Ecology and evolution of large-scale bird migration patterns : A natural history and comparative study of the migration in common and little ringed plovers

Migration distance and seasonal redistribution patterns may vary between and within bird populations. A common pattern is leap-frog migration, in which northerly breeding populations migrate farther and winter south of more southerly breeding populations. Another common pattern is difference in migration distances between males and females within the same population. Evidently different populations and sexes may experience different environmental conditions and selection pressures throughout the annual cycle. Such systems are interesting from an evolutionary perspective, since it allows researchers to identify and study cost-benefit trade-offs, ecological drivers and constraints to better understand species distributions and behavioral adaptations, such as migration. The aim of this thesis was to study the migration patterns and processes in the common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula and little ringed plover Charadrius dubius to test predictions and assumptions in the underpinning hypotheses regarding the evolution of between and within population migration patterns, and behavioral adaptations associated with the migratory journey. By studying different populations of common ringed plovers, a textbook example of leap-frog migration, the general leap-frog pattern was confirmed. However, two populations breeding on the same sub-Arctic latitude separated in the winter. Relative winter distribution, body size patterns and autumn departure/arrival patterns between four populations suggest that neither body size nor spring predictability could explain leap-frog migration. Thus, two hypotheses explaining leap-frog migration could be rejected. Individuals from a temperate population spread out over the whole known (subspecies-specific) wintering distribution area. Interestingly, on average, males were found to migrate farther (~ 800 km) compared to females. This pattern is rare among birds. Neither of the proposed hypotheses set out to explain differential migration could satisfactorily explain the observed pattern. A new hypothesis was formulated (but not tested), which proposes that sex specific energetic needs upon spring arrival and winter site-specific fueling rates may sometimes benefit one sex - in this case males - to migrate farther.Migration distance alone did not seem to have an effect on migration speed in the common and little ringed plover. Contrary to the general predictions and observations, lower migration speeds were found in spring compared to autumn in little ringed plovers and in a temperate breeding population of common ringed plover. Interestingly, the Arctic population of common ringed plovers realized a higher spring migration speed compared to the temperate population, suggesting that high fueling rates may be attained on European spring stopover sites, well timed in relation to the onset of the northern breeding season. Temperate populations of common ringed plovers arrive in spring with a higher inter-annual variation compared to Arctic populations, indicating a more flexible migratory schedule. Migration distance and season influenced the number, organization and duration of migratory flights in the common ringed plover. In autumn, there was no difference in number of migratory flights between individuals migrating different distances. However, individuals migrating longer distances initially made 2-4 short flights followed by a longer flight. This is indicative of a time minimizing strategy, which was unexpected given previous assumptions of autumn migration being more relaxed. In spring however, the number of flights increased with distance and there is no clear way to distinguish between strategies without knowledge of fueling conditions

Divergence in gene expression related to variation in host specificity of an ectomycorrhizal fungus

Ectomycorrhizae are formed by mutualistic interactions between fungi and the roots of woody plants. During symbiosis the two organisms exchange carbon and nutrients in a specific tissue that is formed at the contact between a compatible fungus and plant. There is considerable variation in the degree of host specificity among species and strains of ectomycorrhizal fungi. In this study, we have for the first time shown that this variation is associated with quantitative differences in gene expression, and with divergence in nucleotide sequences of symbiosis-regulated genes. Gene expression and sequence evolution were compared in different strains of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus; the strains included Nau, which is not compatible with birch and poplar, and the two compatible strains Maj and ATCC200175. On a genomic level, Nau and Maj were very similar. The sequence identity was 98.9% in the 16 loci analysed, and only three out of 1075 genes analysed by microarray-based hybridizations had signals indicating differences in gene copy numbers. In contrast, 66 out of the 1075 genes were differentially expressed in Maj compared to Nau after contact with birch roots. Thirty-seven of these symbiosis-regulated genes were also differentially expressed in the ATCC strain. Comparative analysis of DNA sequences of the symbiosis-regulated genes in different strains showed that two of them have evolved at an enhanced rate in Nau. The sequence divergence can be explained by a decreased selection pressure, which in turn is determined by lower functional constraints on these proteins in Nau as compared to the compatible strains

