation. Allometric above-ground biomass (AGB) models are needed for small trees and shrubs in order to improve the quantification of biomass, particularly for savanna ecosystems, where small trees and shrubs comprise a significant portion of the biomass. In this study we have developed species-specific and multi-species allometric models for biomass estimation of small tree species and shrubs in the savanna ecosystem of Lake Mburo National Park in South Western Uganda. For our models we selected 27 small tree species (N = 403 individuals) and 12 shrub species (N = 177) common in savanna ecosystems for destructive sampling. We developed species-specific and multi-species allometric AGB models to provide estimates of AGB using specific biometric variables recorded for the small trees (i.e. species, DBH, height and crown area), and shrubs (species, height and crown area). We found that crown area was the best single predictor of species-specific AGB for small trees and for species-specific and multi-species models for shrubs. Species-specific models had the best predictive capacity of AGB compared to multi-species biomass models for small trees and shrubs. Multiple-variable models had the best predictive capacity of AGB in both species-specific and multi-species modeling compared to single-variable models. Based on these findings we conclude that the evaluation of carbon stocks of tropical savanna ecosystems should use multi-variable species-specific models for AGB estimation at the individual level, and multi-species models for AGB at the ecosystem level.
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34.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Can sexual selection theory inform genetic management of captive populations? A review
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: Evolutionary applications. - : Wiley. - 1752-4571. ; 7, s. 1120-1133
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Captive breeding for conservation purposes presents a serious practical challenge because several conflicting genetic processes (i.e., inbreeding depression, random genetic drift and genetic adaptation to captivity) need to be managed in concert to maximize captive population persistence and reintroduction success probability. Because current genetic management is often only partly successful in achieving these goals, it has been suggested that management insights may be found in sexual selection theory (in particular, female mate choice). We review the theoretical and empirical literature and consider how female mate choice might influence captive breeding in the context of current genetic guidelines for different sexual selection theories (i.e., direct benefits, good genes, compatible genes, sexy sons). We show that while mate choice shows promise as a tool in captive breeding under certain conditions, for most species, there is currently too little theoretical and empirical evidence to provide any clear guidelines that would guarantee positive fitness outcomes and avoid conflicts with other genetic goals. The application of female mate choice to captive breeding is in its infancy and requires a goal-oriented framework based on the needs of captive species management, so researchers can make honest assessments of the costs and benefits of such an approach, using simulations, model species and captive animal data.
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35.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Delayed timing of breeding as a cost of reproduction
  • 2015
  • Ingår i: Journal of Avian Biology. - : Wiley. - 0908-8857 .- 1600-048X. ; 46, s. 325–331-
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Timing of breeding is a trait with considerable individual variation, often closely linked to fitness because of seasonal declines in reproduction. The drivers of this variation have received much attention, but how reproductive costs may influence the timing of subsequent breeding has been largely unexplored. We examined a population of northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe to compare three groups of individuals that differed in their timing of breeding termination and reproductive effort to investigate how these factors may carry over to influence reproductive timing and reproductive output in the following season. Compared to females that bred successfully, females that put in less effort and terminated breeding early due to nest failure tended to arrive and breed earlier in year 2 (mean advancement = 2.2 and 3.3 d respectively). Females that spent potentially more effort and terminated breeding later due to production of a replacement clutch after nest failure, arrived later than other females in year 2. Reproductive output (number of fledglings) in year 2 differed between the three groups as a result of group-level differences in the timing of breeding in combination with the general seasonal decline in reproductive output. Our study shows that the main cost of reproduction was apparent in the timing of arrival and breeding in this migratory species. Hence, reproductive costs can arise through altered timing of breeding since future reproductive success (including adult survival) is often dependent on the timing of breeding in seasonal systems.
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36.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Demography, heritability and genetic correlation of feline hip dysplasia and response to selection in a health screening programme
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Feline hip dysplasia (FHD) is a debilitating condition affecting the hip joints of millions of domestic cats worldwide. Despite this, little is known about FHD except that it is relatively common in the large breed Maine Coon. We used 20 years of data from 5038 pedigree-registered Maine Coon cats in a radiographic health screening programme for FHD to determine, for the first time, its heritability, genetic correlation to body mass and response to selection. FHD prevalence was 37.4%, with no sex predilection; however, FHD severity increased with age and body mass. Heritability of the radiographic categories used to classify FHD severity was 0.36 (95%CI: 0.30-0.43). The severity of FHD symptoms was also genetically correlated with body mass (0.285), suggesting that selection for a large body type in this breed concurrently selects for FHD. Support for this was found by following generational responses to selective breeding against FHD. Not only did selective breeding successfully reduce the severity of FHD symptoms in descendants, but these cats were also smaller than their ancestors (-33g per generation). This study highlights the value of breeding programmes against FHD and cautions against breed standards that actively encourage large bodied cats.
