• Title/Summary/Keyword: Predation

Search Result 147, Processing Time 0.02 seconds

Effects of diet and roughage quality, and period of the day on diurnal feeding behaviour patterns of sheep and goats under subtropical conditions

  • Moyo, Mehluli;Adebayo, Rasheed Adekunle;Nsahlai, Ignatius Verla
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
    • /
    • v.32 no.5
    • /
    • pp.675-690
    • /
    • 2019
  • Objective: This study investigated the effect of diet and roughage quality (RQ) on dry matter intake, duration and number of daytime and night-time eating bouts, idling sessions and ruminating activities in small ruminants. Methods: In Exp 1 and 2, RQ was improved by urea treatment of veld hay, while diet quality was improved by supplementing with Lucerne hay (Exp 3), sunflower meal and lespedeza (Exp 4), fish meal (Exp 5a), and sunflower meal (Exp 5b). In all experiments goats and sheep were blocked by weight and randomly allocated to experimental diets. Day-time (06:00 to 18:00 h) and night time (18:00 to 06:00 h) feeding behaviour activities were recorded. Results: RQ affected rumination index in Exp 1, but not in Exp 2, 3, and 5. Time spent eating and ruminating was affected by RQ (Exp 1, 3, and 4), period of day (all experiments) and their interaction (Exp 1). Intake rates (g/bout and g/min) were similar across diets. Period of day affected the duration of rumination sessions (Exp 1, 2, and 3); diet or RQ affected the duration of eating bouts (Exp 3) and rumination sessions (Exp 1 and 2). RQ had a significant effect on the duration of eating sessions in Exp 3 only, whilst period of day affected this same behaviour in Exp 2 and 3. Generally, goats and sheep fed on roughage alone ruminate at night and eat more during the day but those fed a roughage and supplemented with Lucerne hay spent more time ruminating than eating. Time spent eating and ruminating had positive correlations to crude protein and feed intake. Intake rates had strong positive correlations to intake. Conclusion: Chewing time, number of eating and ruminating sessions, and duration of eating bouts are physiologically controlled in small ruminants, though chewing time requires isometric scaling during modelling of intake.

Influence of Weed Management Practices on Ground-dwelling Arthropod Assemblages in Organic and Conventional Apple Orchards (유기재배와 관행재배 사과원 내 지표 배회성 절지동물 군집에 대한 잡초 관리의 영향)

  • Kim, Jiwon;Jung, Chuleui
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
    • /
    • v.60 no.1
    • /
    • pp.105-114
    • /
    • 2021
  • Ground-dwelling arthropods are important components in apple orchard providing beneficial ecological services of predation and decomposition as well as herbivory. Groundcovers are managed differentially in organic and conventional apple orchards influencing ground-dwelling arthropod assemblages. We conducted 3-year studies to assess the effects of orchard management relative to weed management on the abundance and diversity of ground-dwelling arthropods using pitfall trapping. Most arthropods were classified as higher taxonomical groups and functional feeding guilds, while carabid beetles were classified into species level. Coleoptera was the dominating taxon of all ground-dwelling arthropods. Abundance of herbivores and predators was significantly higher in organic apple orchards than conventional ones. Higher abundance and diversity of carabid beetles were found in organic orchards than in conventional orchards. The abundance of Araneae, Coleoptera, or carabid beetles was negatively correlated to weed management frequency. It was found that ground-dwelling arthropods were more influenced by weed management practices than the farming systems.

Endoplasmin regulates differentiation of tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells into chondrocytes through ERK signaling

  • Kim, Hye Ryeong;Choi, Hyeongrok;Park, Soon Yong;Song, Young-Chul;Kim, Jae-Ho;Shim, Sangin;Jun, Woojin;Kim, Kyung-Jin;Han, Jin;Chi, Seung-Wook;Leem, Sun-Hee;Chung, Jin Woong
    • BMB Reports
    • /
    • v.55 no.5
    • /
    • pp.226-231
    • /
    • 2022
  • It is well-known that some species of lizard have an exceptional ability known as caudal autotomy (voluntary self-amputation of the tail) as an anti-predation mechanism. After amputation occurs, they can regenerate their new tails in a few days. The new tail section is generally shorter than the original one and is composed of cartilage rather than vertebrae bone. In addition, the skin of the regenerated tail distinctly differs from its original appearance. We performed a proteomics analysis for extracts derived from regenerating lizard tail tissues after amputation and found that endoplasmin (ENPL) was the main factor among proteins up-regulated in expression during regeneration. Thus, we performed further experiments to determine whether ENPL could induce chondrogenesis of tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs). In this study, we found that chondrogenic differentiation was associated with an increase of ENPL expression by ER stress. We also found that ENPL was involved in chondrogenic differentiation of T-MSCs by suppressing extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation.

