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Time--activity budget studies provide valuable insights for better understanding animal behavior relative to spatial and temporal habitat use. We examined a reintroduced, nonmigratory Whooping Crane (Grus americana) population to determine how time--activity budgets change relative to crane age, sex, habitat type, and season. Our study area encompassed natural marshes and working wetlands primarily in southwestern Louisiana. From June 2012 to January 2016, we conducted continuous focal sampling on individuals (n = 27) from the first 4 captive-reared cohorts released in the state. We classified age groups as juveniles, subadults, and adults, and identified 5 main habitat types utilized by cranes in Louisiana: crawfish ponds, rice fields, agricultural levees/farm roads, fallow fields, and natural wetlands. On average, cranes spent approximately 53% of their diurnal time--activity budget foraging. Maintenance/rest (28%), vigilance (12%.), locomotion (6%), and other/unknown (2%) behaviors accounted for the remainder of the time observed. Foraging most frequently occurred in fallow fields and crawfish ponds where cranes likely encountered greater invertebrate biomass and density. Cranes tended to spend less time foraging and more time on maintenance as they aged, which could indicate age-dependent differences based on experience on the landscape. Vigilance levels were not significantly affected by age. but males tended to be more vigilant than females. As this young population continues to mature, additional study of breeding pairs and family groups may elucidate other behavioral differences in response to the dynamic habitat conditions in the region. Received 30 March 2022. Accepted ti December 2022. Key words: behavior, crawfish pond, foraging, Gruidae, rice field, wetlands. Los estudios dc presupuesto de actividades - tiempo dan un punto de visto valioso para entender el comportamiento animal con respecto al uso espacial y temporal del habitat. Examinamos una poblacion reintroducida no migratoria de grulla Grus americana para determinar como cambia el presupuesto actividad- tiempo segun la edad y sexo de la grulla. el tipo de habitat y la estacion. Nuestro estudio comprende pantanos naturales y humedales activos principalmente en el sudoeste de Louisiana. De junio del 2012 a enero del 2016, hicimos un muestreo focal continue de individuos (n = 27) de las 4 primeras cohortes criadas en cautivcrio liberadas en el estado. Clasificamos los individuos por edad, como juveniles, subadultos y adultos, e identificamos 5 tipos principales de habitat que usaban las grullas en Louisiana: estanques de langostinos, campos de arroz, diques agricolas/caminos agricolas, campos de cultivo en descanso y humedales naturales. En promedio, las grullas gastaron 53% de su presupuesto diario de actividades-tiempo forrajeando. El resto del tiempo observado se repartia entre comportamientos de mantenimiento descanso (28%). vigilancia (12%), locomocion (6%) y otra/desconocido (2%). El forrajeo mas frecuente se observaba en campos de cultivo en descanso y en estanques de langostino donde las grullas posiblemente encontraban mayor densidad y biomasa de invertebrados. Las grullas tendian a pasar menos tiempo forrajeando y mas tiempo en mantenimiento conforme envejecian, lo que podria indiear diferencias dependientes de la edad segun experiencia en el paisaje. Los niveles dc vigilancia no cambiaban significativamente con la edad, pero los machos tendian a ser mas vigilantes que las hembras. Conforme la joven poblacion continua su maduracion, estudios adieionales de parejas reproduetivas y grupos familiares pueden dilucidar otras difereneias conductuales en respuesta a las condiciones dinamicas del habitat de las region. Palabras clave: campo de arroz, comportamiento, estanque de langostinos, forrajeo, Gruidae, humedales., The Whooping Crane (Grits americana), 1 of 2 crane species (Gruidae) endemic to North America, is classified as an endangered species and is therefore considered to be facing a high [...]

The Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) has a broad distribution, occurring in a variety of Atlantic and Pacific coastal and island habitats from North America to Peru and Brazil. This shorebird is considered 'Vulnerable' in Brazil, but there is little knowledge regarding the species' reproductive status. abundance, and distribution in South America. We conducted monthly censuses September 2011 -September 2012 and January 2016-December 2017 in different habitats of a 10 km beach transect in the Bacia Potiguar region of northeastern Brazil to address this lack of basic information about the species. Our results indicate considerable variation in abundance, with 1-53 individuals/survey, a greater tendency to be found in mudflat habitats, and breeding in June-December. This information will help to recognize the Bacia Potiguar as an important breeding area for Wilson's Plover in Brazil, provide essential baseline knowledge regarding seasonal abundance and reproductive status of this vulnerable shorebird species, and inform conservation planning for this species in the region. Received 8 May 2019. Accepted 26 February 2022. Key words: abundance, reproduction, vulnerable species. A batuira-bicuda {Charadrius wilsonia) tern uma ampla distribuicao, ocorrendo em uma variedade de habitats costeiros e insulares da Costa do Atlantico e do Pacifico, da America do Norte ao Peru e Brasil. Esta ave limicola e considerada ''Vulneravel' no Brasil, e existe pouco conhecimento sobre o status reprodutivo, abundancia e distribuicao da especie na America do Sul. Realizamos censos mensais de setembro de 2011 a setembro de 2012 e Janeiro de 2016 a dezembro de 2017 em diferentes habitats de um transecto de praia de 10 km na regiao da Bacia Potiguar, no nordeste do Brasil, para suprir essa falta de informacoes basicas sobre a especie. Nossos resultados indicam uma variacao consideravel na abundancia. com 1-53 individuos/lcvantamento, com uma maior tendencia a ser encontrada em habitats de lama e um periodo de nidificacao entre junho-dezembro. Essas informacoes ajudara a reconhecer a Bacia Potiguar como uma importante area de rcproducao da batuira-bicuda no Brasil, fornece um conhecimento basico cssencial sobre a abundancia sazonal e o status reprodutivo dessa especie vulneravel de ave limicola, e informa sobre o planejamento da conservacao dessa especie na regiao. Palavras-chave: abundancia, especie vulneravel, reproducao., The Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) is a widespread shorebird typically found along sandy beaches, tidal lagoons, mud and salt flat habitats of islands, and coastal areas along the Atlantic and [...]

Recent studies have shown that students' interests are decisive in making a substantiated higher education choice, yet do not indicate how students decide which interests they aim to pursue. This study aimed to find the considerations students have when weighing interests and higher education programmes. Thematic analysis was applied to uncover considerations based on semi-structured interviews with 20 Dutch high-school seniors. Students weighed their interests from an interest-to-programme perspective (contrasting interests and deciding which is most important for their future) and from a programme-to-interest perspective (evaluating how possible programmes reconcile with one's interests). By applying both perspectives simultaneously, students dynamically considered which programmes and interests they wished to pursue. These findings imply that higher education choice theory and studies should acknowledge that the programmes and interests students consider are dependent on the feed forward of the considered interests on programmes and the feed back of considered programmes on interests., Author(s): Jonne Pieter Vulperhorst [sup.1], Roeland Matthijs van der Rijst [sup.2], Sanne Floor Akkerman [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.5477.1, 0000000120346234, Department of Education, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht [...]

Trait-based approaches and functional groups have a long history in macroalgae community ecology. However, their application to transitional waters in southern rocky shores is uncommon. Under the assumption that morphology represents the variability of macroalgal communities, we adjusted previous morpho-functional groups (MFGs) to local communities and developed an easy to apply classification of macroalgal organisms based on morphological traits. During 3 consecutive years we sampled the macroalgal communities and measured environmental variables in three rocky outcrops of a biogeographical transitional area with high environmental variability (i.e. temperature, salinity) in the temperate Southwestern Atlantic (Uruguay, ca. 33°- 35° S). Based on expert judgment, species were classified into eight MFGs. A classification tree (CART) model was used to validate the MFGs and select the best discriminating morphological traits. Most species were well classified into seven of the eight MFGs based only in three morphological traits: shape, consistency, and texture. The validated MFGs differed significantly in species richness and biomass, were differently distributed along the intertidal zone, and dominated under different environmental conditions (i.e. sea surface temperature, sea level, salinity). A key to classify organisms based on the selected morphological traits was constructed. Present results support easy recognition of algal assemblages and rapid ecological analysis, and might contribute to ecological studies and monitoring programs., Author(s): G. M. Vélez-Rubio [sup.1] [sup.2] , L. González-Etchebehere [sup.3] , F. Scarabino [sup.2] , R. Trinchin [sup.4] , G. Manta [sup.4] , M. Laporta [sup.5] , M. Zabaleta [sup.2] [...]

Environmentally distributed ecological networks (EDENs) are growing increasingly important in ecology, coordinating research in more disciplines and over larger areas than ever before, while supplanting post hoc syntheses of uncoordinated [...]

Introduction The reduction of inequalities in health and health provision is a key aim underpinning both the NHS Plan and the National Service Frameworks. Primary care has a strong role [...]