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37.
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38.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Factors influencing plasticity in the arrival-breeding interval in a migratory species reacting to climate change
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 9, s. 12291-12301
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Climate change is profoundly affecting the phenology of many species. In migratory birds, there is evidence for advances in their arrival time at the breeding ground and their timing of breeding, yet empirical studies examining the interdependence between arrival and breeding time are lacking. Hence, evidence is scarce regarding how breeding time may be adjusted via the arrival-breeding interval to help local populations adapt to local conditions or climate change. We used long-term data from an intensively monitored population of the northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) to examine the factors related to the length of 734 separate arrival-to-breeding events from 549 individual females. From 1993 to 2017, the mean arrival and egg-laying dates advanced by approximately the same amount (similar to 5-6 days), with considerable between-individual variation in the arrival-breeding interval. The arrival-breeding interval was shorter for: (a) individuals that arrived later in the season compared to early-arriving birds, (b) for experienced females compared to first-year breeders, (c) as spring progressed, and (d) in later years compared to earlier ones. The influence of these factors was much larger for birds arriving earlier in the season compared to later arriving birds, with most effects on variation in the arrival-breeding interval being absent in late-arriving birds. Thus, in this population it appears that the timing of breeding is not constrained by arrival for early- to midarriving birds, but instead is dependent on local conditions after arrival. For late-arriving birds, however, the timing of breeding appears to be influenced by arrival constraints. Hence, impacts of climate change on arrival dates and local conditions are expected to vary for different parts of the population, with potential negative impacts associated with these factors likely to differ for early- versus late-arriving birds.
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39.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Factors influencing the global distribution of the endangered Egyptian vulture
  • 2021
  • Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 11
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Vultures are ecologically important primarily because of their scavenging role in cleaning carcasses of the environment. Because of anthropogenic impacts, the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) has suffered catastrophic declines in parts of its range and, thus, information about its global distribution and factors influencing its occurrence within this range are essential for its conservation. To this end, we estimated the global distribution of Egyptian vulture and variables related to this distribution. We used occurrence points (n = 4740) from online data sources and literature, environmental variables related to these sites and Maximum Entropy software to model the distribution of this species and its relationship to environmental variables during the entire year, breeding and overwintering. Out of ~ 49 million km2 study area, the Egyptian vulture had a predicted range of 6,599,508 km2 distributed across three continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. The densest distribution was in Southern Europe, India and Northern Africa and a sparser distribution was around Mid and Western Africa, the Middle East and Afghanistan. Climate was related to the vulture’s most probable range: in particular medium temperature seasonality and low precipitation during the coldest yearly quarter were important variables regardless of the season of observations examined. Conservation of identified habitats and mitigation of anthropogenic impacts to conserve these vultures are recommended for immediate and long-term conservation of the Egyptian vulture globally.
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40.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Factors influencing the presence of the endangered Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus in Rukum, Nepal
  • 2019
  • Ingår i: Global Ecology and Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 2351-9894. ; 20
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) play an important ecological role in central Asia, but conservation planning is hindered because basic information about their habitat requirements is lacking. We used 66 observations of roosting vultures to identify factors related to their presence, and MaxEnt model to predict areas of suitable roosting sites in the mid-hills of Nepal (similar to 20% of the district appeared suitable based on roosting observations). Vultures preferred riverbanks and areas near human settlements and pathways, probably because of access to animal carcasses. This relationship to local people and livestock should be considered when producing conservation plans for this species. (c) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
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41.
