Breeding success of Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa under 'mosaic management' : an experimental agrienvironment scheme in The Netherlands

Black-tailed Godwits (Limosa limosa) have been declining for decades in The Netherlands and so far this has not been slowed by conservation measures. A new form of agri-environment scheme was tried out in 2003-2005 at 6 sites where a ‘grassland mosaic’ (200-300 ha) was created by collectives of farmers through a diverse use of fields including postponed and staggered mowing, (early) grazing, creating ‘refuge strips’ during mowing, and active nest protection. We measured breeding success of godwits in each of the experimental sites and nearby, paired controls. Breeding success was higher (0.28 chicks fledged / pair) in mosaics than in controls, but due to lower agricultural nest losses only. Chick survival was 11 % in both mosaics and controls. The amount of late-mown and other grassland suitable for chicks hardly differed between treatments during the fledging period, mainly due to rainfall delaying postponed mowing in all sites. Chick survival was however positively correlated with site variation in the amount of high grass (>18 cm). Breeding success was high enough to compensate for adult mortality (ca. 0.6) in only one mosaic site. Chick survival was lower than in previous Godwit studies, indicating that additional loss factors have increased. Predation (50-80 % of chicks, mostly by birds) is a candidate, but changes in the suitability of late-mown grassland (insect abundance and sward density in grass monocultures) may also play a role. Consequently a higher management investment is needed to achieve a self-sustaining population.Die niederländische Brutpopulation der Uferschnepfe (Limosa limosa) verzeichnet über die letzten Jahrzehnte hinweg eine kontinuierliche Abnahme. Diese Bestandsabnahme konnte bislang auch durch Schutzmaßnahmen nicht aufgehalten werden. Deshalb wurde in den Jahren 2003 – 2005 in sechs Grünlandgebieten mit je 200 – 300 ha Fläche eine neue Form des Vertragsnaturschutzes getestet. Dabei haben die in einem Verbund zusammengeschlossenen Landwirte ein vielfältiges Bewirtschaftungsmosaik praktiziert, das unter anderem variable, gestaffelte Mahdtermine (mit Möglichkeit der Verlegung auf einen späteren Termin), eine (frühe) Beweidung, die Anlage von Fluchtstreifen während der Mahd und aktiven Gelegeschutz vorsah. Um die Wirksamkeit des Programms zu überprüfen, wurde der Bruterfolg der Uferschnepfe in den Vertragsgebieten mit angrenzenden Kontrollgebieten vergleichend untersucht. Die Mosaikbewirtschaftung führte in den Testgebieten zu einem höheren Bruterfolg (0.28 vs. 0.16 Küken pro Paar) gegenüber den Kontrollgebieten, allerdings nur infolge der geringeren Gelegeverluste durch die Landwirtschaft. Die Kükenüberlebensrate lag in beiden Gebieten bei 11 %. Entgegen den Erwartungen unterschied sich die Zahl der Aufzuchthabitate (hier: u.a. spät gemähte Wiesen mit hochwüchsiger Vegetation) zwischen den Test- und Kontrollgebieten während der Schlupf- und Aufzuchtphase kaum. Dieses Ergebnis geht weder auf die Landwirte selbst noch auf die beschriebenen Managementbestimmungen zurück, sondern ist vielmehr das Resultat von Niederschlagsereignissen, die auf allen Flächen zu einer verspäteten Mahd führten. Unter Berücksichtigung der Gebietsunterschiede korrelierte die Überlebensrate der Küken positiv mit dem Flächenanteil höherer Gräser (>18 cm). Der für den Bestandserhalt notwendige Bruterfolg zur Kompensation der Adultsterblichkeit (ca. 0.6 Küken/Paar) wurde in nur einem Testgebiet mit Mosaikbewirtschaftung. Im Vergleich mit früheren Studien lag die Kükenüberlebensrate sogar niedriger. Dies legt den Schluss nahe, dass weitere, zusätzliche Verlustursachen an Bedeutung gewonnen haben. In Frage kommen hier ein zunehmendes Prädationsrisiko (50-80 % aller Küken; meistens durch Vögel verursacht) aber auch Veränderungen in der Verfügbarkeit und Eignung spät gemähter Grünländflächen. In Bezug auf die Eignung von Grünlandflächen als Aufzuchthabitate dürften insbesondere der Arthropodendichte und der Dichte der Vegetation Bedeutung zukommen. Die bisherigen Ergebnisse machen deutlich, dass der Umfang der Artenschutzmaßnahmen deutlich gesteigert werden muss, um eine tragfähige Uferschnepfenpopulation langfristig zu erhalten

The Effect of Local Heat and Cold Therapy on the Intraarticular and Skin Surface Temperature of the Knee

