scholarly journals Diet of the little Athene noctua (Scopoli, 1769) on the territory of Berehovo district (Transcarpathian region)

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
I. Zahorodnyi ◽  
◽  
L. Romaniuk ◽  
O. Hnatyna ◽  
L. Pokrytiuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
Prey Biomass ◽  
Western Palearctic ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Environmental Transformation ◽  
Athene Noctua ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Prey Items ◽  
Little Owl

Objectives. The Little Owl is the most common owl in the Western Palearctic and its population is declining significantly in Europe. Therefore, conservation and study of this owl is an important issue in most European countries. Analysis of trophic patterns at the local level provides interesting and valuable information about the predator’s eating habits. The owl’s diet investigation allows us to analyze their potential adaptations to habitats with different levels of environmental transformation. Materials and Methods. We studied nutrition of the Little Owl Athene noctua, in agricultural lands of Berehove district of Transcarpathian region in Ukraine. In total, 1446 pellets were collected at 15 pellet stations in 2002–2020 and 2506 prey items were identified. The prey items represented 18 vertebrate species (16 species of small mammals of three orders Rodentia, Soricomorpha, Carnivora, as well as reptiles of the family Lacertidae and birds of the order Passeriformes and arthropods. Results. Vertebrates play a major role in feeding the Little Owl (over 99 % of total prey biomass in all of the studied sites). The common vole is the most common prey in the owl’s diet (52.1 % of the total prey number and 67.5 % of the biomass of the prey caught), as well as a high proportion of mice of the genus Apodemus and Sylvaemus. The contribution of invertebrates to total prey biomass is insignificant (0.3 %). A large number of invertebrates were observed in the diet of the Owl in summer and were almost completely absent in winter. Conclusions. According to our data, the Little Owl is a typical predator generalist in Transcarpathia. The 28 taxa found in the pellets show a wide range of food objects in a relatively small area, and high level adaptations to habitats with different levels of environmental transformation (agrosystems and anthropogenic areas).

scholarly journals Food composition of the Little Owl (Athene noctua) in a farmland area of Central Hungary, with particular attention to arthropod diversity

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-50
Author(s):  
Dániel Hámori ◽  
Győző Szél ◽  
Dániel Winkler
Keyword(s):  
Common Vole ◽  
Food Composition ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Arthropod Diversity ◽  
Arthropod Species ◽  
Pellet Analysis ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Athene Noctua ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Little Owl

Abstract The feeding of Little Owl (Athene noctua) was studied in a farmland area of Kiskunság, Central Hungary. For the analyses, a total of 661 Little Owl pellets were collected between February and September 2005 from three locations, corresponding known Little Owl territories situated nearby the settlements Apaj, Kunpeszér and Ladánybene. The aim of the present study was to explore the diet composition of Little Owl and to give a detailed evaluation of the arthropod diversity based on the pellet analysis. The identified prey items represented 15 vertebrate and 39 invertebrate species/taxa. In terms of prey number, dominance of small mammals was observed in two sites (Apaj – 55%, Kunpeszér – 68%), while birds and mammals shared almost equal dominance (~25%) in Ladánybene. The most numerous mammal species was the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis), while the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) played key role among the birds. Contribution of amphibian Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) was considerable, while share of reptiles was marginal. Vertebrates also played a predominant role by contributing over 99% of the overall prey biomass in all study sites. Invertebrate prey dominance ranged from 24.8–30.0% while their contribution to the overall biomass was very low (0.14–0.34%). Large sized beetles (Pentodon idiota, Melolontha hippocastani) and orthopterans (Tettigonia viridissima, Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa) were preferred. Arthropod species richness and diversity were the highest in Kunpeszér, supposedly owing to the rich mosaic habitat structure.

