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Translations, whether in the form of text, illustration, or interpretive analysis, served knowledge-making in multiple ways. It offered a refuge, severed contexts, and concealed the various workers that created it. Over the course of the seventeenth century, European naturalists in Istanbul, such as Luigi Ferdinando Marsigli (1658–1730), procured illustrations of Ottoman nature as fundamental resources to identify, collect, and compare indigenous plants and newly bred varieties. Despite maintaining an actual mediation for cross-cultural interactions, these sources of virtual communication remain largely forgotten in modern scholarship. This article argues that this curious yet invisible corpus was not a nonagentive medium in an alienated leisure of a gentleman-scholar; instead, these illustrations were designed to call upon the viewer's constant attention in self-motivated scientific labor. Such handy tools responded and contributed to early modern scholars' modes of working, and in exchange they determined these sources' own function, position, and visibility – either as a by-product or as a derivative. It is therefore only when integrated into the labor history of science that the degrees of invisibility pertaining to both Ottoman nature studies and self-directed labor can come into a granular view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archival and other historical evidence, including digitized issues of The Radio Times and files from the British Broadcasting Corporation's Written Archives Centre, reveal the pivotal importance that natural history played in the BBC's programming during the 1920s and 1930s. Beyond merely replicating the forms and styles that could be found across other forms of mass media, natural history broadcasts demonstrated to the British public what radio technology was capable of. At the same time, radio was not isolated from the media landscape of the period, and natural history broadcasts made full use of visual accompaniments such as magazines and pamphlets. Examining a variety of different broadcasts, this paper focuses on how expertise was fashioned behind the microphone, on "stunts" such as broadcasting the live sounds of animals, on audience participation, and on broadcasts aimed at young audiences. Broadcast lessons for schools, which are generally overlooked by historians, offer a rich opportunity for examining how natural history radio developed over the years. Children's hour characters like the "Zoo Man" modelled an intimate, direct way of engaging with young audiences. Moreover, experiments in field ecology involving listeners in the collection of data showed that radio could act as a two-way medium. These broadcasts helped to shape the modern phenomenon of the nature documentary that would take off after 1945. While the origins of this phenomenon are usually traced either to the establishment of the BBC's Natural History Unit in 1957, or in some cases to early nature films, there is a strong case for considering the BBC's interwar broadcasts (1922–1939) as part of this trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Australian Bird Book by J. A. Leach, published in 1911, was the first field guide to Australia's avifauna. Unlike today's field guides, it was not tightly focussed on identification, instead devoting more than half its words to an expansive dissertation on the natural history of birds. This article scrutinises and contextualises Leach's Bird Book to illuminate some of the interconnections between science, birdwatching, recreation and conservation in early twentieth-century Australia. It shows how Leach's heavy weighting on natural history was integral to his promotion of birdwatching as an edifying recreation that would lead people not merely to be able to name the birds they saw but also, more importantly, to understand, cherish and protect them. In 1911, J. A. Leach published the first field guide to Australia's avifauna in response to demand for a means to identify birds in the wild without shooting them first. Partly a digest of popular science, partly a conservationist polemic, and partly a nationalist homily, the book heralded a change in the relationship between people and birds. Thanks to the Australian Bird Book (and subsequent guides), birdwatching became a popular Australian pastime. With Leach in hand, birdwatchers not only learned how to identify birds, but also how to care deeply about their long-term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores Alexander von Humboldt's influence on the education of young women in early nineteenth-century America. In the past decade, the English-speaking world has seen a resurgence of interest in Alexander von Humboldt. To date however, scholars have devoted relatively little attention to Humboldt's influence on American education, particularly before mid-century. When did schoolbooks begin to adopt his theories, and how universally did they incorporate them? Were young women exposed to his work as well as young men? To find out, this study analysed 44 editions of the most popular geography and botany texts designed for schools enrolling females as well as males during the period from 1791 to 1859. The analysis considers the degree to which these texts incorporated or ignored Humboldt's ideas in the following areas: (1) plant geography; (2) climate; (3) learning from nature; (4) human impact on nature; (5) slavery; (6) colonialism; (7) human equality; and (8) the earth's place in the cosmos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how communities of naturalists in mid-nineteenth-century Britain were formed and solidified around the shared practices of public meetings, the publication and reading of periodicals, and the making and printing of images. By focusing on communities of naturalists and the sites of their communication, this article undermines the distinction between amateur and professional scientific practice. Building on the notion of imagined communities, this paper also shows that in some cases the editors and illustrators utilized imagery to construct a specifically British naturalist community. Following three ‘amateur’ natural-history periodicals (Science Gossip , Midland Naturalist and the Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club) the article demonstrates how the production and reproduction of natural history in the nineteenth century was contingent on community debate – and that this debate both was highly visual and moved across printed and geographical boundaries. This paper investigates images both for