Habitat type,food resources,noise and light pollution explain the species composition,abundance and stability of a winter bird assemblage in an urban environment

At present, urban areas cover almost 3% of the Earth’s terrestrial area, and this proportion is constantly increasing. Although urbanization leads to a decline in biodiversity, at the same time it creates extensive habitats that are exploited by an assemblage of organisms, including birds. The species composition and density of birds nesting in towns and cities are determined by the types of buildings, the structure and maturity of urban greenery, and habitat diversity. In contrast, the habitat traits shaping the community of birds wintering in urban areas are not known. The aim of this work was to assess the influence of habitat structure, food resources and the urban effects (pollution, noise, artificial light) on an assemblage of birds overwintering in an urban area. It was carried out in 2014 and 2015 in the city of Kraków (southern Poland), on 56 randomly chosen sample plots, in which the composition, density and interseasonal similarity of bird assemblage were assessed with line transect method. A total of 64 bird species (mean = 17.7 ± 4.9 SD species/plot) was recorded. The mean density was 89.6 ind./km ±63.3 SD. The most numerous species were Great Tit Parus major, Magpie Pica pica, Blackbird Turdus merula, Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus, Rook Corvus frugilegus, Fieldfare Turdus pilaris and House Sparrow Passer domesticus. Noise adversely affected species numbers and density, but artificial light acted positively on the density of birds and their interseasonal stability. The species richness and density of birds were also determined by the number of food sources available (e.g. bird-feeders). In addition, the greater the proportion of open areas, the fewer species were recorded. In contrast, the more urban greenery there was, the greater the density of the entire bird assemblage. Urban infrastructure (buildings, roads, refuse tips) had a positive effect on the interseasonal stabilization of the species composition of wintering birds. The results of this work indicate that the urban effect, i.e. noise and light pollution, apart from purely habitat factors, provide a good explanation for the species richness, density and stability of bird assemblage wintering in urban areas.     

Atypical feeding of woodpeckers,crows and redstarts on mass-swarming <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hydropsyche pellucidula</Emphasis> caddisflies attracted to glass panes

Artificial shiny dark objects reflecting horizontally polarized light (e.g. asphalt roads, black cars, solar panels) can attract polarotactic aquatic insects in mass. Glass buildings on the riverside also lure swarming caddisflies emerging from the river. These caddisfly swarms are a temporary rich food source for certain bird species, such as white wagtails (Motacilla alba), house sparrows (Passer domesticus), magpies (Pica pica) and great tits (Parus major). We report here about our observation of great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopos major), hooded crows (Corvus cornix) and black redstarts (Phoenicurus ochruros) feeding atypically on Hydropsyche pellucidula caddisflies swarming at glass buildings placed on the shore of the river Danube in Budapest (Hungary).     

Conservation-priority grassland bird response to urban landcover and habitat fragmentation

As urbanization in the landscape increases, some urban centers are setting aside habitat for wildlife. This habitat may be particularly valuable to declining or conservation-priority species. One group in particular need of conservation actions that may benefit from habitat located in urban areas is grassland birds. Declines of grassland bird species have been particularly severe in the Midwestern U.S., where most grassland cover has been lost, fragmented, and surrounded by unsuitable habitat. Conservation efforts have focused on protecting large grasslands surrounded by minimal amounts of trees and development. Although urban development is considered hostile to grassland birds, this assumption has received little attention. In heavily fragmented landscapes where habitat is limited, urban grasslands may be of significant value to grassland birds. We examined grassland bird response to development and additional landscape and habitat variables in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. In 2012 and 2013, we surveyed bird communities in grassland patches along a gradient of urbanization and patch sizes. Density of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) increased with amount of development, while density of Sedge Wrens (Cistothorus platensis) decreased. Development did not appreciably impact Bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna), Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum), or Henslow’s Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii). Patch size had a positive effect on species densities. These results indicate that for many conservation-priority grassland birds, urban landcover surrounding grasslands generally has neutral rather than negative effects on habitat use. Therefore, grasslands in developed landscapes may provide valuable contributions to regional conservation efforts.     