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42.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Fitness implications of seasonal climate variation in Columbian ground squirrels
  • 2016
  • Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 6, s. 5614-5622
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The influence of climate change on the fitness of wild populations is often studied in the context of the spring onset of the reproductive season. This focus is relevant for climate influences on reproductive success, but neglects other fitness- relevant periods (e.g., autumn preparation for overwintering). We examined variation in climate variables (temperature, rainfall, snowfall, and snowpack) across the full annual cycle of Columbian ground squirrels (Urocitellus columbianus) for 21 years. We investigated seasonal climate variables that were associated with fitness variables, climate variables that exhibited directional changes across the study period, and finally observed declines in fitness (-0.03 units/year; total decline = 37%) that were associated with directional changes in climate variables. Annual fitness of adult female ground squirrels was positively associated with spring temperature (r = 0.69) and early summer rainfall (r = 0.56) and negatively associated with spring snow conditions (r = -0.44 to -0.66). Across the 21 years, spring snowmelt has become significantly delayed (r = 0.48) and summer rainfall became significantly reduced (r = -0.53). Using a standardized partial regression model, we found that directional changes in the timing of spring snowmelt and early summer rainfall (i.e., progressively drier summers) had moderate influences on annual fitness, with the latter statistically significant (rho = -0.314 and 0.437, respectively). The summer period corresponds to prehibernation fattening of young and adult ground squirrels. Had we focused on a single point in time (viz. the onset of the breeding season), we would have underestimated the influences of climate change on our population. Rather, we obtained a comprehensive understanding of the influences of climate change on individual fitness by investigating the full lifecycle.
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43.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Food availability and offspring demand influence sex-specific patterns and repeatability of parental provisioning
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Behavioral Ecology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1045-2249 .- 1465-7279. ; 23, s. 25-34
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Few studies have examined interactions between resource availability, life-history traits and sexual conflict on species-specificprovisioning rates, and within-individual variation of parental care. To this end, we used 1129 nest observation periods from 118nests across 4 populations to examine how parental nest visitation varied according to sex, food availability, and offspring need(brood size and age) in the stitchbird (hihi: Notiomystis cincta). Males increased their provisioning proportional to brood sizeregardless of food availability, whereas females did not increase provisioning to larger broods unless food supplemented. Maleprovisioning consistently followed the age-dependent energy requirements of the nestlings, whereas females showed little or nobrood age-provisioning relationships. Thus, males were more sensitive than females to changes in the energy demands of theiroffspring; however, this was probably because females were already providing food at a high rate and could not respond toincreased demand unless given additional food. Sex and habitat-specific repeatability estimates of parental effort suggest thatvariation in female provisioning behavior tends to be driven by differences in the local environment, whereas variation in maleprovisioning is more related to differences in individual quality. These sex-specific responses of parental care can be largelyexplained by the relative benefits of provisioning; females provisioned at a high rate to offspring they knew to be their own, basedon available resources. In contrast, when food was abundant, males did not increase their provisioning to offspring probablybecause of the opportunity for additional matings via forced extrapair copulations. Key words: chick feeding, parental effort,parental investment, sealed bid, supplementary feeding, translocation. [Behav Ecol 23:25-34 (2012)]
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44.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Habitat complexity and management intensity positively influence fledging success in the endangered hihi (Notiomystis cincta)
  • 2014
  • Ingår i: New Zealand Journal of Ecology. - 0110-6465. ; 38, s. 53-63
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Age and structure of local vegetation (habitat complexity) are commonly assumed to be indicators of habitat quality for breeding birds, but for many species these relationships are poorly understood. The hihi (stitchbird Notiomystis cincta), an endangered New Zealand cavity-nesting passerine that only survives on mammalian predator-free islands or within fenced areas, has been the focus of intensive conservation management and research. Between 1992 and 2004 we examined the fledging success of 347 nests from four island populations. Habitat quality was improved at the two scrub/regenerating sites and one of the two mature/climax sites through management using supplementary feeding, nest-box parasite control or both. At two sites (one mature, one regenerating) management was stopped during the study allowing us to measure fledgling success with and without habitat quality improvement through management. At the population level, the number of chicks fledged per nest increased as management intensity increased and habitat quality increased. The positive effect of management was greatest for populations in lower quality habitats. To assess the relationship between fledging success and local habitat variables around the nesting site we used a height-frequency vegetation survey method sensitive to changes in vertical structural complexity at the two mature/climax sites. For 36 natural nests, a cross-validated regression-tree analysis (R-2 = 0.69) predicted that as habitat complexity increased, so did fledging success, which was generally higher for nests in trees with larger diameters (present in older forests). Because these habitats are free from nest predators, our results suggest that habitat age and complexity are proxies for habitat quality through effects on nestling food availability and/or nest-chamber characteristics. Our results support the current management approach of providing supplementary food to translocated hihi populations and suggest that supplementary food can be used to overcome resource deficiencies for this species in poorer quality habitats.