their purported success and for their ascribed value to natural history. Additionally, it considers the debates over their limitations and alleged failures of printing. Altogether, the article argues that investigating the communal practices of observation, writing, drawing and engraving allows for a better understanding of the shared practices of nineteenth-century natural history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, before the professionalization of the sciences, naturalists followed career paths without any clearly defined structure. Each individual naturalist was compelled to carve out a niche for himself - deciding how he would enter the field, establish a reputation, win an audience, and earn an income. To elucidate some of the options open to aspiring naturalists, I examine the career of Edward Donovan (1768-1837) who worked as a writer, artist, engraver, collector, curator and popularizer of natural history. I compare elements of his career to those of contemporaries George Shaw (1751-1813) and Alexander Macleay (1767-1848) to show how different choices could affect one's life and livelihood in natural history. This close study exposes the inherent idiosyncrasies of a career in natural history, and demonstrates some of the practical difficulties of commercializing the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

England's Education Acts in the late nineteenth century made school free and mandatory for all children, filling schools with more and younger students. Visual teaching methods such as blackboard drawing were used to catch young students' eyes and engage their interest. At the same time, there was high public engagement with natural history and popular science lectures, which built the perception of science as accessible, interesting and useful for people of all social classes. This "science for all" trend along with the new universal education paved the way for nature study, a new school subject based on experiential learning through observation of plants and animals, similar to the popular nineteenth-century pedagogy of object lessons. The many manuals about nature study that were published for teachers in England in the early twentieth century reveal the content, pedagogy, and portrayal of science communicated to young students. Analysis of one manual, Nature teaching on the blackboard (1910), sheds light on typical nature study lessons, including suggested images for teachers to draw on the blackboard. Visual methods of teaching science were not limited to schoolchildren: university lecturers as well as popularizers of science used object lessons and blackboard drawing to educate and entertain their adult audiences. Comparing blackboard teaching of nature study with other educational images and audiences for science explores how multisensory learning and the blackboard brought information about the natural world and engagement with science to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers suggest there is an increasing apathy in the study of natural history in academic settings and in the scientific community. However, most studies of environmental knowledge do not address knowledge of local flora and fauna; they are concerned with the knowledge of environmental issues or broad ecological knowledge. Ecoliteracy established local natural history as fundamental to environmental knowledge and seeks to determine the knowledge of local environments and factors associated with that knowledge. This study investigated ecoliteracy in Mississippi, determining knowledge of local flora and fauna of undergraduate and graduate students at the largest universities. Ecoliteracy levels in Mississippi were low. Students had a rudimentary knowledge of local flora and fauna, despite coursework in natural history. Students majoring in wildlife and fisheries and biology had more advanced knowledge of local flora and fauna than non-biology majors. Students were most knowledgeable of reptiles and amphibians, and least of fish and endangered species. The number of environmental courses taken and environmental sensitivity were positively correlated with ecoliteracy, and were strong predictors of ecoliteracy. Ecoliteracy was influenced by coursework and experience with degree programs including fieldwork. Natural history knowledge was deficient at Mississippi universities. Researchers suggest reintroducing coursework focused on ecoliteracy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which re-examines the history of natural sciences research conducted on the Bothnian Sea from 1975 to 2008. It states that the review focuses on the research into the natural environment and the impact of human being in the said environment. It says that ''Gulf of Bothnia'' is used as a keyword to look for articles which included research done in the Bothnian Sea region. The research volume and quantity, regional comparison, and research themes are also discussed.

The education system is a significant and essential part of developing in our children a connection with and feeling of responsibility for nature. The disciplinary structure of our school system may give the impression to students that different environmental problems are not connected; whereas, effective environmental education is interdisciplinary, addressing social, historical, political, and aesthetic aspects, not simply focusing on natural science. Environmental education can build motivation to learn by increasing relevance, integration of topics, and allowing decision making to be in the hands of the students. This style of teaching can eventually lead to feelings of responsibility toward the Earth and feelings of competence to take action on sustainability. If more environmental education programs can shift toward contexts that are integrated, inquiry driven and student centered, we may see an increased sense of belonging and self esteem, as well as benefits to ecological literacy and; therefore, benefits to society at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Letters between Thomas Frederic Cheeseman of Auckland Museum (New Zealand) and Enrico Hillyer Giglioli of the Florence Natural History Museum (Italy) spanning 27 years (1877–1904), document repeated exchanges of natural history and ethnographic objects (consignments received at Florence in 1879, 1885, 1887, 1890, about 1895 and 1899, and at Auckland in 1882, 1888, 1891, 1896 and 1904). Extracts from the correspondence are used to give a chronological account of the transactions as a detailed case-study of a nineteenth century museum exchange between institutions half a world apart. Emphasis is given to land vertebrates, of which some 150 New Zealand birds were sent to Florence, and more than 600 Italian and foreign birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians were sent to Auckland. Giglioli especially sought Maori and Pacific ethnographic items and persistently requested these. He could offer royal acknowledgement of Cheeseman's efforts, and the latter received a Galileian silver medal of merit from the Florence Faculty of Sciences in 1887. The exchanges show what could be achieved over time by relatively few letters, despite the slow postal service, the need for agents, and the vagaries of freighting by sailing ship and steamer that included port strikes, unscheduled transhipment and the loss of ethnographic items by pillage en route. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angel Cabrera Latorre (1879–1960) was the authority on mammalian studies in Spain during the early twentieth century. Even though his first professional progress at the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid were driven by the former naturalists of Comisión Científica al Pacífico (1862–1866), nevertheless Oldfield Thomas (1858–1929) acted as his mentor. Cabrera's mastery was learned at the British Museum (Natural History) in London where he spent a month during 1910. After returning to Madrid, Cabrera introduced in a short time several modifications in the vertebrate collections, museum's display and nomenclature, and in 1914 contributed the volume about mammals to Fauna Ibérica. Cabrera's Mamiferos remains a landmark in Iberian faunal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lanyu pig is an indigenous miniature pig breed on Lanyu Islet near Taiwan, with a mitochondrial DNA genetic lineage remote from Asian and European pig breeds. The unknown population genetic structure and increased inbreeding among the small population of conserved Lanyu pigs is now of great conservation concern. Additionally, the presence for more than a century of exotic pig breeds in Taiwan has made gene introgression from exotic pig breeds into Lanyu pigs very possible. The present study thus aimed to investigate nuclear genetic variation within the conserved Lanyu pigs and the phylogenetic relationship and possible genetic introgression between Lanyu and exotic pig breeds by determining the polymorphism of 19 microsatellite loci. In the neighbor-joining tree constructed from 7 pig breeds based on Cavalli-Sforza and Edward chord genetic distances, 3 major clades were recognized, in which the Asian and European breeds were separately clustered into 2 clades with a 93.0 and 99.9% bootstrap confidence value, respectively. All individuals of the Lanyu breed formed a unique subclade within the Asian dade based on the distance of the proportion of shared alleles, -ln(ps), suggesting that the Lanyu breed possesses a unique nuclear genetic structure and that no nuclear gene introgression from exotic breeds into the conserved Lanyu pigs has occurred in recent history. Fifteen of 19 microsatellite loci deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (by Wright's statistic), suggesting a significant loss of heterozygosity in the conserved population. The valuable nuclear genetic structure and phylogenetic information should assist future conservation and population management of Lanyu pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many species of gekkotan lizards possess adhesive subdigital pads that allow them to adhere to, and move easily on, a wide variety of surfaces. However, although the mechanism of adhesion and the potential adhesive capacity of this system have been extensively studied, the adaptive value of these structures and their deployment in natural situations have rarely been examined. The maximal adhesive capacity of gekkotan setal fields has been shown to greatly exceed the force needed to support the body. This high adhesive potential is likely an adaptation for movement on the natural surfaces that these lizards encounter in their environment. Natural surfaces may be rough, undulant, and unpredictable, and provide only limited, patchy areas with which adhesive structures can make contact. Here we examine the microtopography of rock surfaces used by a southern African species of gecko of the genus Rhoptropus Peters, 1869, and compare this to the form, configuration, compliance, and functional morphology of the setal fields of this species. Our results demonstrate that the structure and topology of natural surfaces are important factors in understanding the design of subdigital pads, and provide insight into the evolution of the adhesive system of gekkonid lizards and its adaptive value on topographically unpredictable surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotopes measured in keratinized tissues like hair or hoof have proven to be a useful tool for reconstructing the dietary history of animals with a weekly to daily resolution. Quantitative reconstruction of dietary preferences requires a precise estimate of tissue turnover by means of controlled feeding experiments. We determined the turnover rates of carbon in hoof and tail hair of growing steers (Bos taurus L., 1758) fed a C3-based diet, followed by a C4-based diet, for 168 d. As with horses, turnover in steer hair was successfully described by a three-pool modelling approach, with apparent half-lives of 1.7, 7.7, and 69.1 d for each of the pools, each contributing 53%, 20%, and 28% of the total signal, respectively. Two pools only were identified in bovine hoof, which recorded the diet switch more slowly than hair with a reduction in the amplitude of short-term isotope changes. We interpreted this result as a sampling artefact and found that the hooves reflected the same pools as the hair if growth geometry is taken into account. The model parameters defined in this study allowed us to quantitatively reconstruct previous diets of steers of different breeds and individual history with a precision of ±1‰. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Isoflavones are a group of phytoestrogens found in many plants, and daidzein is one of their major metabolites. Previous studies have shown that daidzein affects growth of rumen bacteria and intestinal microflora. This study investigated effects of daidzein on rumen microbial fermentation. Substrate containing ground Chinese wildrye hay (7g/L), corn grain powder (2.1g/L) and soybean meal (0.9g/L) was fermented in vitro by mixed rumen microorganisms and substrate containing rice straw (8g/L) by rumen anaerobic fungi from four rumen fistulated male goats. Results with mixed rumen microorganisms showed that daidzein treatment had no effect on the total VFA, but maximized propionate at about 10mg/L (quadratic P<0.01). As a result, the ratio of acetate to propionate was minimized at 10mg/L (quadratic P<0.05). Daidzein treatment also minimized NH3-N at 10mg/L (quadratic P<0.01), but had no effect on microbial crude protein. The fermentation time-course study showed that the effect of daidzein at 10mg/L on production of acetate and propionate became significant after 1h of fermentation, while the effect on NH3-N content became evident after 5h. In a culture of the rumen anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix sp., daidzein maximized cumulative gas production and specific growth rate to half of the gas pool at 10–50mg/L, but had no effect on dry matter loss. Results indicate potential regulating effects of daidzein on rumen microorganisms that could be useful in the rumen function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to continuously monitor rumen pH of loose-housed dairy cattle as affected by feeding pattern and live yeast supplementation. Three multiparous lactating rumen-cannulated cows receiving the same basal ration once daily were supplemented with 5g/d (equivalent to 1010 CFU/d) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain CNCM I-1077 (Levucell SC2, Lallemand, Toulouse, France) alternately for periods of 2 weeks following a cross-over design. The three cows were maintained in loose-house conditions and milked with a robotic milking system. Cows consumed a fraction of their ration in the feed bunk as a mixed ration and about 3kg/d of concentrate during milking at the robotic milking unit. During the last 8d of each period, rumen pH was monitored every 15min. However, the rumen was accessed only once every 3 days. These pH measurements were recorded with a pH meter capable of storing pH values automatically that was placed inside a custom-made polyvinyl cylinder with about 300g of lead to ensure that the device remained in the ventral part of the rumen throughout all readings. Individual feed intake and feeding patterns were also recorded. The data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model with repeated measures. Average rumen pH was greater (P<0.01) when yeast was supplemented than when no yeast was provided. Ruminal pH decreased (P<0.001) as time since last basal ration bout increased, and this decrease was more (P<0.05) pronounced when no yeast was supplemented. Yeast-supplemented cows had a greater (P<0.05) meal frequency than the unsupplemented cows. The results indicate that live yeasts have a beneficial effect on ruminal pH of cows kept in loose-house conditions. Furthermore, yeast effects on rumen pH may be evident starting 1 week after supplementation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effects of a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-edible algae product, Aquagrow-DHA, on lipolysis and biohydrogenation of linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) was studied in 24h in vitro incubations with buffer (20ml), sheep rumen contents (5ml), hay (0.4g) and sunflower oil (20mg). Four Aquagrow-DHA levels (0, 20.8, 41.6, 83.3mg) were tested and addition of lard ensured that the total fat content was constant. Increasing Aquagrow-DHA proportionally inhibited hydrogenation of C18:2 n-6, provoking an accumulation of C18:1 trans fatty acids (mainly C18:1 t10+t11). Analogous incubations for 6 and 24h with linseed oil (20mg) instead of sunflower oil, resulted in the accumulation of C18:2 t11c15 and, to a lower extent, C18:1 t10+t11 and showed that Aquagrow-DHA reduced the rate of lipolysis of linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3). Comparison of these results with incubations with the individual constituents of Aquagrow-DHA and whole algae biomass revealed that the observed effects were related to the presence of DHA. Finally, incubations under a 50:50 H2:CO2 atmosphere suggested a direct inhibitory effect of unesterified DHA on hydrogenating bacteria involved in the conversion of C18:2 t11c15 and C18:1 trans isomers, rather than on H2 availability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Different levels of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or ammonia bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) were applied to rice straws to investigate the effects on histological dynamic change of stem epidermis before and after in sacco degradation using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The papillae, wart-like structures and micro-hairs on the cuticle layer of stem epidermis were crimped by treatment with NaOH above 30g/kg straw dry matter, but were not crimped in NH4HCO3-treated stems. A part of the cuticle wax and silica layer was breached at high dosages of NH4HCO3. Epidermis was degraded in NaOH-treated stem, but was still observed in untreated or NH4HCO3-treated stems, even after rumen incubation for 48h. Degradation was observed more clearly under TEM than under SEM. Micro-hairs of both untreated and treated stems were not degraded or detached from the epidermis earlier than other epidermal structures. Results indicate that the cuticle wax silica layer of rice stem epidermis is an important barrier to rumen degradation, but pretreatment with NaOH or NH4HCO3 may dissolve (NaOH) or crack off (NH4HCO3) this layer, and that changes increase in a dose-dependent manner. With the dissolving of the cuticle wax layer, the epidermis in the NaOH-treated stems could be degraded by rumen microorganisms, whereas only the breach of the cuticle layer in NH4HCO3-treated stems did not result in degradation of epidermis leading to a lesser positive improvement on rumen digestion versus NaOH treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In arid zones of North Africa, hays formerly harvested from native range forages such as Alfa (Stipa tenacissima), can provide alternative diets for livestock during periods of forage scarcity. However, they usually constitute low-quality forages. Soaking Alfa hay in alkaline solutions prepared from dung ash, with the addition of urea, was evaluated as a potential economic treatment for improving rumen digestibility. A digestion trial was conducted using 3-year-old male goats to compare digestibility of untreated Alfa hay with a treatment containing a 200g/L solution of dung ash from dromedary, and 30g/kg urea. A second experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effectiveness of dung ash source (dromedary or goat), concentration of dung ash solution (0, 100, 200 or 300g/L) and urea (0 or 30g/kg) on