Exotic trees can sustain native birds in urban woodlands

Native landscaping has been proposed as a means of increasing native bird diversity and abundance in urban landscapes. However residents’ preferences for vegetation are such that exotic plants are often preferred over natives. We investigated the extent to which native birds foraged in three common native and three exotic tree species in mixed urban woodland during four seasons. We predicted that native birds would spend more time foraging in native trees, and that food resources provided by deciduous exotic trees would be more seasonal than those provided by non-deciduous natives. Native birds spent a lot of time foraging in two of the native tree species, but very little time in native red beech (Nothofagus fusca). They used exotic oak (Quercus robur) throughout the year, and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) seasonally. Oak and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) were used by the largest number of species overall, because they attracted both native and exotic birds. With the exception of tree fuchsia (Fuschia excorticata), which produces large volumes of nectar followed by fruits, all tree species were sources of invertebrates for insectivorous feeding. Seasonality of use was high only in sycamore, indicating limited support for our second prediction. We show that being native doesn’t necessarily entail being a good food source for native birds, and popular landscaping exotic species, such as oak, provide foraging opportunities across all seasons.     

Nest predators,but not nest survival,differ between adjacent urban habitats

Growing human populations make it imperative for ecologists to identify strategies to conserve biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes, such as cities. Effects of urbanization on birds are particularly well-studied, but questions remain regarding the best conservation approaches. Debate about the relative utility of focusing conservation efforts on nature reserves versus developed lands has focused largely on comparing species abundance or presence, with few studies addressing underlying behavioral or demographic mechanisms. Here we evaluated differences in avian reproductive success in nature reserves and matrix habitats to test the assumption that nest predation is lower within areas protected from development. Specifically, we investigated 1) whether nest survival differed in replicated pairs of forest parks and residential neighborhoods and 2) whether differences in nest survival were associated with changes in which species most frequently depredated nests. From April–August 2007–2014, we monitored nests of two native birds, American robin (Turdus migratorius) and northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), and video-documented nest predators in paired forest-matrix habitats in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. We found similar rates of nest survival in the two habitats for both robins (Χ²₁?=?0.715, p?=?0.398, n?=?741 nests) and cardinals (Χ²₁?=?0.926, p?=?0.336, n?=?1156 nests), but interactions between predators and prey differed. In particular, domestic cats (Felis catus) were over five times as likely to depredate cardinal nests in matrix habitats versus forest parks (Χ²₁?=?7.24, simulated p?=?0.010; n_forest?=?3, n_matrix?=?7). Our results suggest that at least in some circumstances, nest success of native birds may be equivalent between nature reserves and adjacent residential matrix habitats, and thus residential neighborhoods may contribute positively to bird conservation in urban landscapes.     

Predation of artificial bird nests in suburban gardens of KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

As urbanization increases, the identification of nest predators becomes important for avian conservation and management of urban wildlife communities. We investigated bird nest predation using artificial nests in urban areas of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province of South Africa. From June 2013 through February 2014 we installed seventy-five artificial nests in 25 suburban gardens in the Ethekwini and Msunduzi municipalities of KZN. Euplectes spp. nests were used and baited with two quail-sized, hand-made, silicon eggs. These were placed in residential gardens and monitored by camera traps for 2-weeks in winter, spring and summer respectively. Generally bird nesting occurs throughout the year in KZN’s subtropical climate, with some avoidance during the autumn season. Therefore, experiments were not conducted during autumn, as fresh nests were not available for use. Overall the rate of predation on artificial nests was 25 % (n = 19), with vervet monkeys Ceropithecus aethiops pygerythrus predating 20 % (n = 17) of the nests while domestic cats Felis catus predated 3 % (n = 2) of nests. Nest predation was significantly higher in the winter season, with 79 % of depredations occurring in winter (n = 15), 16 % in spring (n = 3) and 5 % in summer (n = 1), and in areas with less canopy cover. Our results suggest that vervet monkeys may have a negative impact on nesting birds in urban environments, however, in order to assess the rate of predation experiments on natural nests coupled with information on fledgling success is deemed necessary to investigate avian population declines.     

Food in a row: urban trees offer valuable floral resources to pollinating insects

Urbanization affects the availability and diversity of floral resources (pollen and/or nectar) for wild pollinating insects. For example, urban green areas are characterized by an abundance of ornamental plant species. Increasingly, trees are planted to improve the aesthetics of urban streets and parks. These urban trees might offer important floral resources to pollinating insects. To examine the suitability of urban trees as resources for pollinating insects, we investigated the chemical composition of pollen and nectar as well as the amount of nectar produced by the nine major insect-pollinated tree species planted in cities of Western Europe, namely Acer pseudoplatanus, Aesculus carnea, A. hippocastanum, Robinia pseudoacacia, Tilia cordata, T. x euchlora, T. x europaea, T. platyphyllos and T. tomentosa. The analyses revealed that globally the Tilia trees provide pollen with lower contents of polypeptides, amino acids and phytosterols compared with the other species. Urban tree flowers offer abundant nectar with relatively high sugar contents (0.16–1.28 mg/flower); sucrose was the predominant sugar in all nectars. The investigated tree species could therefore be considered in future city plantings.     

Determining species specific nightly bat activity in sites with varying urban intensity

Time of peak bat activity during the night differs among bat species due to temperature, prey availability, habitat availability, and/or interactions between species. Habitat availability is altered in urban areas, which may affect insect prey availability and interspecies interactions. Our objectives were to use mobile acoustic monitoring to determine when bat species were active in a single night in urban and nonurban sites and if nightly bat activity patterns differed in urban versus nonurban sites. Bat echolocation call sequences were recorded using Anabat acoustic detectors while driving transects through the night at five sites (three “urban” and two “nonurban”) located in the Piedmont region of north-central North Carolina from May through August 2016. Transects were driven three times per night starting 45 min, 180 min, and 300 min after sunset. Recorded echolocation call sequences were analyzed manually using AnalookW and automatically using Bat Call Identification and Echoclass software. Total bat activity was not different between urban and nonurban sites. However, total bat activity was lower later in the night in urban sites, but stayed the same in nonurban sites. Species specifically, there were more Eptesicus fuscus, Lasionycteris noctivagans, and Tadarida brasiliensis call sequences and fewer Lasiurus borealis, Nycticeius humeralis, and Perimyotis subflavus call sequences in urban sites than nonurban sites. There were also fewer E. fuscus, L. noctivagans, and N. humeralis call sequences later in the night in both urban and nonurban sites. Only Lasiurus borealis activity in urban sites later in the night reduced and L. borealis activity in nonurban sites remained at the same. These results suggest that bats in urban areas partition time differently, which is important to consider for urban conservation efforts and planning.     

Cavity nesting birds along an urban-wildland gradient: is human facilitation structuring the bird community?

Urbanization brings dramatic and sudden changes to ecological conditions affecting natural communities. Cavity-nesting birds, both primary and secondary (hereafter PCN and SCN, respectively), may be limited in this novel environment because of reduced abundance of nesting sites (e.g. snags and cavities) and competition for cavities with non-native species. But humans can also directly and indirectly provide nest sites (e.g., nest boxes, crevices on houses), especially for SCN species, potentially partially compensating for negative effects. We investigated whether and how PCNs and humans facilitated the cavity-nesting bird community along a gradient of urbanization. To do so, we estimated the abundance of cavity-nesting species between 1998 and 2010 at 135, 1-km² sites that differed in the degree of urbanization (0–100 % forest cover). Also, we found 367 nests on a subset of 31 sites. PCNs (n = 67 nests) nested mostly on snags (98.5 %), while native SCNs (n = 141) used both natural (71.63 %) and anthropogenic (28.37 %) cavities. Non-native SCNs (n = 159 nests) used mostly anthropogenic cavities (98.11 %). PCN abundance facilitated native SCN abundance on sites with more than 12 % forest cover at 1-km² scale, but not at less forested sites. There, native SCNs nested primarily (59 %) in anthropogenic cavities. Human facilitation allowed native SCNs to successfully use and reproduce where snags were scarce, changing the composition and structure of the cavity-nesting bird community within the most urbanized sites. Flexible nest site selection and human facilitation provide new opportunities for native cavity-nesting birds in a rapidly changing world.     

Park pruning prompts a competitive reversal of an exotic tree, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ligustrum lucidum</Emphasis>, in urban forests of Japan

Ligustrum lucidum, a tree native to China has naturalized in Japan where it is often planted in parks and along roads. Naturalized individuals in urban woodlands have uncertain competitiveness against native species, particular in light of the frequent pruning undertaken in these woodlands. We compared fitness-related traits of Ligustrum against two co-occurring native species: a pioneer tree (Mallotus japonicus) and an understory tree (Eurya japonica) under pruned and un-pruned settings. A growth experiments where we assessed the leaf and whole plant characteristics of the 3 species under two environments simulating forest edge and forest interior, and two pruning treatments (with or without) was conducted. Under simulated forest edge without pruning, Ligustrum had lower stem growth and A_max (maximum photosynthetic rate) than Mallotus, suggesting that native species can competitively suppress invasive expansion. With pruning, however, Ligustrum resprouted vigorously in both spring and summer with significantly higher apical growth and total shoots than Mallotus and Eurya in forest edge and interior, respectively. Also, with similar A_max between resprouts of Ligustrum and Mallotus, we see a reversal of competitive advantage in favor of Ligustrum in forest edge. In the forest interior, Ligustrum exhibited shade tolerant properties (i.e., A_max, chlorophyll a/b, and leaf density) similar to Eurya but had more resprout shoots, suggesting that the invader also maintains an advantage under low light. The competitiveness of Ligustrum clearly increased with human disturbance in the form of park pruning. Such management practice can inadvertently enhance the invasiveness of exotic species in urban settings.     

Co-development of Problem Gambling and Depression Symptoms in Emerging Adults: A Parallel-Process Latent Class Growth Model

This study examines whether there are multiple joint trajectories of depression and problem gambling co-development in a sample of emerging adults. Data were from the Manitoba Longitudinal Study of Young Adults (n = 679), which was collected in 4 waves across 5 years (age 18–20 at baseline). Parallel process latent class growth modeling was used to identified 5 joint trajectory classes: low decreasing gambling, low increasing depression (81%); low stable gambling, moderate decreasing depression (9%); low stable gambling, high decreasing depression (5%); low stable gambling, moderate stable depression (3%); moderate stable problem gambling, no depression (2%). There was no evidence of reciprocal growth in problem gambling and depression in any of the joint classes. Multinomial logistic regression analyses of baseline risk and protective factors found that only neuroticism, escape-avoidance coping, and perceived level of family social support were significant predictors of joint trajectory class membership. Consistent with the pathways model framework, we observed that individuals in the problem gambling only class were more likely using gambling as a stable way to cope with negative emotions. Similarly, high levels of neuroticism and low levels of family support were associated with increased odds of being in a class with moderate to high levels of depressive symptoms (but low gambling problems). The results suggest that interventions for problem gambling and/or depression need to focus on promoting more adaptive coping skills among more “at-risk” young adults, and such interventions should be tailored in relation to specific subtypes of comorbid mental illness.     

Rainfall interception capacity of tree species used in urban afforestation

Afforestation is inserted in the urban environment and interferes directly in the surface runoff. In order to quantify the rainfall interception by tree species, an experiment was carried out in the city of Uruaçu, Goiás, Brazil, with the four most common tree species in the urban afforestation of the region. The species chosen were the Mangifera indica (mango tree), the Caesalpinia peltophoroides (sibipiruna tree), the Pachira aquatica (munguba tree) and the Licania tomentosa (oiti). In order to register precipitation, ten pluviographs were used. They are capable of measuring precipitation over time in terms of duration, volume, and intensity. For events with a mean cumulative precipitation of 16.7 mm, the mean values of interception found in each species were: Mangifera indica - 8.0 mm; Pachira aquatica - 7.4 mm; Licania tomentosa - 7.2 mm; and Caesalpinia peltophoroides - 4.8 mm. The research confirms the importance of studies related to the identification of the species’ individual characteristics that interfere in the rainfall interception capacity and that can consequently contribute to urban drainage actions. In addition, it proves the existence of variations of rainfall interception in relation to rainfall events and during their occurrences and emphasizes the need for a careful definition of the species that will compose the urban afforestation.     

Factors determining the occupancy of Trumpeter Hornbills in urban-forest mosaics of KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Understanding the factors determining the occupancy and detection probability of birds in human dominated environments is important for their conservation. In this study we investigated various environmental variables believed to influence the site occupancy and detection probability of Trumpeter Hornbill (Bycanistes bucinator) in urban-forest mosaics of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Presence/absence data were collected from a total of 50 point count stations established between September 2014 and March 2015 in urban-forest mosaics of Durban, Eshowe and Mtunzini. Mean occupancy rate of Trumpeter Hornbill was 0.40 ± 0.09 with a low detection probability of 0.28 ± 0.04. For Trumpeter Hornbills, large trees influenced their occupancy positively (sum AIC weight (ω _i ) = 79%) while relative human abundance negatively influenced their occupancy (ω _i = 91%). Model selection suggested that housing density had a strong negative influence on detection probability of Trumpeter Hornbills (ω _i ?=?82?%?) and availability of fruiting trees influenced their detection positively (ω _i ?=?29%). With continued changing land use in KwaZulu-Natal, these finding are important for conservation of Trumpeter Hornbills as we provide insight into landscape variables or features that influence Trumpeter Hornbill’s occupancy and detection in areas of urban-forest mosaics.     