Plumage coloration and morphometrics of the Little Owl Athene noctua in the Western Palearctic

2020 ◽  
Vol 161 (4) ◽  
pp. 1071-1081
Author(s):  
Irene Pellegrino ◽  
Marco Cucco ◽  
Elisa Calà ◽  
Giovanni Boano ◽  
Marco Pavia
Keyword(s):  
Plumage Coloration ◽  
Western Palearctic ◽  
Athene Noctua ◽  
Little Owl

scholarly journals Little Owl’s (Athene noctua) vertebrate food composition during breeding season with high frog dominance in grasslands

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-61
Author(s):  
Dániel Hámori ◽  
Dániel Winkler ◽  
Tamás Cserkész
Keyword(s):  
Average Rate ◽  
Common Vole ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Food Composition ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
The Common ◽  
Athene Noctua ◽  
Little Owl ◽  
Owl Pellets

Abstract The aim of our study was to investigate the feeding of the Little Owl (Athene noctua) during the breeding period in three protected sites (Upper Kiskunság Puszta, Upper Kiskunság Lakes, Peszéradacs Meadows) in an extensively managed lowland plain area (Upper Kiskunság) of the Carpathian Basin. A further objective was to provide a detailed assessment of the vertebrate prey spectrum and dominance structure based on the analyses of pellets. Little Owl pellets were collected in September 2015 and 2016 from 20 artificial nest boxes in which successful breeding occurred in both years. Mean pellet number was calculated per individuals. Distribution of individual number and biomass of vertebrate prey taxa were also examined. The number of collected and dissected owl pellets was 2,094 in 2015 and 2,024 in 2016, respectively. The average rate of pellet regurgitation was 25.57 pellets/ind. in 2015, and 27.74 pellets/ind. in 2016. From the 40 samples (4,118 owl pellets) a total of 2,017 vertebrate preys were determined. Cumulative species richness was 21, including 12 mammalian, 1 amphibian, 4 reptile and 4 bird species. Mammals were dominant in the food (average 50.83%), and the consumption of amphibians was similar (48.06%). The consumption of birds and reptiles was not significant. Amphibians were represented by a single species, the Common Spadefoot (Pelobates fuscus) in remarkably high proportions among the prey items, followed by the Common Vole (Microtus arvalis) by approx. 37% proportion. The high proportion of the latter two species was also clearly reflected in the biomass amounts. Among the birds, the Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) proved to be the most commonly predated species apart from other species closely related to farmland habitats (Motacilla alba, M. flava, Passer montanus).

scholarly journals Investigating Discursive Interactions in Science Lessons: “contextual lenses” on Research in Science Education

2018 ◽  
pp. 153-177
Author(s):  
Luiz Gustavo Franco ◽  
Danusa Munford
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Education Research ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Science Education Research ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Different Levels

We present a critical discussion about context as a theoretical-methodological construct in research that investigates discursive interactions during science lessons. Based on the notion that context is historical, multiple and interactive, we understand that research can focus on different levels of context. We used a wide range of papers about elementary school, selecting eight examples considered illustrative to ground our discussion. Developing “contextual lenses” we characterize the diverse ways to consider context, from the more local level (instructional and classroom), to a broader level (institutional, community, social and cultural). We point the potential of a more descriptive focus in science education research to emphasize contexts that go beyond the instructional. 

Seasonal variation in the diet of Long-eared Owl, Asio otus, in the desert of Northwest China

2010 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nai-fa Liu ◽  
Jian-You Zhao ◽  
Wei Zhao ◽  
Ming-qin Shao ◽  
Sen Song
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
Gansu Province ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Prey Biomass ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Prey Items

