Use and effects of aromatic plants in Blue Tit nests

Some bird species also incorporate aromatic plants in their nests. To explain this behaviour several hypotheses have been proposed, mainly related to hiding/shading of the nest, but also with regulation of nest water loss and heat rates. In secondary cavity-nesting species like Blue Tits, hypotheses related to reduction of parasite populations and improvement of nestlings’ condition are considered more appropriate to explain this behaviour. These species, because their nests are hidden and because they often reuse the same cavities year after year, are more exposed to higher abundances of parasites, arising mainly from overwintering parasites. This study aims to understand i) how nestlings of secondary cavity-nesting species are affected by parasites present in nests, ii) how aromatic plants are used in Blue Tit (our model species) nests and iii) how that use influences nest features, reproductive parameters and nestling condition. Nestlings of cavity-nesting species are affected by parasites present in nests through close contact with parasites and through parental condition. Parents and nestlings adopt different defence mechanisms to limit and/or alleviate deleterious effects of parasites. Incorporation of specific aromatic plants in Blue Tit nests produced nestlings with longer tarsi but only in large broods. Even when aromatic plants were experimentally incorporated in nests, female Blue Tits found the need to incorporate aromatic plants of their choice, with a very diverse pattern of use, and not always directly related to the availability of these plants in the nests’ vicinities. Significant associations between aromatic plants incorporated in nests by females, nest weight, laying date and reproductive parameters were observed. These results provide new insights on how female Blue Tits use aromatic plants in their nests and how this use is related to nest construction features, reproductive parameters and nestling condition; Resumo: Uso e Efeitos de plantas aromáticas em ninhos de Chapim-azul Algumas aves, além do material que utilizam para construção do ninho, também adicionam plantas aromáticas. Para explicar este comportamento foram propostas várias hipóteses relacionadas com dissimulação/sombra dos ninhos, mas também com regulação da perda de água e níveis de calor. Em aves cavernícolas secundárias, como o Chapim-azul, as hipóteses relacionadas com redução das populações de parasitas e melhoria da condição das crias têm sido valorizadas para explicar este comportamento. Estas espécies, cujos ninhos são abrigados e muitas vezes reutilizados ano após ano, estão mais expostas a maiores abundâncias de parasitas, principalmente dos que fazem a hibernação de inverno nas cavidades. Este estudo pretende compreender i) como as crias de aves cavernícolas são afetadas por parasitas presentes nos ninhos, ii) como as plantas aromáticas são utilizadas em ninhos de Chapim-azul e iii) como essa utilização influencia características dos ninhos, parâmetros reprodutivos e condição das crias. As crias de aves cavernícolas são afetadas por parasitas presentes nos ninhos por contacto direto com esses parasitas, mas também através da condição dos progenitores. Progenitores e crias adotam diferentes mecanismos de defesa para limitar e/ou aliviar os efeitos prejudiciais desses parasitas. A incorporação de plantas aromáticas específicas em ninhos de Chapim-azul produziu crias com maior tarso, mas apenas em ninhadas grandes. Mesmo com suplementação de plantas aromáticas nos ninhos, as fêmeas de Chapim-azul adicionaram plantas escolhidas por si, com um padrão de uso muito diverso, e nem sempre diretamente relacionado com a disponibilidade dessas plantas na área circundante dos ninhos. Foram observadas relações significativas entre plantas aromáticas adicionadas aos ninhos pelas fêmeas, peso dos ninhos, data de postura e parâmetros reprodutivos. Estes resultados fornecem novas perspectivas de como as fêmeas de Chapim-azul utilizam plantas aromáticas nos seus ninhos e de como este uso está relacionado com características dos ninhos, parâmetros reprodutivos e condição das crias

Plantas aromáticas em ninhos de Chapim-azul - a "hipótese de protecção do ninho" revisitada

A "hipótese de protecção do ninho" é uma das teorias que explica porque algumas aves utilizam plantas aromáticas no ninho: as plantas aromáticas possuem compostos secundários que matam ou repelem os parasitas que habitam o ninho de algumas aves com o intuito de se alimentarem das crias. Para confirmar este comportamento, 26 caixas-ninho ocupadas por Chapim­azul (Cyanistes caeruleus) foram estudados durante a época de reprodução de 2009 no Parque Florestal de Monsanto, tendo as plantas aromáticas neles presentes sido identificadas. Foi efectuado um estudo da flora aromática com o intuito de inventariar e identificar as espécies existentes nas áreas de nidificação. No final, os resultados do estudo permitiram verificar que ninhos com plantas aromáticas apresentavam taxas de sobrevivência superiores às registadas nos ninhos sem plantas aromáticas; as 2 plantas aromáticas mais influentes nas taxas de sobrevivência das crias foram Calamintha baetica e Dittrichia viscosa.- ABSTRACT: The 'nest protection hypothesis' is a theory that explains why some birds use aromatic plants in their nests- these plants have secondary compounds that kill or repel parasites that live in the nests with the purpose of feeding on the nestlings. To confirm this behavior, 26 nest boxes occupied by Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) were studied during the breeding season of 2009 at 'Parque Florestal de Monsanto' and aromatic plants found in the nests were identified. Aromatic plants present in the study area were also identified. ln the end, the results show that nests with aromatic plants had higher survival rates than nests without aromatic plants; the 2 aromatic plant species that were the most influential in the nestlings' survival rates were Calamintha baetica and Dittrichia viscosa

Antibody response to a new member of the DBL family (EBP2) after a brief Plasmodium vivax exposure.

Plasmodium vivax blood-stage invasion into reticulocyte is critical for parasite development. Thus, validation of novel parasite invasion ligands is essential for malaria vaccine development. Recently, we demonstrated that EBP2, a Duffy binding protein (DBP) paralog, is antigenically distinct from DBP and could not be functionally inhibited by anti-DBP antibodies. Here, we took advantage of a small outbreak of P.vivax malaria, located in a non-malarious area of Brazil, to investigate for the first time IgM/IgG antibodies against EBP2 and DEKnull-2 (an engineering DBPII vaccine) among individuals who had their first and brief exposure to P.vivax (16 cases and 22 non-cases). Our experimental approach included 4 cross sectional surveys at 3-month interval (12-month follow-up). The results demonstrated that while a brief initial P.vivax infection was not efficient to induce IgM/ IgG antibodies to either EBP2 or DEKnull-2, IgG antibodies against DEKnull-2 (but not EBP2) were boosted by recurrent blood-stage infections following treatment. Of interest, in most recurrent P. vivax infections (4 out of 6 patients) DEKnull-2 IgG antibodies were sustained for 6 to 12 months. Polymorphisms in the ebp2 gene does not seem to explain EBP2 low immunogenicity as the ebp2 allele associated with the P.vivax outbreak presented high identity to the original EBP2 isolate used as recombinant protein. Although EBP2 antibodies were barely detectable after a primary episode of P.vivax infection, EBP2 was highly recognized by serum IgG from long-term malaria-exposed Amazonians (range from 35 to 92% according to previous malaria episodes). Taken together, the results showed that individuals with a single and brief exposure to P.vivax infection develop very low anti-EBP2 antibodies, which tend to increase after long-term malaria exposure. Finally, the findings highlighted the potential of DEKnull-2 as a vaccine candidate, as in non-immune individuals anti-DEKnull-2 IgG antibodies were boosted even after a brief exposure to P.vivax blood stages

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved