Search

Classical management has not been able to stop the 65% decrease in fishery production during the last 40 years in the Magdalena–Cauca River Basin. To analyze the effects of selective fishing of multiple species and small scale fisheries we addressed temporal changes at fishing level and the response of fishermen. The fishery reduced production and CPUE (catch per unit effort standardized), decreased the large sizes and growth rates of Prochilodus magdalenae and Pseudoplatystoma magdaleniatum, changed the abundance of trophic levels (decreased carnivores and increase of detritivores, omnivores), and increased exploitation rates. The fishermen have responded by implementing self-control measures, diversifying fishing gear and mesh size, including new species and sizes in the catch with a higher CPUE of small sized fish, adjusting the fishing effort to the abundance. We conclude that selective fishing has had ecological effects and fishermen have empirically self-regulated to optimize the cost–benefit ratio of their activity, developing a fishery that is more in line with ecosystemic structures. We address the balanced harvest strategy as a management alternative.

Microbes associate in nature forming complex communities, but they are often studied in purified form. Here I show that neighbouring species enforce the re‐distribution of carbon and antimicrobial molecules, predictably changing drug efficacy with respect to standard laboratory assays. A simple mathematical model, validated experimentally using pairwise competition assays, suggests that differences in drug sensitivity between the competing species causes the re‐distribution of drug molecules without affecting carbon uptake. The re‐distribution of drug is even when species have similar drug sensitivity, reducing drug efficacy. But when their sensitivities differ the re‐distribution is uneven: The most sensitive species accumulates more drug molecules, increasing efficacy against it. Drug efficacy tests relying on samples with multiple species are considered unreliable and unpredictable, but study demonstrates that efficacy in these cases can be qualitatively predicted. It also suggests that living in communities can be beneficial even when all species compete for a single carbon source, as the relationship between cell density and drug required to inhibit their growth may be more complex than previously thought.

We study the (hydro-)dynamics of multi-species driven by alignment. What distinguishes the different species is the protocol of their interaction with the rest of the crowd: the collective motion is described by different communication kernels, ϕ α β , between the crowds in species α and β. We show that flocking of the overall crowd emerges provided the communication array between species forms a connected graph. In particular, the crowd within each species need not interact with its own kind, i.e., ϕ α α = 0 ; different species which are engaged in such ‘game’ of alignment require a connecting path for propagation of information which will lead to the flocking of overall crowd. The same methodology applies to multi-species aggregation dynamics governed by first-order alignment: connectivity implies concentration around an emerging consensus.

The modern tasks of fishing, as a process of carrying out fishing activities to achieve effective and rational use of biological resources in solving the problems of food security of the country, are complex in nature. The study of modern fishing and fishery systems and processes requires a new object-oriented framework for their formation and functioning. Such an unconditional advantage is possessed by the methodology of the systems approach, which makes it possible to classify and design newly created systems of the highest level, to study and establish their system characteristics, connections and requirements for subsequent modeling, to investigate intersystem connections and their interaction. Fishing activity in the fishing zone is formed by the systemic interaction of the raw material base of fishing, technical means for the extraction of aquatic biological resources, fishing technology, creating a new biotechnological system "fishing" with new qualifications in structure and content. The main stages of research and design were the process of identifying production processes of extraction carried out in the fishing zone with the designation of boundaries, composition of elements, establishing links with the environment, correlated with the aim of improving the quality of fishing; the process of the formation of the compositional structure and functions of the system - the production area, the properties of its elements that affect the system efficiency. System design of a biotechnological system - a fishing zone was carried out in stages with the designation of the composition of its classes (components) and sets of objects that formed the component composition of the system under study with an embedded fishing process, and the establishment of structural and functional dependencies and relationships. The designed model of the system is interconnected with its component composition through the imposition of three components established between the corresponding objects and sets: biological, technical and technological, as well as the establishment of inter-component structural and functional dependence and communication, linking all three components of the system with each other into a single mechanism and giving the entire system integrity in achieving a single goal.