A leap forward in geographic scale for forest ectomycorrhizal fungi

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Genetic Diversity of Dahongjun, the Commercially Important “Big Red Mushroom” from Southern China

BACKGROUND: In southern China, a wild ectomycorrhizal mushroom commonly called "Dahongjun" or "Big Red Mushroom" by the local residents, has been harvested, consumed, and/or exported as an exotic food for many years. Although ecologically and economically important, very little is known about this mushroom, including its diversity and population structure. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we analyzed 122 samples from five local populations representing the known distribution ranges of this mushroom in southern China. We investigated the genetic diversity and geographic structure of this mushroom using sequences from four DNA fragments. Our analyses identified that this mushroom contained at least three divergent lineages: one corresponds to a recently described species Russula griseocarnosa from southern China and the remaining two likely represent two novel species. While these lineages were prominently structured geographically based on ITS sequences, evidence for ancient and/or recent gene flow was also identified within individual lineages. In addition, a local population from Ailaoshan in central Yunnan Province where 85 of our 122 specimens came from showed clear evidence of recombination. CONCLUSION AND SIGNIFICANCE: The ectomycorrhizal mushroom "Dahongjun" from southern China is a species complex with at least three divergent lineages. These lineages are largely geographically structured and there is evidence for recombination in nature. Our results indicate mature Dahongjun mushrooms with abundant basidiospores are important for the reproduction of this mushroom in nature and that individual populations of this species should be managed separately

Intraspecific Diversity Regulates Fungal Productivity and Respiration

Individuals and not just species are key components of biodiversity, yet the relationship between intraspecific diversity and ecosystem functioning in microbial systems remains largely untested. This limits our ability to understand and predict the effects of altered genetic diversity in regulating key ecosystem processes and functions. Here, we use a model fungal system to test the hypothesis that intraspecific genotypic richness of Paxillus obscurosporus stimulates biomass and CO2 efflux, but that this is dependent on nitrogen supply. Using controlled experimental microcosms, we show that populations containing several genotypes (maximum 8) of the fungus had greater productivity and produced significantly more CO2 than those with fewer genotypes. Moreover, intraspecific diversity had a much stronger effect than a four-fold manipulation of the carbon:nitrogen ratio of the growth medium. The effects of intraspecific diversity were underpinned by strong roles of individuals, but overall intraspecific diversity increased the propensity of populations to over-yield, indicating that both complementarity and selection effects can operate within species. Our data demonstrate the importance of intraspecific diversity over a range of nitrogen concentrations, and the need to consider fine scale phylogenetic information of microbial communities in understanding their contribution to ecosystem processes

The use of molecular markers for identifying species diversity and functional variation of ectomycorrhizal fungi

