Social determinants of songbird vocal activity and implications for the persistence of small populations

Conspecific attraction is an important aspect of animal behaviour and several avian studies have shown that vocalizations may be used as an inadvertent cue to locate areas of suitable habitat. By studying the metapopulation system of a territorial passerine, the Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti, we analysed the demographic correlates of population vocal activity, and the relationships between the occurrence of immigration and the availability of social information (e.g. vocal activity, population size, density and productivity) in 22 local populations. We found that the proportion of active singing days in spring and territorial call advertisement after breeding were positively related to the number of males within local populations. In turn, the intensity of vocal activity was associated with the likelihood of receiving immigrants, better explaining immigration than other kinds of social or public information. Because of depressed signalling, small local populations could experience reduced rescuing from others, thus compromising population persistence. In such cases, habitat management alone may not be enough to overcome this behavioural constraint. Because we found that the occurrence of inter-patch movements also depended on the size of nearby local populations, understanding regional processes may be as important as controlling social and environmental factors for the maintenance of small populations. © Journal compilation © 2008 The Zoological Society of London.Peer Reviewe

The lichen biota of the Drawieński National Park (NW Poland, Western Pomerania)

The whole known lichen biota of the Drawieński National Park is presented. In total 290 species (262 lichenized, 25 lichenicolous and 3 lichen-related, saprotrophic fungi) are listed. Trichonectria anisospora and Milospium lacoizquetae are reported as new to Poland. Lecanora stenotropa and Phaeophyscia pusilloides are reported for the first time from Polish lowlands. The most lichenologically interesting and richest habitat complexes are the river valleys with their beech slope forests, their alluvial forests and their fast running rivers. Further habitats of high nature conservation value are roadside trees and pine forests, which inhabit a rich lichen biota as well.

Patterns and drivers of lichen species composition in a NW-European lowland deciduous woodland complex

© The Author(s) 2016. Open Access. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The attached file is the published version of the article.NHM Repositor

Beiträge morphologischer und anatomischer Merkmale, insbesondere der Fruchtknoten und Samenanlagen zur Taxonomie und Systematik der Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae)

Mit der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die Nutzbarkeit morphologischer und anatomischer Merkmale aus den Bereichen des Fruchtknotens und der Samenanlangen für die Systematik und Taxonomie der Bromelioideae (Bromeliaceae) untersucht. Hierzu wurden 30 Merkmale im Bereich des Fruchtknotens und der Samenanlagen definiert und anhand anatomischer Schnittpräparate die Verteilung der Merkmalsausprägungen an 102 Arten aus 28 (von 32) Gattungen der Unterfamilie Bromelioideae sowie zwei Vertretern der Unterfamilie Pitcairnioideae als Vergleichgruppe ermittelt. Allein 41 Taxa entstammten der größten und als polyphyletisch anzunehmenden Gattung Aechmea mit Vertretern aus allen sieben Untergattungen. Die Auswertung der Merkmalsverteilung erfolgte einerseits im Hinblick auf eine funktionale Deutung beobachteter Kopplungen bestimmter Strukturen im ökologischen Kontext und zum anderen unter taxonomischen Gesichtspunkten im Hinblick auf Beantwortung der Fragen, wieweit derzeitige Gattungsumgrenzungen von den hier untersuchten Merkmalen unterstützt werden, bzw. wie weit Anregungen zur Abänderung bestehender Konzepte abgeleitet werden können, welche Beziehungen zwischen den Untergattungen von Aechmea und anderen Gattungen der Bromelioideae bestehen und wodurch sich basale Linien der Bromelioideae von den abgeleiteten Formen der „Eu- Bromelioideae“ im Sinne von SCHULTE (2007) unterscheiden lassen. Um diese Fragen zu beantworten, wurden zwei unterschiedliche Ansätze kombiniert. Die Verteilung der Merkmalszustände wurde einerseits auf Topologien geplottet, die aus publizierte Phylogenien mit genetischen Merkmalen als Datenquelle beruhen. Desweiteren wurden neue Parsimonieanalysen durchgeführt a) auf der Grundlage einer morphologischen Datenmatrix mit den 30 selbst erhobenen Merkmalen aus dem Fruchtknoten- und Samenbereich, b) einer weiteren Matrix, in die fünf weitere selbst erhobene Merkmale aus dem floralen Bereich eingehen und schließlich c) einem Datensatz, in den zusätzlich acht aus der Literatur entnommene Angaben zur Morphologie und Ökologie der untersuchten Pflanzen eingingen. Die aus den molekularen Analysen von SCHULTE et al. (2005) hervorgehende Gliederung der Unterfamilie in eine paraphyletische Gruppe von basalen Linien und der von SCHULTE (2007) als „Eu-Bromelioideae“ bezeichneten monophyletischen Gruppe abgeleiteterer Gattungen findet eine deutliche Entsprechung in Merkmalen des Fruchtknotenbereichs und der Samenanlagen. Die untersuchten Vertreter der basalen Linien besitzen alle ± rechtwinklig von der Fruchtknotenachse abspreizende Samenanlagen, diese sind auf mehr als 70% der Fruchtknotenachse verteilt und die Mikropyle ist stets relativ lang ausgebildet (>100 micro m). Eine der Kerninnovationen der Eu-Bromelioiden scheint die Entwicklung des chalazalen Samenanhängsels als Hilfsinstrument bei der Besiedlung glatter Oberflächen gewesen zu sein. Diese Struktur findet sich nur bei Eu-Bromelioideae und ist stets bereits an der Samenanlage vorgebildet. Sekundär scheint dieses chalazale Anhängsel innerhalb der Eu-Bromelioideae allerdings auch immer wieder verloren gegangen zu sein. Die Umgrenzung der meisten Gattungen sowohl der basalen Linien als auch der Eu-Bromelioideae konnten in ihrer jetzigen Form anhand der Merkmale des Fruchtknotenbereichs und der Samenanlagen nachvollzogen werden. Eine Ausnahme hiervon stellt lediglich die hochgradig polyphyletische Gattung Aechmea s.l. dar. Für keine der untersuchten Gattungen konnten synapomorphe Merkmalszustände erkannt werden, vielmehr gibt es jeweils gattungsspezifische Kombinationen von Merkmalen. Die Ausprägungen der Einzelmerkmale dagegen sind stets auch in anderen Verwandschaftsgruppen zu beobachten. Die hier untersuchten Merkmale unterstreichen das für die Bromelioideae seit langem bekannte Phänomen eines extrem hohen Homoplasiegrades in nahezu allen morphologischen Strukturen. Selbst für den Fruchtknoten lassen sich klare Abhängigkeiten der Merkmalsausprägungen von ökologischen Selektionsfaktoren erkennen. Insbesondere scheinen funktionale Notwendigkeiten im Kontext der Nektarsekretion und der Bestäubungsökologie für die Merkmalsausprägung des Fruchtknotens eine wichtige Rolle zu spielen. Die Samenanlage ist zwar zum Zeitpunkt der Anthese noch nicht direkten Selektionsdrücken ausgesetzt, ihre Merkmale sind aber nur dann zu verstehen, wenn die Funktion hier bereits angelegter Strukturen (wie z.B. der chalazalen Samenanhängsel) im Kontext mit den reifen Samen gedeutet wird