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45.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Habitat-specific differences in adult survival rates and its links to parental workload and on-nest predation
  • 2010
  • Ingår i: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 79, s. 214-224
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • P>1. Adult survival rates strongly affect population growth, but few studies have quantified if and why adult survival differs between breeding habitats. We investigated potential causes of habitat-specific adult survival rates for male and female northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe L.) breeding in Swedish farmland.2. We used multistate mark-recapture models based on 1263 breeding records between 1993 and 2007 to estimate survival rates based on habitat-type (SHORT vs. TALL ground vegetation) and breeding-success state parameters. We also used breeding-season observations from 2002 to 2007 and an experimental manipulation of ground vegetation height to identify factors influencing adult mortality.3. Females had lower annual survival than males (0 center dot 42 +/- 0 center dot 02 vs. 0 center dot 50 +/- 0 center dot 02); this difference largely resulted from low female survival in TALL habitats because of higher nest-predation risk and the large proportion of adult females being killed on the nest (> 20%) during nest predation events.4. Among successful breeders, both sexes displayed similar survival rates, but survival was lower for breeders in TALL as compared to SHORT habitats (0 center dot 43 +/- 0 center dot 03 vs. 0 center dot 51 +/- 0 center dot 02). Experimental manipulation of ground vegetation height, controlling for individual and territory quality (n = 132), suggested the cost of rearing young to be higher in TALL habitats (survival of successful breeders in TALL vs. SHORT; 0 center dot 43 +/- 0 center dot 11 vs. 0 center dot 57 +/- 0 center dot 05).5. Detailed observations of food provisioning behaviour during chick rearing revealed a habitat-related difference in parental workload corresponding to the observed habitat differences in adult survival for successful breeders. Adults breeding in TALL habitats were forced to forage further from the nest relative to SHORT-habitat breeders (mean +/- SE; 69 +/- 10 vs. 21 +/- 2 m), which increased the estimated daily workload for adults in TALL vs. SHORT habitats by c. 20%.6. On-nest predation and parental workload during chick rearing combine to largely explain habitat-specific adult survival rates. The results have implications for our understanding of adult sex ratios, causes of source-sink demography and habitat-specific growth rates. Furthermore, it suggests SHORT field margins and other residual habitat elements to be important for the conservation of farmland passerines breeding in cropland plains.
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46.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Impact of temperature on the breeding performance and selection patterns in lesser kestrels Falco naumanni
  • 2012
  • Ingår i: Journal of Avian Biology. - 0908-8857 .- 1600-048X. ; 43, s. 472-480
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Adjusting breeding phenology to climate fl uctuations can be problematic for migratory birds as they have to accountfor local environmental conditions on the breeding grounds while migrating from remote wintering areas. Predictinggeneral responses to climate change is not straightforward, because these responses vary between migrant species due to thespecies-specifi c ecological drivers of breeding behaviour. Th erefore more information is needed on species with diff erentecological requirements, including data on heritability of migration, factors driving phenological changes and how climateaff ects selection pressures.Here, we measure heritability in settlement dates and the eff ect of local climate at the breeding grounds on settlementdates, reproductive success and selection patterns in a French population of a trans-Saharan migratory insectivorous raptor,the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni , monitored and ringed since 1996.Heritability of settlement dates was low (0.07 0.03), indicating a weak evolutionary potential. Nevertheless,plasticity in settlement dates in response to temperatures allowed earlier settlement when early spring was warmer thanaverage. Reproductive success and selection patterns were strongly aff ected by temperature during settlement and chickrearing respectively. Warmer spring decreased selection for earlier settling and warmer early summer increased reproductivesuccess. Interestingly, selection for earlier settling was more intense in cooler springs, contrasting with patterns frompasserines lagging behind food peaks.Altogether, these results suggest a positive eff ect of warmer temperatures on breeding performances of lesser kestrelsmost likely because the French population is at the coolest boundary of the species European breeding range.
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47.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Increasing risks for emerging infectious diseases within a rapidly changing High Asia
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 51, s. 494-507
  • Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
    • The cold and arid mountains and plateaus of High Asia, inhabited by a relatively sparse human population, a high density of livestock, and wildlife such as the iconic snow leopard Panthera uncia, are usually considered low risk for disease outbreaks. However, based on current knowledge about drivers of disease emergence, we show that High Asia is rapidly developing conditions that favor increased emergence of infectious diseases and zoonoses. This is because of the existing prevalence of potentially serious pathogens in the system; intensifying environmental degradation; rapid changes in local ecological, socio-ecological, and socio-economic factors; and global risk intensifiers such as climate change and globalization. To better understand and manage the risks posed by diseases to humans, livestock, and wildlife, there is an urgent need for establishing a disease surveillance system and improving human and animal health care. Public health must be integrated with conservation programs, more ecologically sustainable development efforts and long-term disease surveillance.
  •  
48.
  • Low, Matthew, et al. (författare)
  • Influence of linear versus network corridors on the movement and dispersal of the bush-cricket Metrioptera roeseli (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) in an experimental landscape
  • 2013
  • Ingår i: European Journal of Entomology. - : Biology Centre, AS CR. - 1210-5759 .- 1802-8829. ; 110, s. 81-86
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Linear landscape elements are generally considered beneficial for promoting the movements of species between isolated habitats. However, relatively little consideration has been given to the effect of interconnections (nodes) between these elements: e.g. a simple linear element offers limited options for movement, whereas a network of such structures provides an exponential increase in potential pathways. In this pilot study we compared two experimental landscapes (single versus a lattice of four interconnected linear elements) in terms of their effect on the movement of males of Roesel's bush-cricket (Metrioptera roeseli) (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae). Emigration of released bush-crickets from experimental landscapes was greater if there was a single rather than a lattice of linear elements (corridors). In the landscape with a lattice of corridors, 50% of the bush-crickets changed their direction of movement at nodes at least once. There was also evidence that nodes were attractive to bush-crickets; a higher proportion of individuals were found in and around nodes than in adjoining corridors, with the strength of this effect (i.e. aggregation at nodes) increasing with time. Thus nodes may not only affect the direction of movement but may also act as a local attractant. These effects may have an important role in the movement of species and their success in colonizing fragmented landscapes. These results indicate that in future landscape planning more consideration should be given to the connectivity between linear landscape elements as it is likely to be important in determining the movement and distribution of species.
  •  
49.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Livestock husbandry practices and herd composition influence leopard-human conflict in Pokhara Valley, Nepal
  • 2020
  • Ingår i: Human Dimensions of Wildlife. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1087-1209 .- 1533-158X. ; 25, s. 62-69
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Leopard (Panthera pardus) predation on domestic animals is often associated with human-leopard conflict. We investigated leopard predation patterns of domestic animals using a semi-structured questionnaire. We quantified domestic animal losses in randomly selected households (n = 62) and households with previously reported leopard predation (n = 33) in the Pokhara region of Nepal from 2014-2016. Leopard predation of livestock was relatively rare (0.6% risk of livestock being taken per year versus 8% chance of death due to disease). The probability of leopard attacks decreased as the proportion of larger stock increased in flocks, and with increasing flock sizes. Several indigenous animal husbandry practices influenced livestock predation patterns by leopards and the level of human tolerance. These include communal ownership of free roaming dogs and mixing flocks of goats with large stock.
  •  
50.
  • Low, Matthew (författare)
  • Nesting habitat suitability and breeding of Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) in Nepal
  • 2022
  • Ingår i: Ornithology research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2662-673X. ; 30, s. 253-261
  • Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
    • Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) is a large wading bird species whose conservation status has been recently down-listed, despite a lack of concrete information on its nesting ecology and breeding success. In this study, we report its breeding success and nest habitat suitability in Nepal from 39 nesting sites (2016-2020). Simal (Bombax ceiba) (n = 21), followed by sal tree(Shorea robusta) (n = 6), and rani-salla (Pinus roxburghii) (n = 4) were the most common tree with mean height of the nesting tree, nest height, and tree diameter being 30 +/- 5.8 m (+/- SD), 25.20 +/- 5.75 m, and 1.03 +/- 0.35 m, respectively. Nesting and fledging success were recorded from 31 nesting attempts at 19 of these sites, with an estimated nesting success probability of 0.81 +/- 0.07 and a mean fledging success of 1.94 +/- 0.25 chicks per nest. MaxEnt modelling identified a total potential suitable nesting habitat area of 9.64% (14,228 km(2)) of the area in Nepal, with this located within 72 districts, mostly in the west. The modelling parameters suggest that slope, land use, and precipitation during the driest months were important determinants of nesting habitat suitability. We recommend that priority be given to conserving taller trees (especially simal) close to settlements and croplands of Nepal. Also, that future surveys should consider examining the districts highlighted by our model as being the most likely candidates for containing woollyneck nesting habitat, especially those (such as Dang District) where woollyneck nests have not been previously reported.
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