AbstractRegurgitated pellets (n = 584) of Long-eared Owl (Asio otus) were collected for three seasons from Gansu Endangered Animal Research Center, Gansu Province, China. From these pellets, a total of 1011 individual prey items – representing seven species of rodents and two undetermined species of birds and one undetermined sorex-species – were identified. Long-eared Owls depend mainly on small mammals both based on prey numbers (95.5%) and prey biomass (97.0%). The composition of the diet of Long-eared Owls varied significantly among seasons by frequency and by biomass. The individual species groups indicated significant variation among seasons for Mus musculus, Meriones meridianus, Cricetulus barabensis, Phodopus roborovskii, Dipus sagitta and Rattus norvegicus by biomass. And the difference of seasonal variation of prey items were significant but not for Mus musculus by frequency. Based on prey numbers, Mus musculus was the main food item (50.5%) in its diet; this species was most common in autumn (56.9%) and least common during spring (36.7%). Main prey species, based on prey biomass, was Rattus norvrgicus which comprised 27.5% of total biomass from our pellet samples. The mean length of tibias of mammals in pellets of Long-eared Owls was 18.6 ± 5.4 mm. Long-eared Owls utilize a wide range of prey items in respect to their habitats. Results suggest that Long-eared Owls are selective predators at some levels.

scholarly journals Sources of variation in the feeding ecology of the piked spurdog (Squalus megalops): implications for inferring predator–prey interactions from overall dietary composition

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1076-1094 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Matías Braccini ◽  
Bronwyn M. Gillanders ◽  
Terence I. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Dietary Composition ◽  
Bootstrap Analysis ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Ecological Relationships ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Opportunistic Predator ◽  
Sources Of Variation ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Prey Items

Abstract Sources of variation in dietary composition were examined in the piked spurdog (Squalus megalops). The species is an opportunistic predator that consumes a wide range of prey items. When importance of prey was measured by weight or occurrence, S. megalops preyed largely on molluscs and teleosts. However, when number of prey was considered, the main items were crustaceans. A bootstrap analysis showed that considerable variability can be expected in the importance of prey items in the species' overall diet. Regional, seasonal, and ontogenetic differences in dietary composition were found, but there were no differences between mature and immature sharks or between males and females. The spatial and temporal variation in diet exhibited by S. megalops and the intrinsic natural variability of the dietary composition of this opportunistic predator suggest that studies that infer predator–prey interactions from overall diet are likely to miss information on the ecological relationships among species and thus account for only part of these interactions.

Uncertainty Estimation for Magnetic Maps

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Saltus ◽  
Arnaud Chulliat ◽  
Brian Meyer ◽  
Christopher Amante
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
Uncertainty Estimation ◽  
Measured Data ◽  
Magnetic Minerals ◽  
Geochemical Environment ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Machine Learning Applications ◽  
Map Data

<p>Magnetic maps depict spatial variations in the Earth’s magnetic field.  These variations occur at a wide range of scales and are produced via a variety of physical processes related to factors including structure and evolution of the Earth’s core field and the geologic distribution of magnetic minerals in the lithosphere.  Mankind has produced magnetic maps for 100’s of years with increasing fidelity and accuracy and there is a general understanding (particularly among the geophysicists who produce and use these maps) of the approximate level of resolution and accuracy of these maps.  However, few magnetic maps, or the digital grids that typically underpin these maps, have been produced with accompanying uncertainty quantification.  When uncertainty is addressed, it is typically a statistical representation at the grid or survey level (e.g., +- 10 nT overall uncertainty based on line crossings for a modern airborne survey) and not at the cell by cell local level.</p><p>As magnetic map data are increasingly used in complex inversions and in combination with other data or constraints (including in machine learning applications), it is increasingly important to have a handle on the uncertainties in these data.  An example of an application with need for detailed uncertainty estimation is the use of magnetic map information for alternative navigation.  In this application data from an onboard magnetometer is compared with previously mapped (or modeled) magnetic variations.  The uncertainty of this previously mapped information has immediate implications for the potential accuracy of navigation.</p><p>We are exploring the factors contributing to magnetic map uncertainty and producing uncertainty estimates for testing using new data collection in previously mapped (or modeled) map areas.  These factors include (but are likely not limited to) vintage and type of measured data, spatial distribution of measured data, expectation of magnetic variability (e.g., geologic or geochemical environment), statistics of redundant measurement, and spatial scale/resolution of the magnetic map or model.  The purpose of this talk is to discuss the overall issue and our initial results and solicit feedback and ideas from the interpretation community.</p>

scholarly journals A Novel Adaptive Pixels Segmentation Algorithm for Pavement Crack Detection