Native bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are a multi-species complex that rank among the key disturbances of coniferous forests of western North America. Many landscape-level variables are known to influence beetle outbreaks, such as suitable climatic conditions, spatial arrangement of incipient populations, topography, abundance of mature host trees, and disturbance history that include former outbreaks and fire. We assembled the first open access data, which can be used in open source GIS platforms, for understanding the ecology of the bark beetle organism in Alaska. We used boosted classification and regression tree as a machine learning data mining algorithm to model-predict the relationship between 14 environmental variables, as model predictors, and 838 occurrence records of 68 bark beetle species compared to pseudo-absence locations across the state of Alaska. The model predictors include topography- and climate-related predictors as well as feature proximities and anthropogenic factors. We were able to model, predict, and map the multi-species bark beetle occurrences across the state of Alaska on a 1-km spatial resolution in addition to providing a good quality environmental dataset freely accessible for the public. About 16% of the mixed forest and 59% of evergreen forest are expected to be occupied by the bark beetles based on current climatic conditions and biophysical attributes of the landscape. The open access dataset that we prepared, and the machine learning modeling approach that we used, can provide a foundation for future research not only on scolytines but for other multi-species questions of concern, such as forest defoliators, and small and big game wildlife species worldwide.

Temperate mixedwoods (hardwood–softwood mixtures) in central and eastern United States and Canada can be classified into two overarching categories: those with shade-tolerant softwoods maintained by light to moderate disturbances and those with shade-intolerant to mid-tolerant softwoods maintained by moderate to severe disturbances. The former includes red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), or eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) in mixture with northern hardwood species; the latter includes pine (Pinus) – oak (Quercus) mixtures. Such forests have desirable socio-economic values, wildlife habitat potential, and (or) adaptive capacity, but management is challenging because one or more softwood species in each can be limited by depleted seed sources, narrow regeneration requirements, or poor competitive ability. Appropriate silvicultural systems vary among mixedwood compositions depending on shade tolerance and severity of disturbance associated with the limiting softwoods, site quality, and level of herbivory. Sustainability of mixedwood composition requires that stand structure and composition be managed at each entry to maintain vigorous trees of species with different growth rates and longevities and to encourage development of advance reproduction or seed-producing trees of desired species. Regardless of silvicultural system, maintaining seed sources of limiting softwoods, providing suitable germination substrates, and controlling competition are critical. Here, we describe commonalities among temperate mixedwoods in central and eastern North America and present a framework for managing them.

Inshore fisheries are an important source of employment and income across Europe. However, their sustainability and management efficacy are relatively understudied, particularly in a multispecies context. Management of these data-limited fisheries can be informed by assessments of standardized catch and landings per unit effort (CPUE and LPUE) data from fishery-dependent surveys. We demonstrate the utility of this approach in the first robust assessment of the sustainability and management of a multispecies inshore fishery for live wrasse (Labridae) in southern England. Our findings have wider ramifications for assessment and management of inshore fisheries, including international live wrasse fisheries, many of which are intensely exploited but have less stringent management than the fishery studied here. Using generalized linear models, we identified ecologically relevant drivers of variation in CPUE and LPUE, alongside interspecific variation in responses to fishing pressure during 2017–2019. We also highlight robust evidence of declines in the primary target species, a protogynous hermaphrodite, that are suggestive of fishery impacts driven by management-enabled selective removal of mature females. We demonstrate the need to consider ecologically similar species separately for management purposes, and account for ecogeographical variables in assessments; a failure to do so risks erroneous conclusions regarding inshore fisheries’ sustainability.