in vitro digestibility of Alfa amongst goats. Results of digestion trials showed that treated Alfa hay had higher (P<0.01) digestion coefficients for dry matter (0.483 versus 0.420), organic matter (0.558 versus 0.487), neutral detergent fiber (0.664 versus 0.531) and acid detergent fiber (0.620 versus 0.545) than untreated hay. Crude protein apparent digestibility presented no significant different values (P>0.05) between untreated and treated hay (0.356 versus 0.402). Daily dry matter intake ranged from 40.8 to 46.2g/kgBW0.75 for untreated and treated hay, respectively (P<0.05). This resulted in an increase of the daily digestible dry matter intake of about 31% for treated hay as compared with the untreated hay. Results of the second experiment showed that in vitro organic matter digestibility coefficient (IVOMD) raised from 0.271 for untreated hay to 0.499 for Alfa hay treated with a 300g/L solution of dung ash from goats and with 30g/kg urea. Dung ash from goats appeared to have a higher effect than those from dromedary. Meanwhile, IVOMD of Alfa hay only treated with 30g/L urea was intermediary (0.403). It is concluded that treating Alfa hay with a 200g/L solution of dung ashes and 30g/kg urea can provide an average quality forage which meets the nutritional maintenance requirements of livestock. The significance of these findings is discussed in relation to feeding management strategies for low-input livestock systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Effects of ethanol treatment on ruminal in situ degradation kinetics of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) of soybean meal (SBM) were determined. Soybean meal samples were soaked in 500, 600 or 700ml/l ethanol solutions for 2h. Duplicate nylon bags of untreated or treated SBM were suspended in the rumen of four non-lactating Holstein cows for up to 48h, and resulting data were fitted to non-linear degradation model to calculate degradation parameters of DM and CP. Intestinal CP digestibility was measured using the mobile nylon bag technique. Proteins of untreated and treated bag residues were fractionated by gel electrophoresis. There were differences (P<0.05) for DM and CP degradation parameters between untreated and ethanol treated SBM. Regardless of the concentration, ethanol treatments applied to SBM decreased the washout fraction, the estimated rate of CP degradation, and the effective protein degradation (EPD) compared to untreated SBM. The lowest estimated rate of CP degradation and the calculated EPD were observed when SBM was treated with 600ml/l ethanol solution. Extending the ethanol concentration over 600ml/l to SBM was considered excessive. Ethanol treatments increased (P<0.05) the intestinal mobile bag digestibility of ruminally undegraded CP. At concentration of 500, 600 and 700ml/l, digestibility of CP increased by 4, 12 and 13% compared to untreated SBM, respectively. Electrophoretic analyses of untreated, 500, 600 and 700ml/l ethanol treated SBM revealed that two of the subunits of β-conglycinin (ά and α) had been degraded completely after 2, 6, 8 and 8h, whereas the β subunit of this protein has been degraded after 4, 8, 12 and 12h, respectively. In untreated SBM, the acidic and basic subunits of glycinin had been degraded in 8 and 12h of incubation, but in treated SBM had not been degraded even after 48h of incubation. Based upon these results, treatment of SBM with 600ml/l ethanol solution had the greatest potential to increase rumen undegradable protein. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigated the potential of the goat''s ruminal adaptation to reduce the negative effect of tannins on in vitro fermentation. Rumen fluid was obtained from goats fed a mixture of tannin-containing tree fruits (adapted rumen fluid) or tannin-free commercial protein supplements (unadapted rumen fluid) for 85 days. Dry, mature fruits of Acacia nilotica, Acacia erubescens, Acacia erioloba, Dichrostachys cinerea and Piliostigma thonningii were used as substrates for the in vitro fermentation. The effectiveness of adapted rumen fluid to ferment tannin-containing substrates was compared to the extent of fermentation when tannins were inactivated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a known tannin-binding agent. Adapted rumen fluid (P<0.05) increased gas production from all five substrates between 15.8% and 73.7%. In A. nilotica, D. cinerea and P. thonningii, this increase was less than that obtained through PEG treatment. When PEG was added to adapted rumen fluid a further improvement in extent of fermentation was observed in four out of the five fruit samples. The largest PEG effect when incubated with adapted rumen fluid was observed in A. nilotica (43.1%) and D. cinerea (42.9%) fruits. It is concluded that some tannin-rich feedstuffs may still benefit from treatment even when these are offered to adapted animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Due to its favorable agronomic traits, Acacia saligna has the potential to be used as a perennial forage crop in the agricultural regions of southern Australia. The feed quality of populations from across the natural range of A. saligna was examined using in vitro and spectroscopic methods. The mean feed quality of A. saligna was found to be low in comparison to other forage species commonly used in southern Australia, this was due primarily to low dry matter digestibility (DMD) and high protein precipitable tannin (PPT) levels. The content of crude protein (CP) and fibre were both moderate, and the content of essential minerals was found to meet the basic requirements for sheep, with the exception of phosphorus. There was a significant level of variation in fodder quality between the sampled populations. The feed qualities of some populations were found to approach or exceed what is desirable for a livestock feed. The results showed that A. saligna has the potential to produce feed of an acceptable quality. Further development of the species as a crop requires the detailed characterisation of the variation. Some of the variation in feed quality was correlated with genetic variation in the species, and was poorly correlated with known environmental variation. It may therefore be genetically controlled, suggesting that the feed quality of A. saligna could be improved through selection and breeding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A feeding trial was conducted for 60 days to determine the effect of dietary tannin on growth and health status of Labeo rohita fingerlings. One hundred and eighty fingerlings (average weight 3.2g) were randomly distributed into six treatment groups with three replicates each. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein 339.8–351.1g/kgfeed) and isocaloric (16.51–16.65MJDE/kg) practical diets were prepared with graded levels of tannin, viz. control, T1 (2.5g/kg), T2 (5g/kg), T3 (10g/kg), T4 (15g/kg) and T5 (20g/kg). Addition of tannin up to 20g/kg did not affect the weight gain (%), specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio, and apparent net protein utilization of fingerings significantly (P>0.05). The hepato somatic index value of control group was lowest than the other experimental groups. The muscle cholesterol level and haemoglobin count in the different treatments was significantly increased compared with the control. The immunological parameters like total leucocyte count and respiratory burst activity was significantly increased in tannin-fed groups. Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that short-term feeding for 60 days of hydrolysable tannin has no adverse effect on growth of L. rohita fingerlings. Hence feeding of hydrolysable tannin on a long-term basis needs further study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In 24h in vitro incubations with 25ml of buffered rumen fluid, four doses (0, 20.8, 41.6 and 83.3mg) of a DHA-edible algae product, Aquagrow-DHA, were examined in combination with sunflower (20mg) or linseed oil (20mg). One treatment contained no Aquagrow-DHA, linseed or sunflower oil and one was supplemented with Aquagrow-DHA (166.6mg) only. Addition of lard ensured that total fat content was constant among incubations. Increasing amounts of Aquagrow-DHA progressively inhibited CH4 to a maximum of 80% (P<0.001). Increased CH4 inhibition was accompanied by decreased acetate (P<0.001) and butyrate (P<0.001), and increased propionate (P<0.001) proportions, but also by depression of the short chain fatty acid (SCFA) production by 30% at the highest Aquagrow-DHA level (P<0.001). However, SCFA inhibition only occurred when the Aquagrow-DHA dose exceeded 41.6mg and CH4 production was reduced by about 30% (P<0.05) at this dose. Inhibitory effects were linked to the amount of unesterified polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid. Incubations under partial H2 atmosphere suggested that a direct toxic effect to rumen methanogens was caused by higher amounts of unesterified DHA (>41.6mgAquagrow-DHA/incubation) only, whereas suppression of rumen methanogenesis at lower doses seemed to be indirect through a lack of substrate. This indicates bacteria providing H2 to the rumen methanogens to be more sensitive to unesterified DHA than rumen methanogens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previously, combining docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with linoleic acid in rumen cultures enhanced vaccenic acid (VA) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) accumulations. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effect of two pH levels and two polyunsaturated C18 fatty acid (FA) sources on VA and CLA accumulations in rumen cultures incubated with DHA. High pH culture treatments consisted of 10mg DHA+20mg linoleic acid (LOH), or 10mg DHA+20mg linolenic acid (LNH). Low pH culture treatments consisted of 10mg DHA+20mg linoleic acid (LOL), or 10mg DHA+20mg linolenic acid (LNL). Treatments were incubated in triplicate in 125ml flasks containing 500mg finely ground TMR, 10ml strained ruminal fluid, 40ml media, and 2ml reducing solution. Ruminal fluid was collected from fermenters fed high forage (pH 6.7) or high grain diets (pH 5.4). A 5-ml sample of culture contents was taken at 0 and 24h for fatty acid analysis by gas liquid chromatography. After 24h of incubation, VA was the predominant trans C18:1 FA isomer in the high pH cultures and its concentration was greater with LOH (20.9mg/culture) than with LNH (9.3mg/culture). Similarly, t10 C18:1 was the predominant trans C18:1 FA isomer in the low pH cultures and its concentration was greater with LOL (12.8mg/culture) than with LNL (4.5mg/culture). The c9t11 CLA (0.74mg/culture) and tt CLA (0.67mg/culture) were the predominant CLA isomers in the LOH cultures, while t10c12 CLA (1.47mg/culture) and tt CLA (1.27mg/culture) were the predominant CLA isomers in the LOL cultures. The t11t13 CLA increased in linolenic acid cultures, particularly when linolenic acid incubated under low pH condition (0.95mg/culture). Additions of linolenic acid to rumen cultures caused a dramatic increase in the concentration of t11c15 C18:2 (9.84 and 8.45mg/culture, for treatments LNH and LNL, respectively). The concentrations of VA and c9t11 CLA in rumen cultures were greatest when DHA was incubated with linoleic acid at high pH. In contrast, t10 C18:1 replaced VA and c9t11 CLA disappeared when linoleic and linolenic acids were incubated under the low pH condition. This study shows that the best approach to increase ruminal VA production, and potentially c9t11 CLA levels in ruminant food products, is by combining a DHA source (such as fish oil or algae) and linoleic acid source under high ruminal pH condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effective degradability (ED) and the intestinal effective digestibility (IED) of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) of a green Italian rye-grass (GRG) crop and its silage (ERG) were determined using in situ and particle passage techniques on three wethers, cannulated in rumen and duodenum. Two rumen incubations with duplicate bags filled with 3g of freeze-dried samples were performed for each feed at times of 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72h. On each incubation, one series of bags was used to determine rumen degradation and the other was freeze-dried and pooled for each incubation time. Then two sub-samples (0.2g) were incubated into mobile nylon bags through the entire intestine of each animal. The microbial contamination of rumen incubated residues (determined with 15N techniques) was fitted to an exponential function. The asymptotic values (m) for DM contamination showed that silage particle reached a greater colonisation (P=0.006) but with a slower rate of microbe accumulation (P=0.03). Values of m for CP also showed that the undegradable CP fraction was mainly of microbial origin (0.745 and 0.870 for GRG and ERG, respectively). Two different ED estimates were established: EDp, considering the particle rumen outflow rate (k p) of the ERG, and EDc,p, considering additionally the fractional rate of conminution and mixing (k c) of these particles. Mean values (and S.E.) of both rates were: 0.0497±0.0113 and 0.181±0.0165 (h−1), respectively. The microbial contamination implied an under-evaluation of EDp and EDc,p for CP: 12.7 and 13.5% in GRG and 11.0 and 12.4% in ERG, respectively. These errors were higher for the associated values of undegraded CP. Thus, a proportion of 0.380 and 0.490 in GRG and 0.429 and 0.538 in ERG of these estimates will be really of microbial origin. No differences for EDp or EDc,p values were shown between CP and total analysed amino acids (assumed as representative of true protein). The interference of microbial contamination of feeds in the rumen was also evident in intestinal disappearance values, which showed an irregular and inconsistent evolution with the increase of the rumen residence time. Ensiling reduced the ED and IED of DM as well as the protein undegraded fraction and its IED. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Changes in the ruminal environment of cattle supplemented with corn silage (CS) before alfalfa grazing, in relation to the occurrence of frothy bloat, were evaluated. Six ruminally fistulated heifers were used in a crossover design experiment for in situ determinations and as a source of rumen fluid for in vitro measurements. Alfalfa pasture was grazed at the vegetative stage in a rotational grazing system. Treatments were—C: no supplement; CS: 0.5kg of CS dry matter/100kg body weight. CS supplementation reduced (P<0.05) the frequency and severity of frothy bloat. From the sixth hour until the end of the incubation at 12h, in vitro microbial gas production using alfalfa leaflets as substrate was lower in rumen fluids from CS supplemented heifers. Bacterial mass in the liquid phase of ruminal contents, and in situ microbial colonization of particles entering the rumen did not differ. Only at 4h post-grazing was proteolysis reduced (P<0.05) for both treatments. The anti-bloat mechanisms of CS were not completely identified, however we confirmed that CS supplementation before alfalfa grazing is a reliable management practice to reduce frothy bloat. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The size of the basin of attraction in ecosystems with alternative stable states is often referred to as ‘ecological resilience.’ Ecosystems with a low ecological resilience may easily be tipped into an alternative basin of attraction by a stochastic event. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to measure ecological resilience in practice. Here we show that the rate of recovery from small perturbations (sometimes called ‘engineering resilience’) is a remarkably good indicator of ecological resilience. Such recovery rates decrease as a catastrophic regime shift is approached, a phenomenon known in physics as ‘critical slowing down.’We demonstrate the robust occurrence of critical slowing down in six ecological models and outline a possible experimental approach to quantify differences in recovery rates. In all the models we analyzed, critical slowing down becomes apparent quite far from a threshold point, suggesting that it may indeed be of practical use as an early warning signal. Despite the fact that critical slowing down could also indicate other critical transitions, such as a stable system becoming oscillatory, the robustness of the phenomenon makes it a promising indicator of loss of resilience and the risk of upcoming regime shifts in a system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of common cuckoo nestling begging calls differs between the two host-races parasitizing reed warblers (reed warbler-cuckoos) and dunnocks (dunnock-cuckoos; longer syllable duration, lower peak and maximum frequency, narrower bandwidth). Cross-fostering experiments demonstrated that this difference is not genetically fixed but develops through experience. When newly hatched reed warbler-cuckoos were transferred to dunnock nests, they developed begging calls more like those of dunnock-cuckoos, whereas controls transferred to the nests of robins or left to be raised by reed warblers developed calls more typical of reed warbler-cuckoos. We tested the effectiveness of these different calls in stimulating host provisioning by placing in host nests a single blackbird or song thrush nestling (of similar size to a young cuckoo, but lacking its exuberant begging calls); when it begged we broadcast, from a small loudspeaker on the nest rim, recordings of either dunnock-cuckoo or reed warbler-cuckoo begging calls. Playback of dunnock-cuckoo begging calls induced higher levels of provisioning by dunnocks, whereas playback of reed warbler-cuckoo begging calls did so for both reed warblers and robins. We suggest that the young cuckoo (which ejects the host's eggs/chicks and so is raised alone) learns by experience which calls best stimulate host provisioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species identification tasks are generally accepted as fundamental aspects of biodiversity education. Our educational training unit, therefore, focused on identification skills by introducing stuffed specimens in combination with identification books and preparation booklets. We limited the number of bird species to six. 492 secondary school pupils (163 from 8th grade [high stratification level] and 329 from 9th grade [medium stratification level]) participated in the study. Instruction-1 pupils received a hands-on lesson about the natural history of six bird species, while Instruction-2 pupils were taught in a conventional teacher-centred manner. Pupils from the hands-on classes achieved significantly better grades in two followup tests. The measure of well-being was significantly enhanced by the teaching technique, while interest, anxiety and boredom were not affected. Additionally, pupils appreciated the opportunity of self-regulation. In general, a shift from the unspecific to the specific was observed: for instance, from duck and gull to mallard and black-headed gull. A reduction in the number of species presented to pupils within a lesson seems to enhance learning and retention effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding attitudes toward farm animal welfare has the potential to foster an important link between the researching of welfare issues and the implementation of those findings. In this study, we examined the attitudes and knowledge base of university animal science students, who represent both potential consumers and future industry stakeholders. Eighty-seven students were surveyed to assess attitudes and knowledge base regarding farm animal welfare. In 2003, 58 introductory animal science (ZNTRO) and 29 applied animal behavior (AN BEH) students were