Amphidinium stirisquamtum sp. nov. (Dinophyceae), a new marine sand-dwelling dinoflagellate with a novel type of body scale

  • Luo, Zhaohe;Wang, Na;Mohamed, Hala F.;Liang, Ye;Pei, Lulu;Huang, Shuhong;Gu, Haifeng
    • ALGAE
    • /
    • v.36 no.4
    • /
    • pp.241-261
    • /
    • 2021
  • Amphidinium species are amongst the most abundant benthic dinoflagellates in marine intertidal sandy ecosystems. Some of them produce a variety of bioactive compounds that have both harmful effects and pharmaceutical potential. In this study, Amphidinium cells were isolated from intertidal sand collected from the East China Sea. The two strains established were subjected to detailed examination by light, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The vegetative cells had a minute, irregular, and triangular-shaped epicone deflected to the left, thus fitting the description of Amphidinium sensu stricto. These strains are distinguished from other Amphidinium species by combination characteristics: (1) longitudinal flagellum inserted in the lower third of the cell; (2) icicle-shaped scales, 276 ± 17 nm in length, on the cell body surface; (3) asymmetrical hypocone with the left side longer than the right; and (4) presence of immotile cells. Therefore, they are described here as Amphidinium stirisquamtum sp. nov. The molecular tree inferred from small subunit rRNA, large subunit rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer-5.8S sequences revealed that A. stirisquamtum is grouped together with the type species of Amphidinium, A. operculatum, in a fully supported clade, but is distantly related to other Amphidinium species bearing body scale. Live A.stirisquamtum cells greatly affected the survival of rotifers and brine shrimp, their primary grazers, making them more susceptible to predation by the higher tropic level consumers in the food web. This will increase the risk of introducing toxicity, and consequently, the bioaccumulation of toxins through marine food webs.

Chemical signalling within the rumen microbiome

  • Katie Lawther;Fernanda Godoy Santos;Linda B Oyama;Sharon A Huws
    • Animal Bioscience
    • /
    • v.37 no.2_spc
    • /
    • pp.337-345
    • /
    • 2024
  • Ruminants possess a specialized four-compartment forestomach, consisting of the reticulum, rumen, omasum, and abomasum. The rumen, the primary fermentative chamber, harbours a dynamic ecosystem comprising bacteria, protozoa, fungi, archaea, and bacteriophages. These microorganisms engage in diverse ecological interactions within the rumen microbiome, primarily benefiting the host animal by deriving energy from plant material breakdown. These interactions encompass symbiosis, such as mutualism and commensalism, as well as parasitism, predation, and competition. These ecological interactions are dependent on many factors, including the production of diverse molecules, such as those involved in quorum sensing (QS). QS is a density-dependent signalling mechanism involving the release of autoinducer (AIs) compounds, when cell density increases AIs bind to receptors causing the altered expression of certain genes. These AIs are classified as mainly being N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHL; commonly used by Gram-negative bacteria) or autoinducer-2 based systems (AI-2; used by Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria); although other less common AI systems exist. Most of our understanding of QS at a gene-level comes from pure culture in vitro studies using bacterial pathogens, with much being unknown on a commensal bacterial and ecosystem level, especially in the context of the rumen microbiome. A small number of studies have explored QS in the rumen using 'omic' technologies, revealing a prevalence of AI-2 QS systems among rumen bacteria. Nevertheless, the implications of these signalling systems on gene regulation, rumen ecology, and ruminant characteristics are largely uncharted territory. Metatranscriptome data tracking the colonization of perennial ryegrass by rumen microbes suggest that these chemicals may influence transitions in bacterial diversity during colonization. The likelihood of undiscovered chemicals within the rumen microbial arsenal is high, with the identified chemicals representing only the tip of the iceberg. A comprehensive grasp of rumen microbial chemical signalling is crucial for addressing the challenges of food security and climate targets.