Ensuring aquafeeds meet the expected nutritional and physical specifications for a species is paramount in research and for the industry. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of predicting the proximate composition and starch gelatinisation (or cook) of aquaculture feeds (aquafeeds) regardless of their intended target species by near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. Aquafeed samples used for nutrition experiments on various aquatic species with different nutritional requirements, as well as aquafeeds manufactured under varying extrusion conditions and steaming time to generate variable starch cook were used in this study. The various size pellets were ground before scanning by NIR spectroscopy, then models were developed to estimate dry matter, ash, total lipid, crude protein, and gross energy as well as starch cook. Proximate prediction models were successfully produced for diets with R2 values between 0.88 and 0.97 (standard error of cross-validation (SECV) 0.43 to 1.46, residual predictive deviation (RPD) 4.6 to 15.6), while starch cook models were produced with R2 values between 0.91 and 0.97 (SECV 3.60 to 5.76, RPD 1.2 to 1.9). The developed NIR models allow rapid monitoring of the nutritional composition, as well as starch cook, one of the major physical properties of aquafeeds. Models that provide rapid quality control assessment of diet characteristics is highly desirable in aquaculture research and the aquafeed industry.

The plantation has become a landscape of political impossibility. Its industrial modes of production and scientific management pose existential threats to local lifeways, stymie social justice move...

In 1855, as a result of decades of controversy, the Smithfield Livestock Market was relocated from the historic center of London to Islington in north London. Taking on board post-humanist critique...

A description for the ligand function of the tetrathiocyanatozincate selective electrode, has been proposed, using a multi-species approach model. This model takes into account simultaneous phase-boundary, diffusion-controlled, processes of ion exchange between tetrathiocyanatozincate, thyocyanate and foreign ions unable to form zinc complexes, as well as distribution of the neutral zinc complex between phases, partial decomposition of quaternary ammonium tetrathiocyanatozincate salt and stepwise complex formation processes in water phase. The model is based on solving the system of equations describing several interphase and intraphase equilibria, assuming that diffusion flows of all membrane and solution components at the phase boundary are stationary. It provides the adequate description of tetrathiocyanatozincate selective electrode in solutions of the ligand, foreign ions and mixed solutions of the above, and predicts the effect of zinc chloride concentration in the sample solution upon electrode function slopes, lower detection limits and selectivity coefficients.

Advances in transcriptome sequencing allow for simultaneous interrogation of differentially expressed genes from multiple species originating from a single RNA sample, termed dual or multi-species transcriptomics. Compared to single-species differential expression analysis, the design of multi-species differential expression experiments must account for the relative abundances of each organism of interest within the sample, often requiring enrichment methods and yielding differences in total read counts across samples. The analysis of multi-species transcriptomics datasets requires modifications to the alignment, quantification, and downstream analysis steps compared to the single-species analysis pipelines. We describe best practices for multi-species transcriptomics and differential gene expression.

Multi-species biofilms are ubiquitous worldwide and are a concern in the food industry. Multi-species biofilms have a higher resistance to antimicrobial therapies than mono-species biofilms. In addition, multi-species biofilms can cause severe foodborne diseases. To remove multi-species biofilms, controlling the formation process of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and quorum sensing (QS) effects is essential. EPS disruption, inhibition of QS, and disinfection have been utilized to remove multi-species biofilms. This review presents information on the formation and novel removal methods for multi-species biofilms.

Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) has antibacterial properties, but its ability to suppress the formation of multi-species oral biofilms has not been fully elucidated. This study evaluated the antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of cinnamon essential oil nanoemulsion (CEON) against oral biofilms formed using a microcosm biofilm model. The biofilms were formed on bovine enamel specimens over a 7-day period, during which all specimens were treated with one of three solutions: 5% CEON (n = 35), 0.5% cocamidopropyl betaine (n = 35), or 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX; n = 35). Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities were determined by the red/green ratios (R/G values) of 7-day-old mature biofilms photographed with quantitative light-induced fluorescence-digital, the number of aciduric bacterial colony-forming units (CFUs) within each biofilm, and the absorbance of bacterial suspensions. One-way and repeated-measures analysis of variance were performed to compare differences among the three solutions. R/G values were lowest in the 0.12% CHX group, but not significantly differ from the 5% CEON group. The number of CFUs and absorbance were lowest in the 5% CEON group. This study showed that nanoemulsified CEO inhibited the maturation of multi-species oral biofilms and the growth of oral microorganisms in biofilms, including aciduric bacteria that cause dental caries.

No abstract.

Abnormalities in the marine fishes are encountered around the world. The saddleback syndrome a deformity in the dorsal fin of the fish. They could be due to various environmental changes, predation and also could be due to anthropogenic activities like marine pollution induced due to heavy metal pollution etc. A multi species and multi gears fishery exists in India. Visakhapatnam fishing harbor is a major fish landing center in the south east coast of India. Different types of marine fishes are commonly landed here. On continuous observation of the marine fish landings of Visakhapatnam, the above syndrome was recorded in black pomfret (Parastromateus niger). The dorsal fin of the observed specimen of P. niger was having severe deformity in the form of shortening of the neural spines and complete loss of pterygiophores associated with four dorsal spines. The seven soft rays were observed to be missing in the above specimen. The X-ray radiography conformed the deformity in the above specimen. The deformity appears to be there from the early developmental stage. The deformed specimen was compared with a normal specimen. The possible factors and various causative agents of the saddleback syndrome for the observed specimen are discussed in this paper.

Functional responses relate a consumer’s feeding rates to variation in its abiotic and biotic environment, providing insight into consumer behavior and fitness, and underpinning population and food-web dynamics. Despite their broad relevance and long-standing history, we show here that the types of density dependence found in classic resource- and consumer-dependent functional-response models equate to strong and often untenable assumptions about the independence of processes underlying feeding rates. We first demonstrate mathematically how to quantify non-independence between feeding and consumer interference and between feeding on multiple resources. We then analyze two large collections of functional-response datasets to show that non-independence is pervasive and borne out in previously-hidden forms of density dependence. Our results provide a new lens through which to view variation in consumer feeding rates and disentangle the biological underpinnings of species interactions in multi-species contexts.

In the realm of multi-species ecologies and relationships, there are often unseen dynamics, unheeded threats and unacknowledged suppressions. The objectives of the research were to develop an exper...

This paper mainly investigates the inhibitory effect and mechanism of vanillin on mixed-culture biofilm formation, and discusses the feasibility of controlling membrane fouling with vanillin. The biofilms were cultured under static conditions and a microfluidic chamber, respectively. The results show that vanillin can effectively inhibit the microbial adhesion and biofilm formation; the inhibition rate increases with the vanillin concentration. After 12h treatment with 300mg/L vanillin, the inhibition rate of biofilm formation reached 85.34%. Besides, vanillin can mitigate bacterial adhesion by reducing the microbial secretion of exoprotein and exopolysaccharide, exhibit an inhibitory effect on the expression of N-acyl-l-homoserine lactones (AHLs), but had no effect on environmental deoxyribonucleic acid (eDNA). After being treated with 300mg/L vanillin, exoprotein, exopolysaccharide and AHLs decreased by 28.48%, 17.23% and 46.64%, respectively. Furthermore, there is a positive correlation between the AHLs and the content of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs); the AHLs-mediated quorum sensing (QS) might be related to microbial adhesion through the regulation of EPS. Finally, vanillin has a great potential in membrane fouling control. The research findings provide a good reference for biofilm control in water purification and wastewater treatment systems.

The article describes the effectiveness of commercial fishing as a biotechnological production process dependent on opening up the resource potential of multi-species fishing systems - fishing zones in fishery basins – by fishing vessels. Currently, the science-based approach to developing such systems with intra-production subsystems is not formed. All processes occurring in the systems are logistic, and the system as a whole is a complex industrial system. An assessment of its efficiency or inefficiency should be made in terms of the use of fishery resources, including production resources and the resource base of fishing, while the minimization of costs (expenses) at all stages of the production and technological process should be the assessment criterion. The process of studying and developing fishing organization schemes including intra-system flow (logistic) processes is carried out in several stages, the result being the improved organizational schemes with the distribution of a group of fishing units in the object-oriented fishing zones working in optimal forms of fishing organization. Taking the Far Eastern sardine (Iwashi) fishing in the South Kuril zone as an example, a multifactorial analysis and accounting of the entire composition of restrictions, conditions, the nature of each component, their influence at each stage of the movement of material flows in the industrial logistic system functioning in the fishing zone was carried out. The design of end-to-end material-conducting circuits and schemes of fishing activities has been carried out. The logistic approach to the processes and systems of commercial fishing used in the design process is a universal scientifically grounded research method and a methodological approach to the design of complex fishing systems.