Influence of urbanization on the occurrence and activity of aerial insectivorous bats

Activity and species-specific responses of insectivorous bats in different urban-forest conditions provides a general perspective on the adaptability and vulnerability of bat species towards urbanization intensity. Here we evaluated species richness and activity patterns of aerial insectivorous bats across an urbanized landscape in the highlands of Chiapas, in Mexico. Acoustic monitoring of echolocation calls was conducted for 27 nights over a period of four months. Species richness and relative activity of insectivorous bats were estimated in a landscape with different conditions of urbanization intensity: urban areas, non-urban and forest areas. We identified a total of 14 bat species and three phonotypes. Bat species richness and relative activity was similar (X² = 0.568, gl = 2, p > 0.05), but species composition differed among conditions. We observed a significant higher occurrence of Bauerus dubiaquercus, Eptesicus brasiliensis and Myotis californicus in forest sites. Urban sites presented higher occurrence of Molossus rufus and phonotype Molossidae 2, while non-urban sites presented a higher occurrence of Eptesicus furinalis and phonotype Molossidae 2. We were able to identify bat species according to their relative activity in relation todifferent landscape conditions. Species of the Molossidae family presented the highest activity in urban sites, which was positively affected by the number of streetlights, while species of the Vespertilionidae presented the highest activity in forest sites, which was positively related totree density. While urbanization tends to diminish native biodiversity and alter faunal communities, our results show a similar richness and relative activity of aerial insectivorous bats along the urban ecosystem. The effect of urbanization intensity becomes more apparent in species-specific bat activity; the response of species towards particular habitat conditions depends on local habitat quality and characteristics (i.e., presence of streetlights, vegetation cover and tree density).     

The influence of small urban parks characteristics on bird diversity: A case study of Petaling Jaya,Malaysia

The capacity of small urban park to serve as urban habitats are rarely explored. This study analyses the characteristics of small urban parks and their potential to support urban biodiversity and ecological functions. Nine small urban parks were studied in Malaysia in August and September 2014 using the combined field survey method of structured observation and field measurements. The measured variables were divided into three broad categories of physical characteristics, species richness and human factors. Bird species richness and abundance were used as the indicators for assessing biodiversity. Pearson correlations and multiple regressions were conducted to analyse the relationships between variables and to identify which variables had a significant effect on bird species richness and abundance. The results demonstrated that park area and vegetation variables ( e.g. the percentage of tree canopy cover, open grass/ground, native-exotic plants) are the important predictors of bird species richness and abundance. The percentage of canopy covers (negative relation) and park area (positive relation) are the best predictors of bird species richness in small urban parks. Meanwhile, the best predictors for bird abundance are the percentage of canopy covers (negative relation) and native vegetation species (positive relation). Human activities and park surroundings have a marginal effect on the presence of bird species in small parks. Based on the findings, we provide two general recommendations that could probably increase bird diversity in small urban parks: (1) the park development and management plan should incorporate a social-ecological approach that can benefit both city-dwellers and bird species, and (2) findings from the study should be used to rethink the planting design and composition of especially newly established small urban parks.     

On the equivalence between progressive taxation and inequality reduction

We establish the precise connections between progressive taxation and inequality reduction, in a setting where the level of tax revenue to be raised is exogenously fixed and tax schemes are balanced. We show that, in contrast with the traditional literature on taxation, the equivalence between inequality reduction and the combination of progressivity and income order preservation does not always hold in this setting. However, we show that, among rules satisfying consistency and, either revenue continuity, or revenue monotonicity, the equivalence remains intact.     

The effects of scatter-hoarding rodents on Mongolian oak (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus mongolica</Emphasis>) acorn dispersal and seedling distribution in urban woodland

Scatter-hoarding by animals is an effective mechanism for seed dispersal and plant regeneration in natural ecosystems, however, studies on the interaction between hoarding animals and urban forest are insufficient. By methods of acorn placement experiment, cache and seedling survey, the relationship between acorn dispersal and seedlings distribution of Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica) and scatter hoarding rodents was investigated at the Northeast Forestry University Woodland of Harbin, China. Results indicated that main scatter hoarding rodents of acorns were squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) and chipmunks (Eutamias sibiricus). Mongolian oak seedlings were distributed primarily in Mongolian Scotch pine, birch and larch parcels (df = 3, χ ² = 1502.77, P < 0.01). Most seedlings were 4 ~ 6 years (df = 3, χ ² = 408.23, P < 0.01) and mainly dispersed within range of 100 m from the parent trees. The activity frequency and cache habitats of squirrels coincided with the distribution pattern of Mongolian oak seedlings, which meant scatter hoarding rodents had important effects on acorn dispersal and seedling establishment of urban Mongolian oaks.     