Objective. To evaluate the effects of local application of ice chips, ligno-paraffin, short-wave diathermy, and nitrogen-cold air on skin and intraarticular temperature. \ud Methods. Forty-two healthy subjects were divided into 4 treatment groups. A temperature probe was inserted into the knee joint cavity and another placed on the overlying skin, and changes in temperature over 3 hours, by treatment group, were recorded. \ud Results. The mean skin surface temperature dropped from 27.9°C to 11.5°C after application of ice chips, and from 28.8°C to 13.8°C after application of cold air. The mean intraarticular temperature decreased from 31.9°C to 22.5°C and from 32.9°C to 28.8°C, respectively, after these 2 treatments. Short-wave diathermy increased skin temperature by 2.4°C; intraarticular temperature was increased only 1.4°C by short-wave diathermy. Treatment with ligno-paraffin increased the skin surface temperature 8.9°C; the temperature in the joint cavity was increased 3.5°C. \ud Conclusion. The use of short-wave diathermy and superficial heat packs in the treatment of patients with arthritis may potentially cause harm by increasing intraarticular temperature. This may have major implications regarding treatment policy for patients with arthritis

The influence of vision on susceptibility to acute motion sickness studied under quantifiable stimulus-response conditions

Twenty-four healthy men, 22 to 25 years of age, were exposed to stressful accelerations in a rotating room until acute mild motion sickness was elicited. Thirteen subjects in one group were exposed first with eyes open and later with eyes covered; the reverse order was used with the remaining eleven in the other group. The stressful accelerations were generated by requiring the subject to execute 120 standardized head movements at each 1-rpm increase in angular velocity until the desired endpoint was reached. When susceptibility to motion sickness with eyes open and covered is compared, 19 subjects were more susceptible with eyes open, three with eyes covered, and in the remaining two susceptibility was the same. The maximum difference in velocity between trial 1 and 2 was 7 rpm when susceptibility was greater with eyes open and 3 rpm when it was greater with eyes covered; the means, respectively, were 3.2 and 2.0 rpm. Among subjects manifesting greater susceptibility with eyes open than covered the group differences were small, indicating little or no adaptation effects. The findings are discussed mainly on the basis that vision may act also to decrease susceptibility under the stimulus conditions described

Ecologische kenmerken van weidevogeljongen en de invloed van beheer op overleving. Kennisoverzicht en effectiviteit van maatregelen

Rapport over de effectiviteit van beheersmaatregelen voor overleving van primaire weidevogelkuikens in graslanden, op basis van wetenschappelijke en niet-wetenschappelijke literatuur. Per sprake komen: Ecoprofielen weidevogeljongen van: Kievit (Vanellus vanellus); Grutto (Limosa limosa); Tureluur (Tringa totanus); Scholekster (Haematopus ostralegus); Watersnip (Gallinago gallinago); Kemphaan (Philomachus pugnax); Slobeend (Anas clypeata); Zomertaling (Anas querquedula); Kuifeend (Aythya fuligula); Veldleeuwerik (Alauda arvensis); Graspieper (Anthus pratensis); Gele kwikstaart (Motacilla flava

Reasons why patients by-pass their GP to visit a hospital Emergency Department.

Knowledge about what motivates patients to visit the emergency department (ED) of a hospital for minor complaints, instead of visiting their general practitioner (GP), can help to reduce unnecessary utilization of expensive services. This paper reports on a study designed to investigate the reasons why patients visit the ED and to determine the influence of patient characteristics on specific motives. A multidimensional measurement instrument was designed to identify the motives of patients who bypass their GP and visit the ED. The instrument assessed 21 motives, all measured by means of three questions in Likert format. During a period of 1 week, all patients who visited the ED of two hospitals in Amsterdam were asked to complete a questionnaire when they were 'self-referred' with minor complaints. A total of 403 questionnaires were analysed, and the results show that motives relating to the GP play a minor role in the decision of patients to visit the ED. Profiles of two major patient groups could be identified. One group comprised patients with a high socio-economic status living in suburbs, whose motives for visiting the ED are mainly of a financial nature. Patients in the second group mainly lived in the inner-city, and preferred the expertise and facilities provided by the ED

Emotion regulation and internalizing symptoms in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The aim of this study was to examine the unique contribution of two aspects of emotion regulation (awareness and coping) to the development of internalizing problems in 11-year-old high-functioning children with an autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and a control group, and the moderating effect of group membership on this. The results revealed overlap between the two groups, but also significant differences, suggesting a more fragmented emotion regulation pattern in children with HFASD, especially related to worry and rumination. Moreover, in children with HFASD, symptoms of depression were unrelated to positive mental coping strategies and the conviction that the emotion experience helps in dealing with the problem, suggesting that a positive approach to the problem and its subsequent emotion experience are less effective in the HFASD group