On the association between Haplosyllis (Polychaeta, Syllidae) and gorgonians (Cnidaria, Octocorallaria), with the description of a new species

23 páginas, 13 figuras, 2 tablas.The present paper includes a morphological, ecological and biological updating of the three gorgonian associated species of Haplosyllis (Polychaeta, Syllidae) known to date: H. chamaeleon (symbiont with Paramuricea clavata in the Mediterranean), H. anthogorgicola (symbiont with Anthogorgia bocki in the Japanese seas) and H. villogorgicola , a new species living symbiotically with Villogorgia bebrycoides which is only known from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Eastern Central Atlantic). The new species is described on the basis of ecological, morphological, morphometric and statistical analysis of relevant characteristics. Each host colony harboured about 15 pale-yellowish worms, whose cryptic colouration mimicked that of the host. They occurred either on the host branches or partly hidden inside cavities formed by the fusion of two branches. The new species is characterized by the presence of simple chaetae with clearly bidentate tips all along the body, the presence of gland pore aggregates distributed in two lateral rows and two ventral patches on each palp and the absence of ciliary tufts on the pharyngeal papillae. H. villogorgicola sp. nov. is closely related to H. chamaeleon . Thus, it is compared with two populations of this species collected in the north-west and south-west Mediterranean. Stolons of H. chamaeleon are re-described as tetracerous and a peculiar posterior end regeneration process occurring in adult worms during the stolon formation is described. H. anthogorgicola is also re-described, with particular emphasis on its appendage and chaetal arrangements. The main features of the three associations are discussed in light of the current knowledge on symbiotic polychaetes, particularly cnidarian-associated syllids. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 77 , 455–477.This paper is a contribution to the research project INTAS-97–0916.Peer reviewe

Three new species of Krogia (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) from the Paleotropics