Ectomycorrhiza (EM) is a symbiosis between soil living fungi and the roots of woody plants. EM fungal communities are important in forest nutrient cycling, they are species rich and their structures vary between habitats and over time. An EM community in a phosphorus-poor forest was exposed to apatite and EM mycelia actively colonizing ingrowth bags were analyzed. Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) amplification; cloning, sequencing and identification against databases were used to identify EM species. The fungal colonization of bags was mainly EM. The biomass tended to be higher in apatite bags but the difference was not statistically significant. In average there were 13 species per bag and 80% of the EM sequences belonged to Tylospora fibrillosa, Amphinema sp., Tomentellopsis submollis and Xerocomus badius. Phylogenetic species (PS) within the EM Paxillus involutus species group were recognized using multilocus sequencing (MLS). Concordance of five gene genealogies showed that this group comprised at least four PS. The ITS phylogenetic tree corresponded well to the MLS trees, allowing linking of ITS sequences to species. Three of the PS corresponded to described morphospecies; PS I to P. obscurosporus, PS II to P. involutus s. str. and PS III to P. validus. Differences in gene expression levels during mycorrhizal contact between birch and three P. involutus s.l. strains, ATCC 200175, MAJ and NAU were compared with microarray technology. Different compatibility with birch resulted in quantitative differences in gene expression as well as divergence in nucleotide sequences of symbiosis-regulated genes. The transcriptomes were more similar for compatible isolates than between incompatible isolates, a similarity not reflected in the genomic distances seen by comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The differences are probably coupled to changes in promoter elements and transcription factors. P. involutus s.l. isolates were examined in microcosms for their ability to form mycorrhiza with birch and spruce. Compatible and incompatible isolates were found within PS I, II and III. The gene contents of three incompatible isolates were compared with compatible isolates within the same PS using microarray-based CGH. The proportions of genes that varied in copy numbers between the compatible/incompatible isolates within PS I, PS II and PS III were 3.5, 6.3 and 1.3%, respectively. Only three genes showed similar patterns of variation between all three pairs. Our data suggests that host incompatibility has arisen repeatedly in several lineages within the P. involutus species group. The genomic mechanisms that could account for these phenotypic differences appear to differ between lineages

Playano : Concept development project of a wireless and energy-harvesting piano keyboard

This report contains a product and concept development project carried out by André Hedh as a Bachelor Thesis at Karlstad University’s faculty of Health, Nature and Engineering Science in the Innovation and Design Engineering Programme. The project was carried out for design agency People People with Per Brickstad as task manager. Prior to this project, People People had, through its subsidiary - People Products, developed The Transparent Speaker. Their wish was to develop more products for music lovers and musicians. The product developed in this project was a keyboard, which was one of three products in a family that aimed to make it easier, more fun and more social to learn and play the piano. The keyboard was designed to maintain the genuine feeling of a classic acoustic piano, but with modern technology for wireless communication. The work dealt with studies and investigations in what distinguish the feel of the grand piano action, plus creativity and engineering methods to simulate this feel. The project also aimed to incorporate an Energy-Harvesting system into the piano’s mechanism, to eliminate external power supply. The kinetic energy from the keystroke was converted to electricity and used to set up a wireless connection over Bluetooth Low Energy with an external application that could translate MIDI data into sound. A proof-of-concept was developed through a full-scale prototype of the key mechanism, containing a conceptual solution for the mechanism including all electronics and key features of the final product’s design. Denna rapport innehåller ett produkt- och konceptutvecklingsprojekt genomfört av André Hedh. Projektet utfördes som examensarbete vid fakulteten för hälsa-, natur- och teknikvetenskap på Karlstads universitet i högskoleingenjörsprogrammet i innovationsteknik och design. Uppdragsgivare för projektet var Per Brickstad på designbyrån People People i Stockholm. Tidigare hade People People, under sitt dotterbolag – People products, utvecklat The Transparent Speaker och ville efter det ta ytterligare ett kliv in på musikmarknaden. Produkten som utvecklats i detta projekt var en klaviatur. Klaviaturen var en del av tre i en produktfamilj med målet är att göra det lättare, roligare och mer socialt att skapa musik genom att spela piano. Projektets mål var att utveckla en klaviatur som fångade den genuina känslan från ett klassiskt akustiskt piano och som inkorporerar modern teknik för trådlös kommunikation. Arbetet behandlade studier och laborationer i vad som utmärker anslagskänslan hos en klassisk flygelmekanism. Kreativitets- och ingenjörsmässiga metoder användes för att simulera denna känsla. Projektet behandlade även energialstrande system som förenades med klaviaturens mekanism med mål att eliminera extern strömtillförsel. Den kinetiska energin från tangentanslaget omvandlades till elektricitet som drev den trådlösa kommunikationen innehållande MIDI-information över Bluetooth Low Energy till applikation för ljudåtergivning. En fullskalig prototyp över tangentmekanismen utvecklades som ett ”proof-of-concept”, innehållande en konceptuell lösning för mekanism, all elektronik samt produktens övergripande formspråk.