Abundances and Bacterivory of Heterotrophic and Mixotrophic Nanoflagellates in and Estuarine System of the Mankyung and Dongjin Rivers, Korea (만경.동진강 염하구에서 종속영양성 및 혼합영양성 미소편모류의 수도(數度)와 박테 리아 섭식)

  • 심재형;윤성화
    • 한국해양학회지
    • /
    • v.30 no.5
    • /
    • pp.413-425
    • /
    • 1995
  • Abundances and bacterivory of heterotrophic and mixotrophic nanoflagellates were investigated fourtimes between October 1993 and March 1995 in an estuarine system of the Mankyung and Dongjin rivers to understand distributions of nanoflagellates and ecological significance of bacterivory of nanoflagellates. Bacterivory of nanoflagellates were measured with fluorescently labeled bacteria (FLB). Heterotrophic and autotrophic flagellates showed a rage of 438-4,159 cells ml/SUP -1/ (mean of 2,145 cells ml/SUP -1/, n=20) and 971- 4,935 cells ml/SUP -1/ (mean of 2,2226 cells ml/SUP -1/, n-20), respectively. These two groups of nanoflagellates generally showed similar distributions of abundance. Abundances of heterotrophic nanoflagellates, known as major grazers of bacteria, and those of autotrophic nanoflagellates with chloroplasts showed statistically significant correlations with bacterial abundance (respectively, r$^2$=0.51 and r $^2$=0.47, p>0.05). Mixotrophic nanoflagellates seemed to comprise at least 4-23% of autotrophic nanoflagellate populations. Individual predation rates of heterotrophic nanoflagellates ranged from 2.2 to 14.2 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/ h/SUP -1/ (mean of 4.9 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/h/SUP -1/, n=16), and those of mixotrophic nanoflagellates from 1.6 to 9.7 bacteria flagellate/SUP -1/ h/SUP-1/ (mean of 3.7 bacteria flagellate /SUP -1/ h/SUP -1/, n=16). Bacterivory by mixotrophic nanoflagellates comprised from 30 to 69% of total nanoflagellates grazing on bacteria, indicating the significant role of mixotrophic nanoflagellates as grazers on bacteria in the study area. The ratios of grazing rates on bacteria to bacterial secondary production ranged widely from 0.06 to 1.23. In June, when abundances of total nanoflagellates were low, removal of bacteria by bacterivory of nanoflagellates was also a small fraction (0.08${\pm}$ 0.01, n=4) of bacterial production. In other seasons, nanoflagellates usually grazed on bacteria in significant fraction (0.06${\pm}$0.37, n=9) of bacterial production. Both heterotrophic and mixotrophic nanoflagellates appear to be major grazers on bacteria, and might transfer bacterial secondary production to higher trophic level in an estuarine system of the Mankyung and Dongjin rivers.

  • PDF

Alternate Prey: A Mechanism for Elimination of Bacterial Species by Protozoa (원생동물(原生動物)에 의한 세균류(細菌類)의 소거(消去)에 관(關)한 기작(機作))

  • Mallory, Larry M.;Yuk, Chang-Soo;Liang, Li-Nuo;Alexander, Martin
    • Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
    • /
    • v.16 no.4
    • /
    • pp.358-367
    • /
    • 1983
  • Antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella typhimurium and Klebsiella pneumoniae died readily after their addition to raw sewage, but they grew in sterilized sewage. The decline was not a result of antibiotic stresses, and because the bacteria were able to survive in large numbers for at least 15 days in solutions containing no organic nutrients, it was not a result of competition. Toxin production, bacteriophages, and Bdellovibrio did not cause the disappearance of the two bacterial species. A decline was also evident if the sewage was first passed through a $3-{\mu}m$ filter or treated with cycloheximide or cycloheximide plus nystatin, but protozoa developed under these conditions. Little or no decline occurred if the sewage was filtered and treated with the eucaryotic inhibitors before adding S. typhimurium or K. pneumoniae, and protozoa were not detected. S. typhimurium increased in abundance if cycloheximide, streptomycin, and erythromycin or large amounts of glucose were added to sewage. Tetrahymena thermophilus did not significantly reduce the population of S. typhimurium in buffer when the density of the bacterium was about $10^4/ml$. However, when more than $10^8$ Enterobacter agglomerans cells per ml were added to the buffer, T. thermophilus reduced the abundance of E. agglomerans and S. typhimurium to $10^6$ and 10/ml, respectively. The density of S. typhimurium was further decreased by a second increment of E. agglomerans cells. The disappearance of S. typhimurium and K. pneumoniae from sewage thus is the result of predation by protozoa. It is proposed that predators will eliminate a prey species from a natural environment when an alternate prey is present at concentrations above the threshold number for active feeing by the predator and when the rate of growth of the prey is less than the rate of predation.

