Investigation of parental care in avocets from the perspectives of behavioural ecology and conservation biology

This research encompasses both basic (behavioural ecology) and applied (conservation biology) aspects of the biology of Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta L.). My central question is whether adoption of alien young can be adaptive for adults and the adopted chicks. I evaluate proximate-level hypotheses by quantifying costs and/or bene�ts of both adopters and adoptees. I observed adoption of alien chicks in 19% of the families in 1998 and 1999. My �rst results suggest that adoption may be adaptive for both the adoptive adult and the adopted chick. This is because adopted chicks were more likely to �edge than their siblings remaining in their own family and the �edging success of the adopter adults' own chicks was higher than that of nonadoptive adults' chicks. In my applied research I collect data on avocet breeding biology to �nd out whether the current population increase in Hungary results from the reproductive output of the Hungarian population or is maintained by an in�ux of birds from coastal populations. I also use these data to design and implement e�ective conservation measures by which to further enhance the Hungarian population of the endangered Avocet. I successfully increased the hatching success of mainland nests by erecting a fence to keep ground predators away. The �edging success of chicks also increased after a predator control in the most a�ected areas. By providing information about the timing of nesting to nature conservation authorities I assured the successful breeding of one �fth of Hungary's avocet population on a �shpond in 1999

Types of competitiveness of Hungarian regions: agglomeration economies and endogenous regional development

Nowadays, more and more scholars of regional science are interested in the role of agglomeration economies in the knowledge-based economy. This issue can be dealt with from different points of view: the competitive type of functional or nodal regions and one has to examine the factors influencing regional competitiveness. To improve competitiveness of regions, different economic development programmes must be applied, which means that the improvement of competitiveness requires different strategies based on the different types of regions. In this paper we outline our analytical framework: the pyramid model of regional competitiveness and the UFO-model of cluster-based regional economic development. After introducing, we are going to investigate into the competitiveness of Hungarian microregions (LAU1). Our statistical analysis to underline the classification of microregions by competitiveness types is based on a complex methodology of multi-variable data analysis. For the investigation of agglomeration economies in these different types of microregions we apply the location quotient (LQ) method and Ellison-Glaeser-index of traded sectors. The Local Moran Index (LISA), which can be interpreted as the local index of spatial autocorrelation, is used to calculate the neighbourhood effects of the microregions.

Low-|t| structures in elastic scattering at the LHC

Possible low-$|t|$ structures in the differential cross section of $pp$ elastic scattering at the LHC are predicted. It is argued that the change of the slope of the elastic cross section near $t=-0.1$ GeV$^2$ has the same origin as that observed in 1972 at the ISR, both related to the $4m_{\pi}^2$ branch point in the $|t|$-channel of the scattering amplitude. Apart from that structure, tiny oscillations at small $|t|$ may be present on the cone at low $|t|$.Comment: 13 pages, 4 Tables; to be published in Acta Physica Polonica

Flight of the European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.) as Followed by Light- and Pheromone Traps in Várda and Balatonmagyaród 2002. A kukoricamoly (Ostrinia Nubilalis Hbn.) rajzásának megfigyelése fény- és feromon csapdák segítségével 200-ben Várdán és Balatonmagyaródon.

ÖSSZEFOGLALÁS Vizsgálatunkat 2002-ben a zala megyei Balatonmagyaród, és a somogy megyei Várda települések határában végeztük. Az ott található egybefüggő kukoricatáblákhoz Jermy-tipusú fény-, és Arco-Pheron MZ feromon csapdákat helyeztünk ki a rajzás nyomon követése érdekében. A hozzánk beérkezett anyagból a kukoricamolyokat elkülönítettük és nemek szerint szétválogattuk. Meghatároztuk a területeken megjelenő populációk nemzedékszámát és a rajzás jellegzetességeit. Keszthelyről és Kaposvárról lekértük a területek adott időtartamára vonatkozó meteorológiai adatokat, és ezeket egybevetettük a rajzásadatokkal. Így meg tudtuk állapítani, hogy az egyes meteorológiai elemek milyen hatással voltak a rajzásra és a nőstény arány alakulására. Az eredmények mindkét helyen kétnemzedékes kukoricamoly jelenlétét igazolták. Balatonmagyaródi populációnál az első, míg Várdán a második nemzedék bizonyult népesebbnek. A vizsgált meteorológiai elemek szignifikánsan befolyásolták a csapdázhatóságot, amely mindkét nem tekintetében igazolódott. A nőstény ivararánynál szoros összefüggéseket tapasztaltunk a minimum- (P=100%; r=0,297), a maximum- (P=99,9%; r=0,267),az átlag hőmérséklet (P=100%; r=0,308) és a csapadék vizsgálatánál (P=98,2%; r=0,187). Jelentős aszinkronítást tapasztaltunk a két prognosztikai eszköz által szolgáltatott adatok között, amelyet a feromon csapda megbízhatatlanságának tulajdonítottunk. ABSTRACT The investigations were made in 2002 in the outskirts of two settlements: Balatonmagyaród (Zala county) and Várda (Somogy county). In the corn fields Jermy’s light- and Arco-Pheron MZ pheromone traps were placed in order to follow up the course of flight. From the material collected the corn borer specimens were isolated, then separated by sex. The generation number of the populations appearing on the respective areas, and the characteristics of the flight were determined. The meteorological data of the areas obtained from Keszthely and Kaposvár for the period concerned were compared woth the data of flight. In that way the effect of the different meteorological elements on the flight and on the trend of the female ratio could be established. The results showed the presence of two-generation corn borer populations in both places. In Balatonmagyaród the first- while in Várda the second generation proved larger. The meteorological elements significally influenced the possibility of trapping in the case of both sexes. As for the female sex ratio close correlations were found with the minimum (P=100%; r=0.297)-, maximum (P=99.9%; r=0.267)-, average (P=100%; r=0.308) temperature and precipitation (P=98.2%; r=0.187) data. Considerable asynchrony was observed between the data obtained with the two prognostic means that we ascribed to the unreliability of the pheromone trap