In this conversational essay, three scholars working in the field of human-animal studies discuss the multi-species work that is underway in ethnol­ogy Examples of different methodological approaches are highlighted;mul­tispecies ethnography, crystallization, feminist dog-writing and ecriture feminine By reflecting on the value of such techniques, the authors contend that a renewed enthusiasm for methodological innovation can pave the way for more rounded accounts of social life, bringing animals and their agencies into clearer focus as companions, workers and beings in their own right This is regarded as both an intellectual and ethical pursuit, with methods placed at the heart of the endeavour © Linda Tallberg, Astrid Huopalainen & Lindsay Hamilton

Повышение эффективности отечественного рыболовства, как совокупности промышленных биотехнологий, создающих индустриальные системы высшего уровня, является одной из основных задач при реализации стратегии развития рыбохозяйственного комплекса страны в долгосрочной перспективе. В этой связи, базисным объектом системного исследования является промысловая зона рыбохозяйственного бассейна как многовидовая промысловая система взаимосвязанных и взаимообусловленных компонентов: ресурсного потенциала и рыбодобывающих единиц, образующих внутреннюю среду системы, совокупности условий ведения промысла, составляющих ее внешнюю среду. Исследование производственных процессов при статическом состоянии названной системы является основополагающим процессом, опирающемся на учете ее двуединой природы – биотехнологического дуализма. Обязательный его учет лежит в основе формирования оптимальных схем расстановки промысловых усилий в промысловых зонах при организации рыболовства, планировании и управлении производственно-технологическим процессом добычи водных биоресурсов на основе рациональной их эксплуатации и с целью повышения эффективности работы добывающего флота за счет повышения их эксплуатационного времени при годовом и рейсовом планировании. Решение оптимизационной задачи в статике в процессе моделирования таких производственно-технологических систем в статическом их состоянии направлено на проведение оптимизации рыбодобывающей деятельности с учетом биотехнологического дуализма, присущего многовидовым промысловым системам – промысловым зонам. Целью оптимизации является получение оптимального количества промысловых единиц, основанное на альтернативном принципе использования судов определенного типа. Improving the efficiency of domestic fisheries, as a set of industrial biotechnologies that create industrial systems of the highest level, is one of the main tasks in implementation of strategy for development of the country's fishery complex in the long term. In this regard, the basic object for a systemic study is the catching area of the fishery basin as a multi-species fishery system of interrelated and interdependent components: resource potential and fishery units that form internal environment of the system along with a set of conditions for catching activities that make up its external environment. The study of industrial processes in a static state of the named system is a fundamental process based on consideration of its dual nature: bio-inspired dualism. Its mandatory consideration underlies formation of optimal schemes for arrangement of fishery efforts in catching zones when organizing fishery industry, planning and managing the industrial process of harvesting aquatic biological resources based on rational operation thereof, and in order to increase efficiency of catching fleet by increasing its operating time during the annual and voyage planning. The solution for optimization problem in statics in the process of modeling such industrial-process systems in their static state is aimed at optimizing fishery activities taking into account the bio-inspired dualism inherent in multi-species fisheries: catching areas. The aim of optimization is to obtain an optimal number of fishery units based on an alternative principle of using vessels of a certain type.

