scholarly journals Milk Composition of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) in a Natural Environment in Myanmar during Late Lactation

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen S. Dierenfeld ◽  
Yadana A. M. Han ◽  
Khyne U. Mar ◽  
Aung Aung ◽  
Aung Thura Soe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Milk Composition ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Asian Elephants ◽  
Feeding Management ◽  
Captive Populations

The nutritional content of milk from free-living Asian elephants has not previously been reported, despite being vital for better management of captive populations. This study analyzed both milk composition and consumed plant species of Asian elephants managed in their natural environment in Myanmar. Longitudinal samples (n = 36) were obtained during both the wet and the dry season from six mature females in mid to late lactation in 2016 and 2017. Milk composition averaged 82.44% water, with 17.56% total solids containing 5.23% protein, 15.10% fat, 0.87% ash, and 0.18 µg/mL vitamin E. Solids and protein increased with lactation month. Total protein in milk was higher during the wet vs. the dry season. Observed factors linked with maternal (age, parity, size and origin) and calf traits (sex) had significant associations with milk nutrient levels. Primary forages consumed contained moderate protein and fiber. Higher dietary protein during the wet season (11–25%) compared to the dry season (6–19%) may be linked with increased milk protein observed. Our results call for further field studies of milk and diet composition, over entire seasons/lactation periods, and across maternal and calf traits, to improve feeding management, with an overall goal of maximized health and survival.

scholarly journals Trophic ecology and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a caatinga area of northeastern Brazil

2011 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonardo B. Ribeiro ◽  
Eliza M. X. Freire
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Important Prey ◽  
Lepidopteran Larvae ◽  
Prey Items

This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variation in diet composition and foraging behavior of Tropidurus hispidus (Spix, 1825) and T. semitaeniatus (Spix, 1825), as well as measurement of the foraging intensity (number of moves, time spent stationary, distance traveled and number of attacks on prey items) in a caatinga patch on the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated in the diet of both species during the dry season. Opportunistic predation on lepidopteran larvae, coleopteran larvae and adults, and orthopteran nymphs and adults occurred in the wet season; however, hymenopterans/Formicidae were the most important prey items. The number of food items was similar between lizard species in both seasons; however the overlap for number of prey was smaller in the wet season. Preys ingested by T. hispidus during the wet season were also larger than those consumed by T. semitaeniatus. Seasonal comparisons of foraging intensity between the two species differed, mainly in the wet season, when T. hispidus exhibited less movement and fewer attacks on prey, and more time spent stationary if compared to T. semitaeniatus. Although both lizards are sit-and-wait foragers, T. semitaeniatus is more active than T. hispidus. The diet and foraging behavior of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus overlap under limiting conditions during the dry season, and are segregative factors that may contribute to the coexistence of these species in the wet season.

scholarly journals Patterns of Fish Assemblage, Growth, and Diet Composition in a Tropical River between Two Cascading Hydropower Dams

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Lee Nyanti ◽  
Chen-Lin Soo ◽  
Afina-Yian Chundi ◽  
Elsa-Cordelia-Durie Lambat ◽  
Alvinna Tram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Condition Factor ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Native Fish ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Fish Samples ◽  
The Impact

Construction of cascade dams has been shown to have impacts on fish assemblages and biodiversity. Yet, there is no literature on fish assemblages in the Murum River that connects the cascading Bakun and Murum dams in Sarawak, Malaysia. Hence, study on this modified ecosystem is necessitated to better understand the effects of the cascade dam construction on fish fauna. For this, fish samples were caught at five stations located along the river during both dry and wet seasons. Environmental parameters were taken concurrently with fish sampling. Length-weight relationship, condition factors, and diet composition of selected fish species in the river were also determined. The present study demonstrated that there are indications of the impact of cascading dams on the formation of a complex ecosystem in the Murum River, that is, changing from the shallow downstream of the Murum Dam to the deep transitional and inundated zone of the Bakun reservoir. The transitional zone in the Murum River exhibited the lowest fish species diversity, richness, and evenness during the dry season due to low pH and DO coupled with high turbidity. The biological indices improved when the water quality improved during the wet season. On the contrary, the diversity and evenness indices at the inundated tributary station decreased remarkably during the wet season, likely due to the migration of fish during the onset of the rainy season. This study showed that Barbonymus schwanenfeldii has a wider feeding habit which contributes to its higher distribution and abundance in the Murum River. The growth patterns of B. schwanenfeldii, Cyclocheilichthys apogon, Hampala macrolepidota, Lobocheilos ovalis, and Osteochilus enneaporos were better during wet than dry season. Overall, the condition factor of all native fish species in the Murum River was in poor to fair condition, whereas the exotic species, Oreochromis mossambicus, exhibited excellent condition (K value > 2) for both seasons. The increase in the number of O. mossambicus coupled with its high condition factor indicates biological intrusion and a potential threat to the native fish species in the Murum River. Continuous monitoring is essential to detect in-time risk issues associated with environmental degradation and biological invasion in this regulated and inundated river ecosystem.

