Fugler i Norge 2001 – Rapport fra Norsk faunakomité for fugl (NFKF)

THE NORWEGIAN BIRD REPORT 2001 - a report on locally uncommon and scarce birds in Norway in 2001, by the Norwegian Birds Records Committee (NFKF) The basis of this report is the annual reports produced by the county rarities committees. For 2001 all the counties contributed to the report, although the Svalbard archipelago and Jan Mayen as well as Finnmark, Troms and Sogn & Fjordane countiesdid not produce own county reports. With the exception of the northernmost counties the report thus reflects fairly well observations from Norway in 2001. Readers should take care to note the geographical or time delimitation of the records stated for the different species, as stated in codes immediately after the scientific name of the species. The Norwegian Birds Records Committee (NFKF) has been publishing annual reports since 1991. Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus numbers were the lowest since 1991, and also the occurrence of Lesser White-fronted Geese Anser erythropus at the traditional feeding and roosting site Valdakmyra, Porsanger (FI) were particularly scarce this spring (lowest since 1993). However, this could partly be explained by early arrival at the breeding sites due to unusually early snow melting. Gadwalls Anas strepera have occurred in steadily increasing numbers in Norway in recent years, and 2001 was the best year to date for this species. The number of White-billed Divers Gavia adamsii was the highest reported since 1991. This species is probably a common winter guest from Nord-Trøndelag county and northwards. Manx Shearwaters Puffinus puffinus were also recorded in good numbers in 2001, the third best year since 1991. There was a further increase in numbers at the recently established colonies of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo of the subspecies sinensis at Øra (ØF), where the first confirmed breeding was in 1997. White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla have steadily increased in numbers and also expanded their breeding distribution southwards. Breeding is now documented in both Rogaland and Vest-Agder counties and a further expansion is expected. The Osprey Pandion haliaetus is another species that is steadily expanding its range in Norway. Avocets Recurvirostra avosetta, however, is now very unusual, with only one individual in 2001, a record low number. Several shorebirds, such as Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus, Great Knots Calidris canutus, Sanderlings Calidris alba, Jack Snipes Lymnocryptes minimus, Woodcocks Scolopax rusticola and Bar-tailed Godwits Limosa lapponica wintered in higher numbers than usual in 2001, probably due to winter temperatures above normal. Pomarine Skuas Stercorarius pomarinus occurred in record numbers in 2001, and also Long-tailed Skuas Stercorarius longicaudus were recorded in good numbers on migration. Furthermore, numbers of Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides recorded were the highest since 1991, while Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur experienced another poor year. Good numbers of Snowy Owls Bubo scandiaca were still present in 2001 after the record setting year of 2000. Kingfishers Alcedo atthis also had a good year with one breeding attempt recorded. The number of Hoopoes Upupa epops was the second best since 1991. The occurrences of Richard’s Pipits Anthus richardi, Barred Warblers Sylvia nisoria and Marsh Warblers Acrocephalus palustris were the highest ever recorded, and Red-throated Pipits Anthus cervinus showed another good year, equalling the record numbers of 2000. Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla wintered in record numbers. Stonechats Saxicola torquata, Red-breasted Flycatchers Ficedula parva, Great Grey Shrikes Lanius excubitor and Arctic Redpolls Carduelis hornemanni all experienced second best numbers since 1991. However, traditional winter invasion species such as Pine Grosbeaks Pinicola enucleator and Two-barred Crossbills Loxia leucoptera appeared in low numbers in 2001. The Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes still shows a marked increase in the north of its distribution, especially in the Trøndelag counties, while the situation is not as bright for Ortolan Buntings Emberiza hortulana, which continues to decline in numbers and now are in danger of becoming lost as a member of the Norwegian avifauna

Comparative morphological trade-offs between pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection in Giant hissing cockroaches (Tribe: Gromphadorhini)

