Factors affecting the breeding performance of the Magpie (Pica pica) in three European cities.

The breeding biology of the Magpie (Pica pica) was studied in three European towns: Dublin 1981-1983, Zielona Góra 1984-1987 and Slupsk 1987-1988. Information was gathered on breeding success from 316 nests observed from the ground (162 Zielona Góra, 154 Slupsk), and 115 nests by direct observation of contents (93 Dublin 22 Zielona Góra

Ecophysiological determinants of the human skeletal system

This review assessed relationships between external factors and the level of joint pathology (hip, knee, ankle, elbow, shoulder, hands and feet) in humans with dysplastic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, degenerative joint disease, ankylosing spondylitis, osteoporosis, osteomalacia and gout. The accumulation of physiologically different chemical elements in different types of bones in humans of different ages allows for a more accurate assessment of the causal quoted response from parallel biochemical systems. These allow a better understanding of the link between exposure arising from smoking, alcohol, drugs, diseases, heredity, effects of amalgam dental fillings, diet, food preferences, chemical elements, occupational and environmental exposure to toxicants, lipoperoxidation and pro-antioxidant reactions. Physiology of the osteoarticular system determines what is responsible for bone and long-term body accumulation of toxic metals, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of bone diseases. While relationships between stressors, antioxidant system and bone condition predict potential risks in certain abnormalities and change oxidative stress. Elemental instability in the environment combined with salinity, acidity, redox potential and local changes in hydrochemical balance, enhances adverse effects. Processes of remodeling and bone mineralization continue throughout life and therefore may be a determinant of long-term accumulation of toxicants. Environmental issues affecting bioaccumulation of chemical elements in the osteoarticular system in humans is poorly understood. Alloplastic procedures, including the need for prostheses, supplemented by image layouts oxidative enzyme activities, as well as lipoperoxidation and the level of stress proteins, give a complete picture of skeletal response to external stressors. Simultaneously, the analysis of the impact of stressors on bones allows a more accurate tracing of causal quoted responses from parallel reactions. They have a direct relationship with stressors and affect the nature and degree of responses and defense capabilities. Thus they have a role in the diagnosis of diseases of the skeletal system

Rocznik Lubuski (t. 31, cz.1): Muzea i ochrona dziedzictwa kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu

Muzea i Ochrona Dziedzictwa Kulturowego na Środkowym Nadodrzu

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments

Top ten birds indicators of high environmental quality in European cities

Urban and suburban areas are among the fastest-growing land-use types globally, reducing and fragmenting natural habitats for many animal species and making human-wildlife interactions more common. However, cities also create habitat for several species considered urban tolerant or urban exploiter species. Additionally, the environmental characteristics of urban areas can strongly affect the life quality of citizens. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of common bird species as indicators of urban areas with high environmental quality within cities. Our study recorded 128 bird species in 1441 point counts distributed in fifteen different European cities. We classified urban areas as “high environmental quality” – HEQ when they were simultaneously characterized by a high vegetation cover and heterogeneity, low level of light pollution, and avian communities with high potential resilience to face ecological stress. Species indicators of HEQ urban areas were identified using the species-level indicator value (IndVal) analysis. Such species can be used as ecological indicators of HEQ in different European cities. The list of top ten birds indicators of HEQ in European cities is led by the Eurasian blackcap, selected as an indicator in more than half of the survey cities. Other birds indicators of HEQ in multiple cities are Blackbird (47%), Great tit (40%), Blue tit, Tree sparrow and Magpie (all 33%). The mean specificity of the top-ranked bird indicator of HEQ urban areas (Eurasian blackcap) was 0.778. Most of the HEQ-indicators are resident or resident/short migratory species characterized by territorial behaviour. Our findings support using multiple species as bioindicators of urban changes by using specific groups with few common species as surrogates of HEQ urban areas. The approach proposed in this study can be applied in different European cities to monitor biodiversity status periodically, even involving citizen science initiatives.</p