Resource partitioning among African savanna herbivores in North Cameroon: the importance of diet composition, food quality and body mass

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 503-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. H. de Iongh ◽  
C. B. de Jong ◽  
J. van Goethem ◽  
E. Klop ◽  
A. M. H. Brunsting ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Resource Partitioning ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Niche Breadth ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Niche Separation ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Herbivore Species ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract:The relationship between herbivore diet quality, and diet composition (the range of food plants consumed) and body mass on resource partitioning of herbivores remains the subject of an ongoing scientific debate. In this study we investigated the importance of diet composition and diet quality on resource partitioning among eight species of savanna herbivore in north Cameroon, with different body mass. Dung samples of four to seven wild herbivore and one domesticated species were collected in the field during the dry and wet period. Diet composition was based on microhistological examination of herbivore droppings, epidermis fragments were identified to genus or family level. In addition, the quality of the faecal droppings was determined in terms of phosphorus, nitrogen and fibre concentrations. The results showed that there was no significant correlation between body mass and (differences in) diet composition for wet and dry season. When all species are considered, only significant relationships are found by the Spearman rank correlation analyses during the wet season between body mass and phosphorus and nitrogen, but this relationship did not exist during the dry season. When the analyses focuses on ruminants only (thus leaving out hippo), none of the relationships between body mass and diet quality was significant in either season. During the dry season the proportion of graminoids ranged between 10% (small unidentified herbivore species) to 90% (hippopotamus), during the wet season this proportion ranged from 60% (zebu) to 90% (hippopotamus). All species but zebu had more graminoids in their dung during wet season compared with dry season. However all species but hartebeest had more graminoids old stems in their dung during the dry season, compared with the wet season. The niche breadth for food categories consumed by kob (0.300), hippo (0.090), hartebeest (0.350), roan (0.510) and zebu (0.300) was much greater in the dry season than in the wet season for kob (0.120), hippo (0.020), hartebeest (0.190), roan (0.090) and zebu (0.200). When looking at grass taxa consumed, the niche breadth of kob (0.220), hartebeest (0.140), and roan (0.250) was also greater in the dry season when compared with the wet season for kob (0.050), hartebeest (0.120) and roan (0.120). The opposite was found for zebu and hippo. Comparison of the species’ diet compositions with randomized data showed that dietary overlap between different herbivore species was much higher than what would be expected on the basis of chance, demonstrating surprisingly limited niche separation between species. This offers potential for competition, but it is more likely that the high niche overlap indicates absence of competition, due to low herbivore densities and abundant food resources, permitting species to share non-limiting resources. With increasing herbivore densities and subsequent increasing scarcity of resources, the relationship between diet quality and body mass in combination with increased niche separation is expected to become more visible.

scholarly journals Comparison of the feeding ecology of Perisesarma eumolpe collected at the intact forest and gap areas of Can Gio mangrove forest after ten years of Durian typhoon

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Tran Ngoc Diem My ◽  
Tran Le Quang Ha
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Ecology ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Mangrove Forest ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Stomach Fullness ◽  
Crab Species ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Can Gio Mangrove ◽  
Positive Results

Perisesarma eumolpe is the dominant crab species in the Can Gio mangrove forest, which is affected by bidirectional interaction with the natural environment. After 10 years of Durian typhoon, Perisesarma eumolpe has had significant changes and adaptations on its growth in Can Gio mangrove forest. One of the main changes is their diets between the intact forest and the gap areas which are natural reforestation. The dry season results showed that the fullness of the stomach (S4) was the highest in the total analyzed stomaches. The fullness of the stomach of the P. eumolpe in the gap area (Hcut) is always higher than the rest area. The main diet composition of the P. eumolpe are seven food categories: decomposed leaves, bark, wood, animal debris, algae, sand, unidentified debris. Leaves are dominant food category in both forest and gap areas. To compare with the result obtained in 2007, the feeding ecology of P. eumolpe was initially recorded. These are the increase in stomach fullness, leaves are dominant in the gap area. There are the positive results from the natural reforestation of Can Gio mangroves in the gap area caused by Durian typhoon.  

