Ecological and life history correlates of changes in avian migration timing in response to climate change

Spring migration of birds in many parts of the world has advanced as the climate has become warmer. Variation in advancement among species has been proposed to correlate with geography and life history features, but individual studies have reported variable results, and general patterns have been elusive. In a quantitative review of data from 389 bird species sampled at 69 European and 23 North American localities, we evaluated associations between change in the timing of migration and life history (body size, molt, broodedness), ecology (habitat, diet, nest position), and geography. We confirmed that spring migration advanced: -0.214 d yr-1 (95% CI: -0.266, -0.162) for first-arriving individuals and -0.104 d yr-1 (-0.139, -0.071) for the median date of passage. The rate of change in autumn was more variable: 0.090 d yr-1 (0.002, 0.176) delay for median passage and 0.019 d yr-1 (-0.175, 0.204) delay for the date of last departure. The response during spring was weaker in the far north and in species that migrate long distances to the wintering area. Autumn migration became increasingly delayed in species that are large-bodied, molt before departure, and that feed on seeds, insects, or fruits. Variation among species, especially during autumn, was associated in part with constraints surrounding the timing of the postnuptial molt. The results suggest that ecological and life history features of species may influence their ability to respond to climate change

Improved immunological detection of S pongospora subterranea

The genus Spongospora has two members which are important pathogens of vegetables, S. subterranea f.sp. subterranea (Sss) and S. subterranea f.sp. nasturtii (Ssn). The close taxonomic relationship of these formae speciales is based on similar cystosori morphology. The potato disease powdery scab, caused by Sss, is difficult to control. The key control measure is avoidance, aimed at planting clean seed in clean soil. For the development of routine tests for the presence of the pathogen on tubers and in soil, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) was developed using Sss cystosori as immunogen. It detected less than one Sss cystosorus and recognised Sss material from many parts of the world. No cross-reactions with other Plasmodiophoromycetes including Plasmodiophora brassicae, Polymyxa betae, Polymyxa graminis and different Streptomyces species causing common and netted scab of potatoes were observed. A novel tuber sample test method was developed using a kitchen peeling machine. This detected two tubers with one powdery scab lesion each in a sample including eighteen uninfected tubers. When soil samples spiked with cystosori were tested with the MAb, different Sss infestation levels could be discriminated. Ssn cystosori gave absorbance values in ELISA as high as Sss cystosori, whereas fresh crook roots of watercress containing Ssnzoosporangia and plasmodia or mud from an Ssninfected watercress bed gave low absorbance values or no reaction. The potential of these findings for the development of a disease control management are discusse

Kleinsäuger mit Haarproben zuverlässig bestimmen

Um das Vorkommen der Schweizer Kleinsäugetiere zu untersuchen, müssen diese lebend gefangen und bestimmt werden. Gewisse ähnliche Arten lassen sich jedoch morphologisch nicht genau unterscheiden. Für eine sichere Artbestimmung ist deshalb bei einigen Arten eine DNA-Analyse unumgänglich. Die Entnahme von Haarproben ermöglicht eine für das Tier schnelle und schonende Gewinnung von DNA

Temporal shifts and temperature sensitivity of avian spring migratory phenology:A phylogenetic meta-analysis