  • PDF

Interspecific relationship between two food organisms in the combination culture tank of rotifer, Brachionus rotundiformis and copepod, Tigriopus japonicus (로티퍼, Brachionus rotundiformis와 코페포다, Tigsiopus japonicus의 혼합 배양조에 있어서 두 종간의 상호 관계)

  • JUNG Min-Min;RHO Sum;KIM Hyeung-Sin
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
    • /
    • v.33 no.1
    • /
    • pp.66-69
    • /
    • 2000
  • The common harpacticoida copepod species Tigriopus japnnicus was often obseued in the mass culture of marine rotifer tanks of sea farming stations. In this study, we investigated the co-existing effect of T. iaponicus to the rotifer Brachionus rotundiformis population growth. The culture conditions as temperature, salinity, culture volume, photo period, culture period and observation interval were 25{\circ}C, 22ppt, 40ml, 12L:12D, 16 deys$ and every two days during the experimental period, respectively. Nannochloropsis oculata was used as the food for the two testing organisms. After counting the growth of rotifer and copepod, they were transferred to new culture tank with N. oculata at the density of $7{times}10^5\;cells/ml$. The population growth of B. rotundiformis was suppressed by T. japonicus when these two organisms were mix-cultured comparing to single culture of B. rotundiformis. But population growth of T, japomcus was not affected by the presence of B. rotundiformis. The interspecific relationships of prey-predation and food competition were not observed in the combination culture of rotifer B. rotundiformis and copepod T japonicus.

  • PDF

Effect of Temperature on the Biological Attributes of the Brown Lacewing Micromus angulatus (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) (갈고리뱀잠자리붙이의 생물적 특성에 미치는 온도의 영향)

  • Kim, Jeong-Hwan;Cho, Jum-Rae;Lee, Mi-Sook;Kang, Eun-Jin;Byeon, Young-Woong;Kim, Hwang-Yong;Choi, Man-Young
    • Korean journal of applied entomology
    • /
    • v.52 no.4
    • /
    • pp.283-289
    • /
    • 2013
  • This study was performed to investigate the biological characteristics of the brown lacewing Micromus angulatus (Stephens) at four different temperatures (15, 20, 25, and $30^{\circ}C$) and $70{\pm}10%$ relative humidity under a photoperiodic regime of 16:8(L:D) h. The developmental threshold and effective accumulative temperature from egg to pupa for M. angulatus were $9.6^{\circ}C$ and 270.3 day-degrees, respectively. The developmental period of egg, larva, and pupa at $25^{\circ}C$ was 4.4, 5.5, and 6.9 days. respectively. The longevity of an adult female M. angulatus was 34.9 days. The oviposition period for M. angulatus was 28.7 days, in which it laid a total number of 515.2 eggs during its life span. The maximum number of eggs laid by a female in a day was 54.8. Daily consumption by M. angulatus at $25^{\circ}C$ was 18.9 $1^{st}$ instars, 47.2 $2^{nd}$ instars, 57.7 $3^{rd}$ instars, and 91.0 adults of the glasshouse potato aphid, Aulacorthum solani. Therefore, M. angulatus could be a promising biological control agent against aphids.

Flowering, Fruiting, Seed Fall and Seed Viability of Acer pseudosieboldianum in Mt. Jungwang, Gangwondo (강원도 중왕산 당단풍나무의 개화, 결실, 종자 낙하량 및 종자활력)

  • Kim, Hoi Jin;Kim, Gab Tae
    • Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
    • /
    • v.105 no.1
    • /
    • pp.42-47
    • /
    • 2016
  • To examine the natural regeneration in the natural mixed-broadleaved forest, flowering, fruiting, seed-fall, and seed viabilities of Acer pseudosieboldianum (Ap) were investigated in Mt. Jungwang, Gangwon-do, from 2009 to 2015. The flower of Ap consisted many male and bisexual flowers on the corymb. Flowering dates are differed between sex morph in the same inflorescence. Stamens are stop growing and disappeared after pollinated pistil begin to grow in bisexual flowers, and male flowers have vestial pistil. The flowers of Ap might be pollinated by Apis mellifera, Andrenidae spp. and Syrphinae spp. Ap had some mechanism to prevent from self pollination with heterodichogamy. Mean annual seedfall of Ap was 70,780 ea/ha (ranged 310~234,840 ea/ha). Annual seedfall of Ap varied severely, and the maximum was about 760 times the minimum. Annual seed production of Ap might be to a normal distribution. Rates of damaged or decayed seeds are highest 59.3%, and those of sound seeds are 23.9%, Those of undeveloped and empty seeds are 9.2% and 7.6%, respectively. The most important factors influencing sound seed production might be the density and activities of insect pollinators and sucking pest in the flowerwing period, middle-late May. Successful regeneration of Ap might be in masting year and on the gap sites with proper conditions to germinate and grow. To understand the natural regeneration of deciduous hardwoods, further study on the characteristics of flowering and fruiting, pre- and post-dispersal seed predation, and annual variation on these factor should be needed.