Urban and rural habitats differ in number and type of bird feeders and in bird species consuming supplementary food

Bird feeding is one of the most widespread direct interactions between man and nature, and this has important social and environmental consequences. However, this activity can differ between rural and urban habitats, due to inter alia habitat structure, human behaviour and the composition of wintering bird communities. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km(2) each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 towns and cities across Poland (in each urban area, we surveyed 3 squares and also 3 squares in nearby rural areas). At each count, we noted the number of bird feeders, the number of bird feeders with food, the type of feeders, additional food supplies potentially available for birds (bread offered by people, bins) and finally the birds themselves. In winter, urban and rural areas differ in the availability of food offered intentionally and unintentionally to birds by humans. Both types of food availability are higher in urban areas. Our findings suggest that different types of bird feeder support only those species specialized for that particular food type and this relationship is similar in urban and rural areas. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4723-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Birds as useful indicators of high nature value (HNV) farmland in central Italy

Birds are commonly cited as an example of declining farmland biodiversity in Europe, especially in the economically and agriculturally developed countries of Western Europe. However, even in extensive farmland there are still patches of rich biodiversity, including of birds. These areas are known as high nature value (HNV) farmland. In these circumstances, more effort is needed to understand the importance of the spatial heterogeneity and dynamics of residual natural habitat for farmland birds, including the various links between land use and marginal vegetation structure and bird communities and the occurrence of individual species. In this study we use species distribution models (SDMs) in order to explore the importance of these patches for birds and examine the relationship between bird species richness and land use, landscape and vegetation type characteristics at a local scale in traditional farmland in Central Italy. Our results show that some forest related passerines and shrubland bird species are well represented in these farmlands. The HNV farmlands in Central Italy can also be studied using bird species as bioindicators. In our particular case, HNV farmlands were well predicted by the joint presence of four species and the absence of two bird species. Traditional farmland is therefore a valuable habitat and not ‘just’ a soft matrix for these birds. Moreover, complex models were better supported by the data than simpler models for all passerines. Modern agricultural techniques which simplify the structural complexity of farmland are likely to exclude many passerine species. Thus incentives to maintain small scale heterogeneity in traditionally managed farmland will be critical for maintaining their rich passerine bird communities

Tanopicobia gen. nov., a new genus of quill mites, its phylogenetic placement in the subfamily Picobiinae (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) and picobiine relationships with avian hosts.

A new monotypic genus Tanopicobia gen. nov. is established for a new species Tanopicobia trachyphoni sp. nov., parasitizing Trachyphonus erythrocephalus Cabanis, 1878 (Piciformes: Lybiidae) from Tanzania. In phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data and constructed using the maximum parsimony approach, this taxon falls within the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 in the Neopicobia-species-group as closely related to the genus Pipicobia Glowska and Schmidt, 2014. Tanopicobia differs from Pipicobia by the following features in females: genital setae absent; setae ve are situated far and posteromedial to the level of setal bases vi; setae 3a are thick and knobbed. Additionally, a new generic key for subfamily Picobiinae is constructed and general host-parasite ecological and phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Picobiines are present in several lineages of neoavian birds, from basal Galloanseres to terminal Telluraves, which are infested by 70 (89.7% of all) species of these ectoparasites

Relationship between arrival date, hatching date and breeding success of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) in Slovakia

Changes in the spring arrival dates of migrant birds have been reported from a range of locations and many authors have focused on long-term trends and their relationship to temperature and other climatic events. Perhaps more importantly, changed arrival dates may have consequences for the breeding dates of birds which strongly influence breeding success. In this paper we take the opportunity provided by a monitoring scheme of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) to examine several features of the timing of arrival and breeding in relation to chick production in Slovakia during the period 1978–2002. First arrival dates ranged from 5th March to 30th April, and hatching dates varied between 26th April and 8th July. Generally, early arriving pairs started breeding earlier and a shorter interval between the arrival of the first partner and breeding, expressed here as hatching date, resulted in higher breeding success