Limited geographic genetic structure detected in a widespread Palearctic corvid, Nucifraga caryocatactes

Open accessThe Eurasian or spotted nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) is a widespread resident corvid found throughout the Palearctic fromCentral Europe to Japan. Characterized by periodic bouts of irruptive dispersal in search of Pinus seed crops, this species has potential for high levels of gene flow across its range. Previous analysis of 11 individuals did not find significant range-wide population genetic structure.We investigated population structure using 924 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA control region sequence data from 62 individuals from 12 populations distributed throughout the nutcracker’s range.We complemented this analysis by incorporating additional genetic data frompreviously published sequences.High levels of genetic diversity and limited population genetic structure were detected suggesting that potential barriers to dispersal do not restrict gene flow in nutcrackers.Ye

Multilocus genetic analysis and spatial modeling reveal complex population structure and history in a widespread resident North America passerine (Perisoreus canadensis)

Sherpa Romeo green journal. Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) applies.An increasing body of studies of widely distributed, high latitude species shows a variety of refugial locations and population genetic patterns. We examined the effects of glaciations and dispersal barriers on the population genetic patterns of a widely distributed, high latitude, resident corvid, the gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis), using the highly variable mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region and microsatellite markers combined with species distribution modeling. We sequenced 914 bp of mtDNA control region for 375 individuals from 37 populations and screened seven loci for 402 individuals from 27 populations across the gray jay range. We used species distribution modeling and a range of phylogeographic analyses (haplotype diversity, ΦST, SAMOVA, FST, Bayesian clustering analyses) to examine evolutionary history and population genetic structure. MtDNA and microsatellite markers revealed significant genetic differentiation among populations with high concordance between markers. Paleodistribution models supported at least five potential areas of suitable gray jay habitat during the last glacial maximum and revealed distributions similar to the gray jay’s contemporary during the last interglacial. Colonization from and prolonged isolation in multiple refugia is evident. Historical climatic fluctuations, the presence of multiple dispersal barriers, and highly restricted gene flow appear to be responsible for strong genetic diversification and differentiation in gray jays.Ye

Phylogeography of three high latitude resident corvids : Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), Eurasian nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), and gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis)

High latitude resident bird species provide an unique opportunity to investigate patterns of postglacial and barrier-mediated dispersal. In this study, multiple genetic markers were used to understand postglacial colonization by and contemporary barriers to gene flow in three corvids. Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), Eurasian nutcracker (N. caryocatactes), and gray jay (Perisoreus canadensis) are year-round resident northern hemisphere passerines with ranges encompassing previously glaciated and unglaciated regions and potential barriers to dispersal (e.g. mountain ranges). Using mitochondrial DNA control region sequences, we found limited geographic genetic structure and one glacial refugium in nutcrackers, contrasting with seven distinct genetic groups and five refugia for gray jays. Nuclear microsatellite markers revealed additional and contrasting patterns of near-panmixia in nutcrackers and multiple hierarchical breaks in gray jays. Genetic patterns are explained by differences in natural history traits, specifically food preferences, for these species

Forecasting the Cumulative Effects of Multiple Stressors on Breeding Habitat for a Steeply Declining Aerial Insectivorous Songbird, the Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)

To halt ongoing loss in biodiversity, there is a need for landscape-level management recommendations that address cumulative impacts of anthropogenic and natural disturbances on wildlife habitat. We examined the cumulative effects of logging, roads, land-use change, fire, and bark beetle outbreaks on future habitat for olive-sided flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), a steeply declining aerial insectivorous songbird, in Canada’s western boreal forest. To predict the occurrence of olive-sided flycatcher we developed a suite of habitat suitability models using point count surveys (1997–2011) spatially- and temporally-matched with forest inventory data. Flycatcher occurrence was positively associated with small (∼10 ha) 10- to 20-year-old clearcuts, and with 10–100% tree mortality due to mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks, but we found no association with roads or distance to water. We used the parameter estimates from the best-fit habitat suitability models to inform spatially explicit state-and-transition simulation models to project change in habitat availability from 2020 to 2050 under six alternative scenarios (three management × two fire alternatives). The simulation models projected that the cumulative effects of land use conversion, forest harvesting, and fire will reduce the area of olive-sided flycatcher habitat by 16–18% under Business As Usual management scenarios and by 11–13% under scenarios that include protection of 30% of the land base. Scenarios limiting the size of all clearcuts to ≤10 ha resulted in a median habitat loss of 4–6%, but projections were highly variable. Under all three management alternatives, a 50% increase in fire frequency (expected due to climate change) exacerbated habitat loss. The projected losses of habitat in western boreal forest, even with an increase in protected areas, imply that reversing the ongoing population declines of olive-sided flycatcher and other migratory birds will require attention to forest management beyond protected areas. Further work should examine the effects of multiple stressors on the demographic mechanisms driving change in aerial insectivore populations, including stressors on the wintering grounds in South America, and should aim to adapt the design of protected areas and forest management policies to projected climate-driven increases in the size and frequency of wildfires.Fil: Norris, Andrea R.. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Frid, Leonardo. No especifíca;Fil: Debyser, Chloé. No especifíca;Fil: De Groot, Krista L.. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Thomas, Jeffrey. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Lee, Adam. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Dohms, Kimberly M.. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Robinson, Andrew. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Easton, Wendy. Environment and Climate Change; CanadáFil: Martin, Kathy. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Cockle, Kristina Louise. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentin

Cryptic genetic diversity and cytonuclear discordance characterize contact among Canada Jay (Perisoreus canadensis) morphotypes in western North America

Accepted author manuscriptThree distinct Canada jay (Perisoreus canadensis) morphotypes with easily recognizable plumage traits come into contact in western North America. Recent work demonstrated high genetic structure across the species’ range; however, patterns of genetic variation in these contact zones remain unknown. We categorized 605 individuals into one of three morphotypes (Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Boreal) based on plumage, and genotyped individuals at the mtDNA control region and 12 microsatellite loci to assess the extent of hybridization between morphotypes. Our data showed cryptic genetic diversity and high cytonuclear discordance among morphotypes within contact zones, which is likely the result of recent and historical admixture. The distributions of the Boreal and Pacific morphotypes each showed a strong association with a single, distinct genetic group, whereas the Rocky Mountain morphotype exhibited higher genetic diversity and was associated with multiple genotypes. Our analyses show the importance of considering both plumage and genetic traits when examining contact zones between closely related taxa. Finally the data presented in this study reaffirm that the Pacific morphotype is distinct from the Boreal and Rocky Mountain morphotypes based on genetic, phenotypic and ecological data, indicating that the Pacific morphotype should be re-elevated to a full species.Ye

Causes of mortality in laying hens in different housing systems in 2001 to 2004

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The husbandry systems for laying hens were changed in Sweden during the years 2001 – 2004, and an increase in the number of submissions for necropsy from laying hen farms was noted. Hence, this study was initiated to compare causes of mortality in different housing systems for commercial laying hens during this change.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Based on results from routine necropsies of 914 laying hens performed at the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) in Uppsala, Sweden between 2001 and 2004, a retrospective study on the occurrence of diseases and cannibalism, i.e., pecking leading to mortality, in different housing systems was carried out. Using the number of disease outbreaks in caged flocks as the baseline, the expected number of flocks with a certain category of disease in the other housing systems was estimated having regard to the total number of birds in the population. Whether the actual number of flocks significantly exceeded the expected number was determined using a Poisson distribution for the variance of the baseline number, a continuity correction and the exact value for the Poisson distribution function in Excel 2000.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Common causes of mortality in necropsied laying hens included colibacillosis, erysipelas, coccidiosis, red mite infestation, lymphoid leukosis and cannibalism. Less common diagnoses were Newcastle Disease, pasteurellosis and botulism. Considering the size of the populations in the different housing systems, a larger proportion of laying hens than expected was submitted for necropsy from litter-based systems and free range production compared to hens in cages (<it>P </it>< 0.001). The study showed a significantly higher occurrence of bacterial and parasitic diseases and cannibalism in laying hens kept in litter-based housing systems and free-range systems than in hens kept in cages (<it>P </it>< 0.001). The occurrence of viral diseases was significantly higher in indoor litter-based housing systems than in cages (<it>P </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of the present study indicated that during 2001–2004 laying hens housed in litter-based housing systems, with or without access to outdoor areas, were at higher risk of infectious diseases and cannibalistic behaviour compared to laying hens in cages. Future research should focus on finding suitable prophylactic measures, including efficient biosecurity routines, to reduce the risk of infectious diseases and cannibalism in litter-based housing systems for laying hens.</p

"Let's start a journal!": the multidisciplinary graduate student journal as educational opportunity

Sherpa Romeo green journal. Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) applies.The University of Lethbridge is a medium-sized, primarily undergraduate, comprehensive research university on the Canadian Prairies in Alberta. It has a small but growing graduate school, within which most students are studying at the masters level. For many years, the graduate student elected representative body, the Graduate Students Association (GSA), has sponsored an annual refereed conference, Meeting of the Minds. In 2015 the GSA decided to supplement this conference with an accompanying journal, also called Meeting of the Minds. This article discusses the lessons learned in establishing this journal and overseeing its first two years of operations (and first year of publication). The article concentrates on two sets of problems: 1) philosophical, economic, and sociological issues that arose at the conceptual level while establishing a multidisciplinary, institution-focused graduate journal; and 2) technical, bibliographic, organizational, and economic issues encountered in attempting to address these conceptual concerns and ensure the long-term viability of the research accepted and published. Although the journal was not able to solve all the problems that arose during the first two years of operation, several solutions on the organizational, technological, economic, and bibliographic levels were developed that might be used by others establishing similar scholar- or student-led journals.Ye

Zombie journals: designing a technological infrastructure for a precarious graduate student journal

Open access article. Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial License (CC-BY-NC) applies.Background: The Meeting of the Minds graduate student journal is edited primarily by students from our Masters programme. This means that our editorial board is subject to high annual turnover and that our technological infrastructure and workflow needed to be easy to train for, accommodate differing levels of technological skill and editorial interest, and provide archiving that did not require a continuing interest in the journal by future generations of students. Analysis: This article provides a detailed and comparative account of the "off-the-shelf" systems and software used in developing the journal with an explanation of the rationale behind our choices. Conclusion and implications: The choices we made can be adopted by other journals interested in a low-cost, "future-proof" approach to developing a publishing infrastructure.Ye