There are wide reports of advances in the timing of spring migration of birds over time and in relation to rising temperatures, though phenological responses vary substantially within and among species. An understanding of the ecological, life-history and geographic variables that predict this intra- and interspecific variation can guide our projections of how populations and species are likely to respond to future climate change. Here, we conduct phylogenetic meta-analyses addressing slope estimates of the timing of avian spring migration regressed on (i) year and (ii) temperature, representing a total of 413 species across five continents. We take into account slope estimation error and examine phylogenetic, ecological and geographic predictors of intra- and interspecific variation. We confirm earlier findings that on average birds have significantly advanced their spring migration time by 2·1 days per decade and 1·2 days °C−1. We find that over time and in response to warmer spring conditions, short-distance migrants have advanced spring migratory phenology by more than long-distance migrants. We also find that larger bodied species show greater advance over time compared to smaller bodied species. Our results did not reveal any evidence that interspecific variation in migration response is predictable on the basis of species' habitat or diet. We detected a substantial phylogenetic signal in migration time in response to both year and temperature, suggesting that some of the shifts in migratory phenological response to climate are predictable on the basis of phylogeny. However, we estimate high levels of species and spatial variance relative to phylogenetic variance, which is consistent with plasticity in response to climate evolving fairly rapidly and being more influenced by adaptation to current local climate than by common descent. On average, avian spring migration times have advanced over time and as spring has become warmer. While we are able to identify predictors that explain some of the true among-species variation in response, substantial intra- and interspecific variation in migratory response remains to be explained

Pavement and Near-Surface Temperatures Altering Winter Weather Risks

Innovative Weather (IW), a group of Operational Meteorologist at UWM, works closely with government and private clients to provide weather forecasts based upon a client’s specific needs. A great deal of uncertainty surrounds winter weather scenarios, and this uncertainty is largely based upon conditions at the surface that alter freezeback, frost, snow ratios, snowmelt, and more. Through a motor vehicle crash database, weather observation databases, and archived sounding data from the previous 5 years, I have generated weather-related outcomes based upon near-surface and pavement temperatures. It is important to note how snow depth, cloud cover, and humidity levels, alongside temperatures, greatly alter any event. When near-surface temperatures are above freezing, I have found that a deeper snow depth and significant cloud cover during the day can maintain below freezing pavement temperatures, which, in turn, can increase weather-related risks for multiple IW clients. Freezing rain is one of the greatest threats to IW clients, but is difficult to forecast due to temperature uncertainties near and at the surface. My research has provided insight on what temperature ranges may cause rain to freeze upon impact of a surface or pavement, or how temperatures in lower parts of the atmosphere lead to different forms or precipitation. I also went on to research how different ranges of below freezing pavement temperatures can alter freezeback and frost. Through this research, Innovative Weather can improve forecast quality, especially for their winter-sensitive clients. Better preparedness for the winter season and increased forecast credibility for IW could likely be the outcomes of this research

Intelligente Güterwagen (BA)

Ziel der vorliegenden Bachelorarbeit war es, einen Prototyp für eine IoT (Internet of Things) Plattform zu realisieren, welche es ermöglicht, IoT-fähige Geräte zu verwalten. Zudem sollten über das öffentliche Mobilfunknetz Sensordaten von diesen Geräten übermittelt und von der Plattform visualisiert und analysiert werden können. Zu diesem Zweck wurden zunächst bestehende IoT-Dienstleister evaluiert und in einem weiteren Schritt die Kernfunktionalitäten abstrahiert, um einen vollständigen Gerätezyklus abzubilden. Dieser reicht von der Provisionierung bis hin zur Dekommissionierung von Geräten. Die gesamte IoT-Plattform wurde mit Hilfe von Java basierten Technologien umgesetzt. Sie setzt sich aus mehreren Komponenten zusammen. Die RESTful HTTP API, realisiert mit dem Spring Boot Framework, dient zur Anbindung der Benutzeroberfläche. Eine Verbindung zu AWS IoT, ein IoT-Service von Amazon, ermöglicht den Datenaustausch mit Geräten. Spring Cloud Data Flow erlaubt das Orchestrieren, Verarbeiten und Analysieren von Datenströmen. Das Web UI, umgesetzt mit React, erleichtert die Bedienung. Die entwickelte IoT-Plattform zeichnet sich durch eine einfache Handhabung im Gerätemanagement und hohe Flexibilität im Deployment (on premise oder cloud) aus. Sie bietet dank der geschickten Abstraktion der IoT-Funktionalität, die Möglichkeit, den IoT-Service Anbieter auszutauschen ohne dabei den Code anpassen zu müssen