Dietary overlap between cattle and chital in the Queensland dry tropics

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt Watter ◽  
Greg S. Baxter ◽  
Anthony Pople ◽  
Peter J. Murray
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Dietary Overlap ◽  
Cattle Production ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
Axis Axis

Chital deer (Axis axis) are an ungulate species introduced to northern Queensland, Australia, in an environment where land is managed for large scale cattle production. Rainfall and pasture growth are markedly seasonal and cattle experience a nutritional shortfall each year before monsoon rain. The presence of chital is perceived by land managers to reduce dry-season grass availability and this study sought to estimate the potential effect of free-living chital on regional cattle production. Diet overlap was greatest during the wet season when both ungulates principally consumed grass, and least during the dry season when chital diet comprised only ~50% grass. Using local estimates for energy values of wet and dry season grass, and the maintenance energy requirements of chital and cattle, we estimated the relative dry-matter seasonal grass intakes of both ungulates. The grass consumed annually by 100 chital could support an additional 25 cattle during the wet season and an additional 14 cattle during the dry season.

Analysis for the Uncertainty and Changeability of Groundwater Causticity

2011 ◽  
Vol 130-134 ◽  
pp. 3788-3790
Author(s):  
De Jian Wei ◽  
Xin Gui Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Quality ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Natural Environment ◽  
Ph Value ◽  
Construction Cost ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Quality Analysis ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Design Time ◽  
Selection Of

During wet season and dry season, the groundwater quality analysis results of one engineering site in Nanning indicated that the causticity of groundwater mainly included acid causticity (pH value), calcareous causticity (corrosive CO2) and leaching causticity (HCO3-). Though the twice analysis results of water causticity are both moderately corrosion, the types of decomposed corrosion are different. It indicated the uncertainty and changeability of decomposed corrosion. In actual projects, some special ingredients in groundwater, the site natural environment and hydrologic geologic conditions should be considered together to define the groundwater’s causticity. Moreover, the change of site hydrologic geologic conditions caused by the construction should be considered, because this change can also influence the groundwater’s causticity. In addition, the groundwater’s causticity will influence the selection of cement types and the type of cement will influence the type of foundation, then all these will influence the construction cost finally. So, the change of groundwater’s causticity caused by the site hydrologic geologic conditions should be considered at engineering design time.

Rates of Herbage Ingestion and Turnover of Water and Sodium in Feral Swamp Buffalo, Bubalus Bubalis, in Relation to Primary Production in a Cyperaceous Swamp in Monsoonal Northern Australia.

1982 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 397 ◽  
Author(s):  
CK Williams ◽  
MG Ridpath
Keyword(s):  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Bubalus Bubalis ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Water Turnover ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Daily Rate ◽  
Swamp Buffalo ◽  
Total Body

During a monsoonal dry season, a free-living population of swamp buffalo inhabiting an ephemeral cyperaceous swamp on the floodplain of the South Alligator River had high rates of water turnover. The daily rate of consumption of Eleocharis sphacelata was c. 5.79 kg DM/animal or 49.2 plus or minus 2.77 g/l total body water-0.82. Annual herbage production in the 13.1 ha swamp was estimated at 80.43 t. Buffalo using the swamp varied from 42 in the mid-wet season and 20 in the late-wet season to c. 200 in the dry season. Herbaceous vegetation was grazed out by the end of the arid phase of the monsoonal cycle. The dependence of buffalo on water which confines them during the arid season and results in intense grazing and changes in floristic composition is discussed.

