Spring vegetation phenology is a robust predictor of breeding date across broad landscapes: a multi-site approach using the Corsican blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus).

The regulation of reproductive schedules is an important determinant of avian breeding success. In heterogeneous environments, the optimal breeding period may fluctuate temporally across habitats, often on a spatial scale much shorter than the average dispersal range of individuals. The synchronisation of reproductive events with the most favourable period at a given site therefore involves the integration of a suite of fine-scale environmental signals which contain information about future breeding conditions. In this study, we monitored clutch initiation date of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) breeding in a wide range of environmental conditions (altitude, temperature regimes, habitat type) in Corsica (France) to understand the role of spring temperature and leafing phenology on the precise fine-tuning of egg laying on a local scale. Timing of breeding in blue tits was strongly correlated with phenology of the dominant vegetation (r(2) = 0.87). In contrast, spring temperature was not as robust a predictor of the timing of breeding, because a large part of the residual variation in egg-laying date was accounted by differences (ca. 2 weeks) in the development of the vegetation between habitat types (evergreen vs. deciduous oak forests). Female blue tits therefore appear to use the environmental variable (vegetation phenology) that is most closely linked to the future production of insect prey in order to accurately time laying over the entire spatio-temporal breeding landscape.

Research on Integrated Management for Cattle Fever Ticks and Bovine Babesiosis in the United States and Mexico: Current Status and Opportunities for Binational Coordination.

Bovine babesiosis is a reportable transboundary animal disease caused by Babesia bovis and Babesiabigemina in the Americas where these apicomplexan protozoa are transmitted by the invasive cattle fever ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and Rhipicephalus(Boophilus) annulatus. In countries like Mexico where cattle fever ticks remain endemic, bovine babesiosis is detrimental to cattle health and results in a significant economic cost to the livestock industry. These cattle disease vectors continue to threaten the U.S. cattle industry despite their elimination through efforts of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program. Mexico and the U.S. share a common interest in managing cattle fever ticks through their economically important binational cattle trade. Here, we report the outcomes of a meeting where stakeholders from Mexico and the U.S. representing the livestock and pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies, and research institutions gathered to discuss research and knowledge gaps requiring attention to advance progressive management strategies for bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks. Research recommendations and other actionable activities reflect commitment among meeting participants to seize opportunities for collaborative efforts. Addressing these research gaps is expected to yield scientific knowledge benefitting the interdependent livestock industries of Mexico and the U.S. through its translation into enhanced biosecurity against the economic and animal health impacts of bovine babesiosis and cattle fever ticks.

Higher Ant Diversity in Native Vegetation Than in Stands of the Invasive Arundo, Arundo donax L., Along the Rio Grande Basin in Texas, USA.

Our hypothesis was that there will be greater ant biodiversity in heterogeneous native vegetation compared with Arundo stands. Changes in ant biodiversity due to Arundo invasion may be one of the ecological changes in the landscape that facilitates the invasion of cattle fever ticks from Mexico where they are endemic. Ants collected in pitfall traps were identified and compared between native vegetation and stands of Arundo, Arundo donax L., monthly for a year at 10 locations. A total of 82 752 ants representing 28 genera and 76 species were collected. More ants were collected in the native vegetation which also had greater species richness and biological diversity than ants collected from Arundo stands. It is suggested that the greater heterogeneous nature of native vegetation provided greater and more predictable nourishment in the form of nectars and more abundant arthropod prey when compared with Arundo stands.

Does Space Matter? An Exploratory Study for a Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to explore design elements and spaces as a contributing influence to behavior and well-being for patients, staff, and families in a child-adolescent mental health unit. BACKGROUND: The University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital Child-Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit embarked on a renovation project to relocate the hospital's child and adolescent mental health units. Evidence-based strategies were employed for the design of the new unit to enhance the experience for patients, staff, and families and to support changes in operational and procedural strategies. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was utilized to explore the influence of several design strategies intended to induce calm feelings for patients, staff, and families. A comprehensive literature review informed the design process and study design. Methods include patient image surveys (PIS; n = 188), online staff surveys (n = 48), and face-to-face staff interviews (n = 25). RESULTS: Several design elements and spaces were identified through the image survey as influential in eliciting feelings of calm among patients. Additionally, staff were also influenced by the new unit design, generating feelings of calm, safety, and pride in the work environment. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that design features in which patients have choice and control offer greater perceptions of calm during their stay in the unit. Staff were positively influenced by the colors and artwork throughout the unit as well as the upgraded security and safety features. Findings also show the space has a positive influence on families, demonstrated by its welcoming character and features that help to facilitate better interaction with patients.

Physiological ecology of Mediterranean blue tits (Parus caeruleus L.): effects of ectoparasites (Protocalliphora spp.) and food abundance on metabolic capacity of nestlings.

The consequences of nest ectoparasites, such as Protocalliphora larvae, on nestling birds have been the subject of numerous studies. Despite observed reductions in mass and hematocrit of chicks from parasitized nests, no studies have found any effect of Protocalliphora on nestling survival, suggesting that fitness consequences of Protocalliphora are either weak or occur after fledging. From experiments on the metabolic performance of chicks, we found that parasitized chicks suffer from reduced thermogenic and metabolic capacities as a result of decreased mass and hematocrit. Hence, Protocalliphora may potentially affect nestling survival after fledging, when energetically costly activities such as flight and moult are undertaken. Previous studies have demonstrated an increase in parental feeding rate to compensate for the detrimental consequences of parasite infestation. We tested whether parasite effects on nestling aerobic capacity were dependent on food availability during the feeding period. Measures of caterpillar densities and experimental manipulations of parasite loads allowed us to investigate relationships among host, parasite, and environment. A positive relationship between chick aerobic and thermogenic performances and caterpillar density suggests that negative effects of parasitism may be offset by increased food availability. This study provides the first measurement of the effects of an ectoparasite on metabolic competence in wild birds and documentation of the effect of food availability on ectoparasite virulence using a quantitative measure of food abundance.