Sperm competition theory predicts that animals face a trade-off between investment in weaponry and investment in ejaculate composition. Within the Madagascan giant hissing cockroaches (Tribe Gromphadorhini) differences in morphology exist that may indicate differing strategies of male-male competition. We compared relative pronotal horn length using high-resolution X-ray CT scanning data, relative testes mass, and male-male agonistic behaviour between two species of hissing cockroaches, Gromphadorhina oblongonota and Aeluropoda insignis. The gross morphology and behaviour of these two species indicated that G. oblongonota is selected for pre-copulatory mate acquisition and that A. insignis is selected for post-copulatory sperm competition. We found evidence for a trade-off when investing in testes mass vs. horn length between the species. The large, aggressive G. oblongonota follows a strategy of greater investment in weapons at the expense of testes mass while the smaller, less-aggressive A. insignis invests in relatively greater testes mass and less in pronotal weapon length. We also found evidence of a trade-off within each species, where individuals invest more heavily in weapon length at the expense of testes mass. These findings support the predictions of pre- and postcopulatory competitive investment trade-offs for a relatively understudied Tribe of cockroaches

War and food insecurity in Ukraine

It is widely held that armed conflict is a central catalyst for food insecurity. However, existing studies tend to use aggregate measures of both conflict and food insecurity to analyze the long-term consequences of violence. We know far less about the immediate impacts of armed conflict on individual-level food insecurity. To address this gap, we collected two waves of probability surveys in Ukraine (Ns = 1081 and 811) at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion. We asked, specifically, whether Ukrainians’ exposure to military attacks was associated with the extent to which they reported food insecurity. The data indicate that one in three Ukrainians were food insecure at the time of the surveys. In turn, our analyses suggest that both direct attacks on the individual respondents, as well as indirect attacks (on their family members, acquaintances, and the municipalities in which they resided) relate to reported food insecurity. Notably, we found that the relationship between military attacks and food insecurity was only moderated by gender, but not age, education, or socioeconomic status. As the war in Ukraine continues, it is important to understand and document its consequences on civilians. Moreover, our findings likely have implications for policies tailoring wartime relief efforts – not only in Ukraine, but also in other countries experiencing large-scale military invasion.</p

The genetic consequences of hatchery-induced sperm competition in a salmonid

Supportive breeding is an important tool in conservation management, but its long-term genetic consequences are not well understood. Among the factors that could affect the genetics of the offspring is sperm competition as a consequence of mixed-milt fertilizations - which is still a common practice in many hatcheries. Here, we measured and combined the relevant factors to predict the genetic consequences of various kinds of hatchery-induced sperm competition. We drew a random sample of male Coregonus zugensis (an Alpine whitefish) from a hatchery program and quantified their in vitro sperm potency by integrating sperm velocity during the first minute after activation, and their in vitro milt potency by multiplying sperm potency with milt volume and sperm cell density. We found that not controlling for sperm density and/or milt volume would, at a constant population size, decrease the variance effective number of male breeders N-em by around 40-50%. This loss would decrease with increasing population growth rates. Partial multifactorial breeding and the separate rearing of in total 799 batches of eggs revealed that neither sperm nor milt potency was significantly linked to egg survival. Sperm and milt potency was also not significantly correlated to other potential quality measures such as breeding tubercles or condition factor. However, sperm potency was correlated to male age and milt potency to male growth rate. Our findings suggest that hatchery-induced sperm competition not only increases the loss of genetic variation but may also induce artificial selection, depending on the fertilization protocol. By not equalizing milt volume in multi-male fertilization hatchery managers lose relatively more genetic variation and give fast-growing males a reproductive advantage, while equalizing milt volume reduces the loss of genetic variation and favors younger males who may have fast sperm to compensate for their subdominance at the spawning place. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