Autumn migration strategies and trapping numbers in the common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula in Southern Sweden

In this study we compare autumn migration strategies in two subspecies of the Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula in the southern Baltic Sea. This species exhibits a leap-frog migration pattern, whereby northerly breeding populations (C. h. tundrae; henceforth tundrae) migrate past the whole range of the southern population (C. h. hiaticula; henceforth hiaticula). Hiaticula migrates the shortest distance and is hypothesised to minimize energy spent on migration, whereas tundrae is hypothesized to minimize time, because a longer migration imposes time constraints upon other stages of a migrant's life history, such as moult and breeding. We use biometric data collected at Ottenby Bird Observatory, southern Öland, Sweden, between 1946-2012, to test whether each subspecies demonstrates characteristics associated with either an energy- or time-minimized migration. We used the decline in wing and total-head length over the season to distinguish the subspecies. Hiaticula migrated earlier in the season (July-mid August) compared to tundrae (late July-late September). Also the relative timing of age groups between the two subspecies differed. Juvenile and adult hiaticula migrated synchronized in time, whereas tundrae had two main periods of passage for adults (earlier) and juveniles (later). The timing fits that of other studies and gives complementary information about the passage in Europe. Juvenile tundrae showed a positive trend of observed fuel loads as the season progressed, whereas the other groups did not. Daily fuelling rates within the same season were low compared to other wader species that use Ottenby as a stopover and no difference between subspecies was found. However, tundrae stopped over for a shorter time compared with hiaticula. There was no difference in average migration speed between the subspecies, although tundrae had a higher maximum speed. There was large variation in yearly numbers between age classes in the two subspecies. In hiaticula the yearly average was 8 adults and 37 juveniles. The ratio of juvenile to adult tundrae on the other hand was almost 1:1, indicating equal use of Ottenby as stop over site in autumn. No trends in observed fuel loads over the season in hiaticula are consistent with an energy minimizing migration. As for tundrae, a shorter stopover time compared to hiaticula and a positive relationship between observed fuel load and time, are consistent with time minimizing migration. However, there are many uncertainties and more studies of migratory behaviours at several sites along the migration route are needed to understand the differences in migration strategies in this species

Quality Modelling and Metrics of Web-based Information Systems

In recent years, the World Wide Web has become a major platform for software applications. Web-based information systems have been involved in many areas of our everyday life, such as education, entertainment, business, manufacturing, communication, etc. As web-based systems are usually distributed, multimedia, interactive and cooperative, and their production processes usually follow ad-hoc approaches, the quality of web-based systems has become a major concern. . Existing quality models and metrics do not fully satisfy the needs of quality management of Web-based systems. This study has applied and adapted software quality engineering methods and principles to address the following issues, a quality modeling method for derivation of quality models of Web-based information systems; and the development, implementation and validation of quality metrics of key quality' attributes of Web-based information systems, which include navigability and timeliness. The quality modeling method proposed in this study has the following strengths. It is more objective and rigorous than existing approaches. The quality analysis can be conducted in the early stage of system life cycle on the design. It is easy to use and can provide insight into the improvement of the design of systems. Results of case studies demonstrated that the quality modeling method is applicable and practical. Practitioners can use the modeling method to develop their own quality models. This study is amongst the first comprehensive attempts to develop quality measurement for Web-based information systems. First, it identified the relationship between website structural complexity and navigability. Quality metrics of navigability were defined, investigated and implemented. Empirical studies were conducted to evaluate the metrics. Second, this study investigated website timeliness and attempted to find direct and indirect measures for the quality attribute. Empirical studies for validating such metrics were also conducted. This study also suggests four areas of future research that may be fruitful.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo