Absence of sex differential plasticity to light availability during seed maturation in Geranium sylvaticum

Sex-differential plasticity (SDP) hypothesis suggests that since hermaphrodites gain fitness through both pollen and seed production they may have evolved a higher degree of plastici- ty in their reproductive strategy compared to females which achieve fitness only through seed production. SDP may explain the difference in seed production observed between sexes in gynodioecious species in response to resource (nutrients or water) availability. In harsh environments, hermaphrodites decrease seed production whereas females keep it relatively similar regardless of the environmental conditions. Light availability can be also a limiting resource and thus could theoretically affect differently female and hermaphrodite seed output even though this ecological factor has been largely overlooked. We tested whether the two sexes in the gynodioecious species Geranium sylvaticum differ in their tol- erance to light limitation during seed maturation in the field. We used a fully factorial block experiment exposing female and hermaphrodite plants to two different light environments (control and shade) after their peak flowering period. Specifically, we measured fruit and seed production in response to decreased light availability and compared it between the sexes. Shading reduced the number of fruits and seeds produced, but the decrease was similar between the sexes. Furthermore, shading delayed seed production by three days in both sexes, but did not affect seed mass, seed P content, or the probability of re-flowering the following year. Our results give no evidence for reproductive SDP in response to light during seed maturation

Suojelualueiden terveys- ja hyvinvointivaikutukset Suomessa

Following the growth of nature-based tourism, national parks and other protected areas have become important tourist attractions and tools for regional development. Meanwhile, research on the impact of nature on human health and well-being is increasing and taken into account in park management. This study examines health and well-being benefits perceived by visitors to Finland's protected areas. It is based on survey data from five national parks and one strict nature reserve in 2013–2015: an on-site visitor survey (N = 3152) and an Internet-based health and well-being survey (N = 1054). The study indicates that visitors’ perceived benefits to their well-being were highly positive. Visits to protected areas promoted psychological, physical, and social benefits. In particular, park visits were found to provide strong and multi-faceted, long-lasting, embodied and sensory well-being experiences as well as escape from everyday life and work. Overnight visitors reported more well-being benefits than day visitors, and different types of park had different well-being benefits. The study suggests that the potential benefits of protected areas for public health are significant, emphasizing the need to integrate health and well-being arguments into the neoliberalist politics assessing the economic benefits of protected areas and their role in regional development.Peer reviewe

Determinants of clutch size and reproductive success in the pied flycatcher

This thesis deals with the mechanisms that influence optimization of clutch size. The studies were mainly carried out with experiments in a population of the Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) breeding in central Finland. The adjustment of clutch size was affected by habitat quality. Females that were forced to breed in a habitat of poorer quality than where they had initially settled, laid smaller clutches than control females. Seasonal decline in the clutch size seemed to be an adaptation to both the deteriorating food supplies and temporally changing tradeoff between resources allocated to breeding and maintenance of parents (i.e. moult). The trade-off documented here between the current reproduction and moult of parents is suggested to be a link between two successive breeding attempts and thus a mechanism causing costs of reproduction. Although females seem to adjust their clutches to correspond to the approximate number of young they can raise, the effect of unpredictable and varying weather on the growth and mortality of young weakens the ability of females to adjust the clutch at the egg-laying time. Consequently, during adverse conditions brood reduction is a strategy for adjusting the brood size to the level parents can rear. In all, studies of this thesis suggested that the most important factor influencing the optimization of clutch size in this species is the amount of food available to nestlings that largely depends on the habitat quality and the time of season. Additionally, the trade-offs between the current breeding attempt and future reproduction also mould the evolution of clutch size