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nima Safaei ◽  
Omar Smadi ◽  
Babak Safaei ◽  
Arezoo Masoud
Keyword(s):  
Crack Detection ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Segmentation Algorithm ◽  
Pavement Maintenance ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cost Efficient ◽  
Pavement Crack Detection

<p>Cracks considerably reduce the life span of pavement surfaces. Currently, there is a need for the development of robust automated distress evaluation systems that comprise a low-cost crack detection method for performing fast and cost-effective roadway health monitoring practices. Most of the current methods are costly and have labor-intensive learning processes, so they are not suitable for small local-level projects with limited resources or are only usable for specific pavement types.</p> <p>This paper proposes a new method that uses an improved version of the weighted neighborhood pixels segmentation algorithm to detect cracks in 2-D pavement images. This method uses the Gaussian cumulative density function as the adaptive threshold to overcome the drawback of fixed thresholds in noisy environments. The proposed algorithm was tested on 300 images containing a wide range of noise representative of different noise conditions. This method proved to be time and cost-efficient as it took less than 3.15 seconds per 320 × 480 pixels image for a Xeon (R) 3.70 GHz CPU processor to determine the detection results. This makes the model a perfect choice for county-level pavement maintenance projects requiring cost-effective pavement crack detection systems. The validation results were promising for the detection of low to severe-level cracks (Accuracy = 97.3%, Precision = 79.21%, Recall= 89.18% and F<sub>1</sub> score = 83.9%).</p>

scholarly journals Psychology, Meaning Making, and the Study of Worldviews

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Taves ◽  
Egil Asprem ◽  
Elliott Daniel Ihm
Keyword(s):  
Meaning Making ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Cognitive Level ◽  
Multidisciplinary Study ◽  
Human Ability ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Object Of Study ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Ways Of Life

To get beyond the solely negative identities signaled by atheism and agnosticism, we have to conceptualize an object of study that includes religions and non-religions. We advocate a shift from “religions” to “worldviews” and define worldviews in terms of the human ability to ask and reflect on “big questions” ([BQs], e.g., what exists? how should we live?). From a worldviews perspective, atheism, agnosticism, and theism are competing claims about one feature of reality and can be combined with various answers to the BQs to generate a wide range of worldviews. To lay a foundation for the multidisciplinary study of worldviews that includes psychology and other sciences, we ground them in humans’ evolved world-making capacities. Conceptualizing worldviews in this way allows us to identify, refine, and connect concepts that are appropriate to different levels of analysis. We argue that the language of enacted and articulated worldviews (for humans) and world-making and ways of life (for humans and other animals) is appropriate at the level of persons or organisms and the language of sense making, schemas, and meaning frameworks is appropriate at the cognitive level (for humans and other animals). Viewing the meaning making processes that enable humans to generate worldviews from an evolutionary perspective allows us to raise news questions for psychology with particular relevance for the study of nonreligious worldviews.

Stomatal Development During Leaf Expansion in Tobacco and Sunflower

1975 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 253 ◽  
Author(s):  
HM Rawson ◽  
CL Craven
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Stomatal Density ◽  
Stomatal Development ◽  
Developmental Patterns ◽  
Full Size ◽  
Unit Leaf Area ◽  
Unit Leaf ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Young Leaves ◽  
Different Levels

Changes in stomatal density and size were followed in tobacco and sunflower leaves expanding from 10% of final area (10% Amax) to Amax under different levels of radiation. Lower radiation increased final leaf area, reduced stomatal densities, and increased area per stoma but had little effect on stomatal area per unit leaf area at Amax. In very young leaves (20% Amax) there was a wide range in the sizes of individual stomata, some stomata being close to full size, but by Amax differences were small. The possible relationship between the developmental patterns described and photosynthesis is briefly discussed.

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