Moulting sites of Latvian Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus cygnets fitted with GPS-GSM transmitters

Previous studies on Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus cygnets hatched in Latvia have shown that c. 99% leave the country each year to moult elsewhere in their 2nd to 6th calendar years. To reveal the exact moulting sites, in 2016 ten cygnets were fitted with 91g solar-powered neck-collar-mounted GPS-GSM loggers. Moulting sites were recorded for four individuals in their 2nd calendar year, and for two of these birds in their 3rd calendar year; four birds in total. All of these moulted at sites in Russia; one was in the Republic of Karelia and three were in the Arkhangelsk Region. The mean average straight-line distance between the hatching and moulting sites was 1,451 km (range = 1,038–2,524 km). Although the data were less comprehensive, another tracked swan probably moulted in the western part of the White Sea in the Republic of Karelia. The conservation of these moulting sites is essential for the Latvian Whooper Swans to thrive.publishe

Moult migration of Latvian Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus

This study is the first to demonstrate moult migration in the Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus. Of cygnets hatched in Latvia and known to be alive about 99% left the country to moult somewhere else in their 2nd-6th calendar year. One-sixth of these were re-sighted in Finland during moult migration; these were solely from western Latvia. Moulting sites were recorded for nine individuals, of which seven had been marked with neck collars and two had satellite transmitters. Five of these nine swans moulted in Latvia, one in Estonia and three in the Arkhangelsk Region of Russia. Distances between sites of ringing and moulting varied between 0 and 1,455 km. All individuals were recorded moulting as two-or three-year old birds. Those moulting in Russia left Latvia/Estonia before 20 June and returned after mid September

Recycling and Application of Perforated Steel Band and Profiles

The technology of effective application of the metal wastes (bands) as the elements of building structures is offered. Mentioned wastes arise during blanking of the fine-sized details. The mechanical properties of the perforated steel band and profile as well as properties of obtained structures were investigated. The examples of the practical application of offered technology are presented: for the masonry reinforcement as well as for the concrete products and filler elements production. To obtain the joints from perforated steel bands, the contact spot and projection welding, TIG-welding as well as gluing by quick-hardening lime glue on the basis of the binding gypsum, is most effective

Coexistence and population genetic structure of the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus and mute swan Cygnus olor in Lithuania and Latvia

Two closely related swan species, the mute swan Cygnus olor and the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus, were formerly allopatric throughout their breeding ranges, but during the last decades a sympatric distribution has become characteristic of these species in the Baltic Sea region. The whooper swan has gradually replaced the mute swan in many suitable habitats in Lithuania and Latvia. Marked differences in the genetic population structure of both species may partially explain the dominance of the whooper swan, as genetic population divergence can be a major factor affecting inter-specific competition. A homogenous genetic population structure was defined for mute swans breeding in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Belarus. Breeding mute swans in this region are mostly of naturalised origin. A diverse population genetic structure characterizes whooper swans breeding in Lithuania and LatviaBiologijos katedraGamtos tyrimų centrasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Ecological insights from three decades of animal movement tracking across a changing Arctic

The Arctic is entering a new ecological state, with alarming consequences for humanity. Animal-borne sensors offer a window into these changes. Although substantial animal tracking data from the Arctic and subarctic exist, most are difficult to discover and access. Here, we present the new Arctic Animal Movement Archive (AAMA), a growing collection of more than 200 standardized terrestrial and marine animal tracking studies from 1991 to the present. The AAMA supports public data discovery, preserves fundamental baseline data for the future, and facilitates efficient, collaborative data analysis. With AAMA-based case studies, we document climatic influences on the migration phenology of eagles, geographic differences in the adaptive response of caribou reproductive phenology to climate change, and species-specific changes in terrestrial mammal movement rates in response to increasing temperature.</p