The effects of radiation on sperm swimming behavior depend on plasma oxidative status in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Sperm are highly susceptible to reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage sperm DNA and structure, resulting in reduced fertilizing capacity. Exposure to radioactive contamination can also impair sperm swimming behavior and fertilizing ability, both through a reduction of sperm DNA integrity and via an increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the relationship between individual oxidative status and sperm swimming behavior has never been investigated in any wild population of animals exposed to radioactive contamination. We studied the motility of sperm collected from barn swallows, Hirundo rustica, breeding under different levels of radioactive contamination following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, in relation to individual oxidative status. We tested the hypothesis that the degree of impairment of sperm swimming behavior by radioactive contamination depended on plasma antioxidant capacity, the level of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and oxidative stress (sensu Costantini et al. 2006), a better oxidative status being associated with higher sperm motility. Sperm behavior parameters were subjected to principal component (PC) analysis, which extracted four PCs explaining 86% of the variance in sperm motility. PC2, representing sperm with high track velocity and ample lateral head displacement, was significantly predicted by the interaction between radiation level and either oxidative damage or oxidative stress. Contrary to our predictions, the highest values of PC2 were associated with relatively high radiation levels, particularly for high levels of either ROMs or oxidative stress. In addition, there was a tendency for values of PC3 (representing the percent of motile sperm) and PC4 (representing slow sperm with high beat cross frequency) to depend on the interaction between radiation level and total plasma antioxidant protection. Our results confirm the importance of oxidative status in determining the genetic and physiological outcome of exposure to radioactive contamination, complementing previous studies relating sperm abnormality to circulating levels of specific antioxidants. Our results also complement previous evidence that oxidative damage of sperm was negatively related to sperm motility, thus indicating a possible trade-off in quenching pro-oxidant compounds in the plasma and the seminal fluid

The radiation exposure of fish in the period of the Techa river peak contamination

Waterborne radioactive releases into the Techa River from the Mayak Production Association in Russia during 1949–1956 resulted in downstream contamination of the river ecosystem. The discharged liquid waste contained both short-lived isotopes (95Zr, 95Nb, 103,106Ru, 141,144Ce, 91Y, 89Sr and 140Ba with half-life from 3 days to 1.02 years) and the long-lived 90Sr and 137Cs (half-life - 28.79 y and 30.07 y, respectively). Even now, when two half-lives of 90Sr and 137Cs have passed, the contamination in the upper river region (about 70 km from the source of releases) is still relatively high. Current anthropogenic dose rates calculated for the fish of the Techa River depend on the distance along the stream and decrease from 150 to 3 μGy day−1. Radiation exposure of fish is expected to have been much higher at the time of the releases. The aim of the study was to evaluate the dose rates for the most common fish species of the river, viz., roach (Rutilus rutilus), perch (Perca fluviatilis) and pike (Esox lucius), in the period of peak contamination of the upper reaches of the Techa River from 1950 to 1951. To achieve this objective, calculation of both internal and external dose rates was performed. For dose rate calculation, the contamination of the river compartments was modeled, body-size dependent dose coefficients were evaluated, morphometric data were analyzed. Maximum dose rates were obtained for roach; minimum – for pike, it depends on fish lifestyle (time spent at the bottom). In the period before September 1950, fish of the upper reaches are assessed to have been exposed to dose rates exceeding the screening level equal to 240 μGy day−1. From September 1950 up to the end of 1952 the fish dose rates along the Techa River were found to be close to the UNSCEAR threshold equal to 9.6 × 103 μGy day−1 or even much more higher (up to 1.9 × 105 μGy day−1). Extremely high historical dose rates did not lead to the difference in fish size and fish growth rate currently observed in the Techa River and in the comparison waterbody (the Miass River). Discussion includes the description of radiation effects observed currently in the river fish. Today the effects observed in hematopoietic system may be the consequence of radiation exposure of fish over several generations. For example, long term dwelling of fish in the radioactively contaminated environment leads to their adaptation to chronic radiation exposure. At the same time, an increase their sensitivity and decrease their adaptive capacity to respond to other stress factors can be observed