Quantifying the distribution of animals and identifying underlying characteristics that define suitable habitat are essential for effective conservation of free-ranging species. Prioritizing areas for conservation is important in managing a geographic extent that has a high level of disturbance and limited conservation resources. We examined the potential use of a species distribution model ensemble for multi-species conservation in marine habitats. Using satellite telemetry locations during foraging as input data, and ensemble ecological niche models, we predicted foraging areas for 2 nesting marine turtle species within the Gulf of Mexico (GoM): Kemp’s ridley Lepidochelys kempii (n = 63) and loggerhead Caretta caretta (n = 63). We considered 7 geophysical, biological, and climatic variables and compared contributing factors for each species’ foraging habitat selection. For both species, predicted suitable foraging habitats encompassed large areas along the GoM coast, but only intersected with each other in relatively small areas. Highly parameterized models resulted in overall greater fits, suggesting that multiple factors influence habitat selection by these species. Model validation results were mixed: cross-validation resulted in high prediction accuracy for both species, but an evaluation against independent data resulted in a low omission rate (5%) for Kemp’s ridleys and a high omission rate (72%) for loggerheads. The relatively small intersection of model-predicted foraging areas for these 2 species within the study area may indicate possible niche differentiations. The high omission rate for loggerheads indicates our samples likely underrepresent the population and illustrates the challenges in predicting suitable foraging extents for species that make dynamic movements and have greater individual variability.

When analyzing environmental samples for DNA from multiple taxa, researchers must usually decide between iterative analyses with single‐taxon assays—which are reliable and sensitive, but also laborious to apply—and approaches such as metabarcoding that can simultaneously target multiple species, but which are less sensitive for detection across taxa. Here, we test an intermediate approach that allows efficient, parallel assessment of taxon‐specific qPCR assays via high‐throughput quantitative PCR (HT‐qPCR). Based on an assessment of over 500 environmental samples, we found that sensitivity and specificity of our HT‐qPCR approach were similar (concordance 0.900–1.000) to values achieved through single‐species qPCR in six out of seven assays tested. Thus, HT‐qPCR may provide analyses of similar quality as single‐species qPCR analyses for environmental DNA, but at a lower cost per taxon. We see this approach as being a valuable addition to the eDNA sampling toolbox, particularly for situations where reliable inferences are needed for a defined suite of rare invasive or imperiled taxa.

В работе рассматриваются вопросы математического моделирования рыбодобывающих процессов в многовидовой промысловой системе «промысловая зона рыбохозяйственного бассейна» как основы совершенствования системной организации ведения рыбодобывающей деятельности. Авторами сформирован инновационный научно-обоснованный подход к процессу моделирования системы «объект промысла – технология лова – рыбодобывающее судно» на основе исследования производственных данных и данных промысловой статистики Северо-Курильской зоны Дальневосточного рыбохозяйственного бассейна, определены этапы моделирования с учетом компонентного состава системы «промысловая зона», ограничений и факторов, влияющих на производственно-технологический процесс. Разработаны и математически описаны внутрисистемные зависимости между компонентами рыбопромысловой системы, критерии оптимизации. Впервые спроектирована модель исследуемой системы в статической постановке оптимизационной задачи. Созданная оптимизационная модель рыбодобывающего процесса в многовидовой промысловой системе – «промысловая зона рыбохозяйственного бассейна». Изложенный процесс моделирования рыбодобывающей деятельности в многовидовой промысловой системе «промысловая зона рыбохозяйственного бассейна» при статической постановке оптимизационной задачи, и созданная в результате оптимизационная модель названной системы являются точками роста в дальнейшем проектировании динамических рыболовных процессов и систем более высшего уровня, направленных на совершенствование системной организации рыбодобывающего процесса с целью достижения запланированных программных показателей отечественного рыболовства, и лежат в основе создания усовершенствованных систем организации, планирования и управления рыболовными процессами и системами. The paper considers the issues of mathematical modeling of fishing processes in the multi-species fishing system "fishing zone of the fishing basin"as the basis for improving the system organization of fishing activities. The authors generated an innovative scientifically-based approach to the process modeling system "object fishery technology fishing fishing vessel", based on the study of production data and data of fishing statistics Severo-Kuril area of the far Eastern fishery basin, the stages of modeling taking into account component composition of the system the "field zone" of the limitations and factors influencing the production process. Intra-system dependencies between components of the fishing system and optimization criteria are developed and mathematically described. For the first time, a model of the system under study was designed in the static formulation of the optimization problem. The created optimization model of the fishing process in a multi-species fishing system – "fishing zone of the fishing basin". The described process of modeling fishing activity in a multi-species fishing system "fishing zone of a fishing basin" with a static statement of the optimization problem, and the resulting optimization model of the named system are points of growth in the further design of dynamic fishing processes and higher-level systems aimed at improving the system organization of the fishing process in order to achieve the planned program indicators of domestic fisheries, and underpin the creation of improved systems for organizing, planning and managing fishing processes and systems.