surveyed at the beginning (week I, Early) and end (week 14, Late) of spring semester using a 58-item questionnaire. Evidence of students' knowledge base was lower than anticipated. AN BEH students demonstrated a higher knowledge base than did INTRO students. Some clear species perception differences were exposed. Students perceived that horses felt pain more similarly to humans than did other species, experienced boredom more similarly to humans than did other species; and students showed more concern about horses being kept in industry-typical scenarios than they did for other species. When presented with hypothetical (but industry-typical) scenarios for egg production units, dairy operations, pig facilities and horse training facilities, more than 50% of all sampled groups stated they would either "not be very comfortable buying/using product from said facility" or "would not buy/use product from said facility. These data lend support to the concept that, even amongst a population that should be knowledgeable about animal agriculture, awareness of modem animal agriculture practices is low, and does not necessarily represent that concern is absent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asiatic oak weevil [Cyrtepistomus castaneus (Roelofs 1873), Coleoptera: Curculionidae] was detected in New Jersey in 1983 and is now abundant throughout deciduous forests in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. Laboratory feeding trials had suggested a broad range of acceptable hosts for C. castaneus, but field studies were needed to corroborate these findings. We quantified host tree associations of C. castaneus by comparing its abundance among crowns of 66 trees (representing six species) in forests of Ohio and Indiana. The 1827 individuals collected during the study were not equally distributed across tree species; mean proportional abundance was significantly higher on Quercus alba (white oak), Q. rubra (northern red oak) and Acer rubrum (red maple). The high abundance of C. castaneus on Quercus spp. is consistent with laboratory studies and natural history information. However, its presence on A. rubrum and Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip poplar) - a Magnoliaceae - had not been documented in field studies. These results Indicate that C. castaneus has broad host tree associations. We suggest that researchers conduct further field and experimental studies on C. castaneus to better understand its biology and potential for invading forested areas outside of its present geographic range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing academic priorities of universities are often discussed but little investigated by social scientists: What accounts for the striking expansions and contractions in disciplinary fields over time? Focusing specifically on the natural sciences, this article articulates a global-institutional argument that holds that deep shifts in ontological conceptions of action and structure over the course of the 20th century fomented shifts in the teaching and research emphases of universities worldwide. Specifically, it hypothesizes that scientific fields that are premised on fixed categories and hierarchies of entities (for example, zoology) declined relative to fields that are premised on dynamic horizontal networks of entities (for example, physics). In addition, it hypothesizes that as globally institutionalized reality shifted in favor of human, rather than divine, actorhood, fields that position their practitioners as active investigators in a dynamic universe gained ascendance over those that position practitioners as passive observers of a divinely ordered universe. Using data on worldwide faculty composition from 1915 to 1995, the authors found that these shifts in deed transpired-the fixed-categorical fields of astronomy, botany, and zoology declined precipitously, while the dynamic-network fields of geology, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics performed much more robustly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the idea that the importance of systematics and natural history for conservation lies in defining the boundaries of organic diversity. Opinion that field biology has a public-image problem, and that conservation needs the expertise of systematists and natural historians; Idea that society must be carefully articulate the reasons for conserving nature, which places and species to protect, and how to accomplish these goals; The emergence of biochemical systematic techniques which has shown that genetically distinct units are not always recognizable on the basis of traditional external characteristics; Perception that many field biologists see little need to communicate formally with lay people about their research.

The article offers information regarding the expeditions of William Beebe, a longtime curator of birds for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and director of the Department of Tropical Research in Latin America. It is stated that Beebe was known for his deep-sea dives in 1930s. On the expedition co-sponsored by WCS and the National Geographic Society, Beebe and his colleague sent radio transmissions, relaying observations of mysterious marine creatures from a mile under the sea. He visited places including Guyana, the Galapagos Islands, Haiti, Mexico, Trinidad, and the West Indies, to study animals in their natural habitats. Other information concerning Beebe's contribution in generating the public interest in natural history is discussed.

The article reports that a new amphibian family tree, probably the biggest phylogenetic tree ever completed for a class of vertebrates. It was unveiled recently and has already attracted some carping from rival treemakers. The project, detailed in 370 pages in the current issue of the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History was instigated by Darrel Frost, an evolutionary biologist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He and colleagues from more than a dozen institutions have spent the past 3 years comparing 1.8 million base pairs of DNA from 500 species in the three major amphibian groups. The analysis yielded 33 new groups and two new families of amphibians, said Frost. For example, a group of frogs ranging from South America to the American Southwest had to be dissolved as some members proved to be most closely related to an Australian frog and others to American tree frogs. According to Claude Gascon of Conservation International in Washington D.C., this study has just shed a floodlight on understanding how amphibians are related