Comparison of water-use characteristics of landscape tree (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Tabebuia argentea</Emphasis>) and palm (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ptychosperma macarthurii</Emphasis>) species in a tropical roof garden with implications for urban water management

In cities, landscape palms and trees are planted for scenic views and normally maintained with frequent irrigation. With similar water input, their morphological difference may lead to different water-use that varies seasonally. Thus, evaluating their water-use patterns is necessary to achieve proper urban water management. Here, we examined water-use characteristics of Tabebuia argentea and Ptychosperma macarthurii, a tree and a palm species, in a roof garden in Bangkok, Thailand. Self-constructed Granier’s probes were used for sap flux measurement and monitored for five months in 2016. Results showed that palm transpired 3–4 times higher water than tree daily. With frequent watering, tree was more sensitive to increasing vapor pressure deficit (D) than palm on rain-free days. When rainfall occurred, however, both species became less sensitive to D and continued consuming more water at high D. Extending the analysis to include a hypothetical warming climate with +4.8 °C temperature, we found that tree saved more water than palm on rain-free days. However, daily transpiration of both species increased similarly by 14–18% on rainy days. These results imply that Tabebuia argentea may provide ecosystem benefits by conservatively using water under drought and decelerating runoff from the garden when storms come. In contrast, Ptychosperma macarthurii may provide ecosystem disservice with high water-use in dry season but may slow down runoff in wet season and therefore benefiting downstream ecosystems. These findings are useful for selective planting associated with future changes in precipitation patterns, leading to sustainable urban water management.     

Relationships between muscle strength and multi-channel surface EMG parameters in eighty-eight elderly

Background

Since age-related muscle strength loss cannot be explained solely by muscle atrophy, other determinants would also contribute to muscle strength in elderly. The present study aimed to clarify contribution of neuromuscular activation pattern to muscle strength in elderly group. From 88 elderlies (age: 61~?83 years), multi-channel surface electromyography (EMG) of the vastus lateralis muscle was recorded with two-dimensional 64 electrodes during isometric submaximal ramp-up knee extension to assess neuromuscular activation pattern. Correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis were performed between muscle strength and the parameters for signal amplitude and spatial distribution pattern, i.e., root mean square (RMS), correlation coefficient, and modified entropy of multi-channel surface EMG.

Results

There was a significant correlation between muscle strength and RMS (r =?0.361, p =?0.001) in the elderly. Muscle thickness (r =?0.519, p <?0.001), RMS (r =?0.288, p?=?0.001), and normalized RMS (r =?0.177, p =?0.047) were selected as major determinants of muscle strength in stepwise regression analysis (r?=?0.664 in the selected model).

Conclusion

These results suggest that inter-individual difference in muscle strength in elderly can be partly explained by surface EMG amplitude. We concluded that neuromuscular activation pattern is also major determinants of muscle strength on elderly in addition to indicator of muscle volume.

     

An assessment of bumblebee (Bombus spp) land use and floral preference in UK gardens and allotments cultivated for food

There is increasing interest in the value of domestic gardens for supporting biodiversity. While it is well established that bumblebees exploit urban green spaces, this is the first study to explore the land use and floral preferences of the UK’s seven most common bumblebees in gardens and allotments cultivated for food. A citizen science survey was carried out at 38 sites, between 1st June and 30th September 2013. At the landscape scale, bumblebee abundance and species richness was not significantly correlated with surrounding land use characteristics (both p > 0.05). Bombus pratorum was the only species to show correlations with surrounding land use, demonstrating a positive relationship with built areas and gardens and allotments, and a negative correlation with greenspace and agriculture. At the local site-level scale, bumblebee abundance was negatively correlated with areas cultivated for vegetables and fruits, and positively correlated with areas cultivated for flowers, although neither correlation was statistically significant (p = 0.070 and p = 0.051 respectively). Bumblebee species richness was not correlated with either land use (p > 0.05). All bumblebee species were negatively correlated with areas cultivated for vegetables and fruit, bare ground and hard paving. Several flowering plants were visited by all bumblebee species, although relative preferences varied between bumblebee species. Results emphasise the importance of including floral resources within garden and allotment areas cultivated for food, and the need for a mosaic of different flowering plants to cater for varying floral preferences demonstrated by bumblebee species.