This article explores the use of vignettes in qualitative research from a posthumanist and multispecies perspective. Drawing on methodological principles espoused by Karen Barad and Donna Haraway, as well as empirical data from the Dementia Dog pilot project in Scotland UK, we explore the use of vignettes as a technique for understanding human-dog relations in dementia. In so doing, we outline an approach to using vignettes that is guided by principles of diffraction, and which is contrasted with humanist principles of interpretivism, reflection and of representation. Moving away from humanist methodology, we argue, calls for new approaches to evaluating the quality of vignettes. This involves disrupting conventional approaches, within which vignettes are defined by their primary purpose and evaluated according to fixed criteria (e.g. validity, authenticity, trustworthiness). In their place, we argue for an approach to evaluating vignettes that it is rooted in performativity and is guided by the question: What can a vignette do?

We propose a multi-species generation strategy to increase the diversity of seed individuals produced in the maturity operation of vegetation evolution (VEGE). Since the breeding patterns of real plants can be roughly divided into sexual reproduction and asexual one, the proposed strategy additionally introduces two different methods to simulate these two patterns. As our preliminary attempt of the simulation, a mature individual is splattered randomly in the neighbor local area of its parent individual with Gaussian distribution probability to simulate asexual reproduction, while a mature individual is generated by crossing randomly selected two different parent individuals to simulate sexual reproduction. Our proposed strategy consists of these two new reproduction methods and that of our original VEGE, and each mature individual in every generation randomly selects one of these three methods to generate seed individuals, which is analogous to different plant species using different mechanisms to breed. To evaluate the performance of our proposed strategy, we compare VEGE and (VEGE + the proposed generation strategy) on 28 benchmark functions of three different dimensions from the CEC 2013 test suit with 30 independent trial runs. The experimental results have confirmed that the proposed strategy can increase the diversity of seed individuals, accelerate the convergence of VEGE significantly, and become effective according to the increase of dimensions.

PurposeThis paper articulates a counter-concept to the notion of speciesism with the aim to encourage thinking beyond critique, towards imagining what non-speciesist worlds can actually look like.Design/methodology/approachBy using the concept of “multi-species-isms” (or “multispecies”, as a simpler adjective), and linking it to feminist and relational ethics of “care”, the paper seeks to unite perspectives from both Critical Animal Studies as well as feminist, posthumanist theories. Already existing traces of multi-species-isms that exemplify different forms of multispecies care are visualised through annotated illustrations that accompany the text. These traces offer a cue for negotiating multispecies worlds without attempting to define their content in all too definite forms.FindingsRather than focusing on critiquing oppressive structures, the paper contributes narratives of multispecies worlds that inspire further imagination towards the positive ingredients of such worlds and show more concretely how multispecies care is practised in everyday life.Social implicationsThese insights frame a starting point for a repertoire that shows the numerous ways in which multispecies relationships between humans and other animals are already given form.Originality/valueBy articulating the actual ingredients of multi-species-isms, rather than focusing on what they are not, the paper seeks to advance a move towards adding multispecies possibilities that can be especially helpful for those researchers, designers and activists concerned with imagining alternative futures.