Krogia borneensis Kistenich & Timdal, K. isidiata Kistenich & Timdal and macrophylla K. Kistenich & Timdal are described as new species, the first from Borneo and the two latter from New Caledonia. The new species are supported by morphology, secondary chemistry and DNA sequence data. Krogia borneensis and K. isidiata contain sekikaic and homosekikaic acid, both compounds reported here for the first time from the genus. Krogia macrophylla contains an unknown compound apparently related to boninic acid as the major compound. DNA sequences (mtSSU and nrITS) are provided for the first time for Krogia and a phylogeny of the genus based on 15 accessions of five of the six accepted species is presented. Krogia antillarum is reported as new to Brazil, Guatemala and Mexico

Three new species of Krogia (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota) from the Paleotropics

Krogia borneensis Kistenich & Timdal, K. isidiata Kistenich & Timdal and macrophylla K. Kistenich & Timdal are described as new species, the first from Borneo and the two latter from New Caledonia. The new species are supported by morphology, secondary chemistry and DNA sequence data. Krogia borneensis and K. isidiata contain sekikaic and homosekikaic acid, both compounds reported here for the first time from the genus. Krogia macrophylla contains an unknown compound apparently related to boninic acid as the major compound. DNA sequences (mtSSU and nrITS) are provided for the first time for Krogia and a phylogeny of the genus based on 15 accessions of five of the six accepted species is presented. Krogia antillarum is reported as new to Brazil, Guatemala and Mexico

Fibre caps across Europe: type studies and 11 new species of Inocybe (Agaricales, Basidiomycota)

Based on detailed morphological and genetic investigation, 11 new species of Inocybe (I. abdita, I. alcis, I. carissima, I. cryptica, I. culicis, I. mecoana, I. mortenii, I. orioli, I. rangiferi, I. sepiana and I. turfae) are described. Six of the new species are smooth-spored and five are nodulose-spored. The new species are compared to 18 type specimens, all of which are described here and for seven of which (partial) ITS sequences have been generated. For six species, namely I. griseovelata, I. lacera, I. soluta, I. subcarpta, I. tarda and I. transitoria, a lectotype, epitype or neotype was selected, and a description and a figure plate are provided for each of them. Based on our studies, we are convinced that I. albofibrillosa and I. striatorimosa are synonymous with I. soluta, while I. aurantioumbonata is synonymous with I. tarda. Furthermore, we affirm that I. longicystis is synonymous with I. stellatospora. All of the new species are supported by phylogenetic analyses. In summary, we here describe as new, verify the taxonomic status of, or provide or corroborate morphological concepts for 29 species of Inocybe. alpha taxonomy, epitypification, Inocybaceae, Inocybe, molecular systematics, neotypification nrITS, nrLSU, RPB2, type studies.Fibre caps across Europe: type studies and 11 new species of Inocybe (Agaricales, Basidiomycota)publishedVersio

Functional Traits in Lichen Ecology: A Review of Challenge and Opportunity

Community ecology has experienced a major transition, from a focus on patterns in taxonomic composition, to revealing the processes underlying community assembly through the analysis of species functional traits. The power of the functional trait approach is its generality, predictive capacity such as with respect to environmental change, and, through linkage of response and effect traits, the synthesis of community assembly with ecosystem function and services. Lichens are a potentially rich source of information about how traits govern community structure and function, thereby creating opportunity to better integrate lichens into ‘mainstream’ ecological studies, while lichen ecology and conservation can also benefit from using the trait approach as an investigative tool. This paper brings together a range of author perspectives to review the use of traits in lichenology, particularly with respect to European ecosystems from the Mediterranean to the Arctic-Alpine. It emphasizes the types of traits that lichenologists have used in their studies, both response and effect, the bundling of traits towards the evolution of life-history strategies, and the critical importance of scale (both spatial and temporal) in functional trait ecology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Key roles of Dipterocarpaceae, bark type diversity and tree size in lowland rainforests of northeast Borneo—using functional traits of lichens to distinguish plots of old growth and regenerating logged forests

Many lowland rainforests in Southeast Asia are severely altered by selective logging and there is a need for rapid assessment methods to identify characteristic communities of old growth forests and to monitor restoration success in regenerating forests. We have studied the effect of logging on the diversity and composition of lichen communities on trunks of trees in lowland rainforests of northeast Borneo dominated by Dipterocarpaceae. Using data from field observations and vouchers collected from plots in disturbed and undisturbed forests, we compared a taxonomy-based and a taxon-free method. Vouchers were identified to genus or genus group and assigned to functional groups based on sets of functional traits. Both datasets allowed the detection of significant differences in lichen communities between disturbed and undisturbed forest plots. Bark type diversity and the proportion of large trees, particularly those belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae, were the main drivers of lichen community structure. Our results confirm the usefulness of a functional groups approach for the rapid assessment of tropical lowland rainforests in Southeast Asia. A high proportion of Dipterocarpaceae trees is revealed as an essential element for the restoration of near natural lichen communities in lowland rainforests of Southeast Asia