Feeding ecology of the marsupial Thylamys macrurus (Olfers 1818) (Mammalia, Didelphidae) in woodland patches of Cerrado, central-western Brazil

Mammalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geruza Leal Melo ◽  
Sara Angélica Santos ◽  
Jonas Sponchiado ◽  
Nilton Carlos Cáceres ◽  
Leonardo Guimarães Lessa
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Ecology ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Faecal Samples ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Dietary Variation ◽  
Foraging Pattern

Abstract Knowledge about the feeding ecology of didelphid marsupials remains incipient, especially in environments with marked seasonality in resource supply, such as in the Cerrado. We analysed the diet composition of Thylamys macrurus in Cerrado patches in central-western Brazil. We also evaluated seasonal and sexual variation in the species’ diet, as well as if the accumulation of fat in the tail shows a seasonal pattern. We obtained 87 captures of 68 T. macrurus specimens and 29 faecal samples. Six categories of food items (Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Coleoptera, Arachnida, Blattodea and seeds) were identified. Arthropods were recorded in all samples and seeds in 10.3%. The species showed seasonal variation in diet, consuming primarily of arthropods throughout the year but incorporating a higher proportion of fruits during the wet season. Males and females also differed in diet composition; males consumed a wider range of items in the dry season. Although more detailed analyses are still needed to better understand the T. macrurus food consumption pattern, our results indicate a possible relationship between dietary variation and local availability of resources, suggesting an opportunistic foraging pattern. The accumulation of fat in the tail also presents a seasonal pattern, with a larger tail diameter in the dry season.

AMEBAS PATÓGENAS DE VIDA LIBRE DEL GÉNERO ACANTHAMOEBA EN AGUAS RECREATIVAS EN LA HUASTECA POTOSINA, MÉXICO

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Ortiz Ortega ◽  
Alonso Vilches Flores ◽  
Marco Aurelio Rodríguez Monroy ◽  
Patricia Bonilla Lemus
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Water Body ◽  
Tropical Climate ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Thermal Waters ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Severe Infections ◽  
Amebic Encephalitis ◽  
Animal Tests

Studies accomplished in freshwater demonstrate the importance of identify the presence of<br />protozoa like free living amoebae (FLA). In particular, the genera Acanthamoeba is associated with<br />severe infections in man, as the Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis (GAE). The most important<br />factor for the development of these organisms is the high temperature of the water body. The<br />region of the Huasteca Potosina in Mexico, with a tropical climate and great aquatic resorts, like<br />rivers, waterfalls and pools of thermal waters, that allows the development of amoebae. In this<br />study we evaluated the presence of amoebas in the most visited places on the Huasteca Potosina.<br />Samples of a liter were taken in nine sites during the rainy and dry season. 54 strains of amoebas<br />were identify, 46 belong to the genera Acanthamoeba, resulting 30 of them pathogenic in the<br />animal tests. The pathogenic isolated amoebas were present in the most attended resorts by the<br />people in the waterfalls or pools of the places sampling. Temperature turned out to be the most<br />important factor for the presence of amoebae.

scholarly journals The seasonal changes of the gut microbiome of the population living in traditional lifestyles are represented by characteristic species-level and functional-level SNP enrichment patterns

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Zhu ◽  
Jiyue Qin ◽  
Chongyang Tan ◽  
Kang Ning
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Snp Analysis ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Human Gut ◽  
Human Gut Microbiome ◽  
Genome Level ◽  
Prevalent Species

Abstract Background Most studies investigating human gut microbiome dynamics are conducted on humans living in an urban setting. However, few studies have researched the gut microbiome of the populations living traditional lifestyles. These understudied populations are arguably better subjects in answering human-gut microbiome evolution because of their lower exposure to antibiotics and higher dependence on natural resources. Hadza hunter-gatherers in Tanzania have exhibited high biodiversity and seasonal patterns in their gut microbiome composition at the family level, where some taxa disappear in one season and reappear later. Such seasonal changes have been profiled, but the nucleotide changes remain unexplored at the genome level. Thus, it is still elusive how microbial communities change with seasonal changes at the genome level. Results In this study, we performed a strain-level single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis on 40 Hadza fecal metagenome samples spanning three seasons. With more SNP presented in the wet season, eight prevalent species have significant SNP enrichment with the increasing number of SNP calling by VarScan2, among which only three species have relatively high abundances. Eighty-three genes have the most SNP distributions between the wet season and dry season. Many of these genes are derived from Ruminococcus obeum, and mainly participated in metabolic pathways including carbon metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis. Conclusions Eight prevalent species have significant SNP enrichments with the increasing number of SNP, among which only Eubacterium biforme, Eubacterium hallii and Ruminococcus obeum have relatively high species abundances. Many genes in the microbiomes also presented characteristic SNP distributions between the wet season and the dry season. This implies that the seasonal changes might indirectly impact the mutation patterns for specific species and functions for the gut microbiome of the population that lives in traditional lifestyles through changing the diet in wet and dry seasons, indicating the role of these variants in these species’ adaptation to the changing environment and diets.

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