In Anthropology, adaptation is interpreted as a variety of human efforts to adapt to the natural environment. This perspective, however, ignores the role of nature as an active subject. In fact, the reciprocal interaction between humans and the nature gives a significant impact to the survival of both entities. This paper intends to recommend a new perspective on the concept of adaptation through the approach of multispecies ethnography. The research observes the people of Kampung Laut in Cilacap. The data is collected through in-depth interviews and participation observations. The paper concludes that the people of Kampung Laut who live around the area where sedimentation takes place always face pressures from the environment as they often encounter tidal flooding. This condition requires the people of Kampung Laut to make efforts in order to survive the unavoidable natural disasters. The people of Kampung Laut "compromise" the environment in Nusakambangan island by growing albizia chinensis plantations. Albizias provide benefits to both the people and the sustainability of the environment. In addition to having a significant economic value, growing albizians among other hardwood trees on the hill of Nusakambangan helps in restoring the environment after the extreme illegal logging. Based on the findings of this research, I argue in accordance to the perspective of multispecies ethnography that the concept of adaptation can no longer place humans as the center of analysis, because this idea tends to disregard the fact that natural disasters are caused by human adaptations. This will ultimately threatens human survival over a period of time.

Darwin observed that form, and in his view, meaning, of facial behaviour (observable changes in the appearance of the face, often termed facial ‘expression’) is similar between a wide range of species and concluded that this must be due to a shared ancestral origin. Yet, as with all social behaviours, exactly how to define similarity and determine homology is debated. Facial behaviour is linked to specific facial muscle movements, so one important factor in determining homology is the anatomical basis of facial behaviours that appear similar in both appearance and social function. The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) was developed for the scientific measurement of human facial behaviour and is based on individual facial muscle movements (Ekman and Friesen, 1978). FACS has since been modified for use with various non-human primate species (chimpanzees, macaques, hylobatids, orangutans) and domestic species (dogs, cats, horses). These FACS can be used to trace continuity of form in facial behaviour across species and build a better understanding of the evolution of facial communication in mammals.

Foraging by hyperabundant Arctic-nesting geese has significant impacts on vegetation of Arctic and subarctic coastal lowlands, but long-term data sets documenting these changes are rare. We undertook intensive surveys of plant communities at East Bay and South Bay, Southampton Island, Nunavut, Canada, in July 2010. Lesser Snow Geese, Ross’s Geese, Cackling Geese, and Brant nest and rear young at these sites; the first three have experienced up to 10-fold increases since the 1970s. At East Bay, we found significant declines in graminoids over the 31-year span, as well as significant declines in lichen and willow cover, and significant increases in rock cover. Transect data indicated graminoids were present at only 15%–36% of points at East Bay, whereas at South Bay, graminoids were present at 28%–90% of points. Moss was more prominent in transects at South Bay than at East Bay (40%–85% vs. 19%–42%), but quadrat data indicated much more of the moss cover at South Bay apparently was dead than at East Bay. Puccinellia phryganodes (Trin.) Scribn. & Merr. exceeded 1% in only two transects. Our data demonstrate a striking decline of preferred forage species and increases in non-forage cover, consistent with the hypothesis that changes resulted from persistent long-term foraging by the four species of breeding geese between spring arrival and late summer departure.

Tree-ring chronologies from different sites of western Himalaya have been used in this study to examine the climate variability/change over the region. The 1st principal component (PC1) which has been computed by multi species tree ring chronologies of western Himalaya is negatively correlated with heat index (HT), temperature (TM) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) but positively with the rainfall of the region during spring season. However, HT and PET showed the stronger influence on tree growth than temperature which has been used to reconstruct the spring season PET back to A.D. 1779. The extended periods of low PET have been found at ending phase of Little Ice Age (LIA) during 1827–1845. The reconstructed PET showed that the advance of the glaciers over the western Himalaya might have influence on reduction of downward shortwave radiation on the earth's surface; which may in turn cause low temperature and low PET over the region. The result indicates that longer tree ring chronologies from the western Himalaya are very useful to get valuable information on PET and glacier fluctuation during the last few centuries. The highest PET in the entire reconstruction was noticed during the year 1921 in the 20th century, which has been associated with lowest trees growth in the entire western Himalaya.

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), although primarily used as a leafy vegetable, could have additional worth in that the seed could represent raw materials in the production of protein concentrates. Howev...

Inter-specific hunting associations can occur across a range of marine species to facilitate prey capture through co-operative behaviour. Here we describe multiple transient cross-phyla association...