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1,648 results for “farm”
Characteristics of households that were interviewed in a study that investigated factors driving tree species in cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire
<p>1. Intensive cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire, the World's leading cocoa producer, has grown at the expense of forest cover. To reverse this trend, the country has adopted a 'zero deforestation' agricultural policy and committed to rehabilitate its forest cover through the planting of high-value tree species in cocoa landscapes using a participatory approach. However, less is known on the factors influencing farmers' introduction of high-value tree species in cocoa landscapes.</p> <p>2. We tested the hypothesis that ten factors previously reported to influence agroforestry systems adoption predict the number and choice of tree species that farmers introduce in cocoa farms. We interviewed 683 households in the cocoa-producing zone of Côte d'Ivoire and counted tree species in their cocoa farms.</p> <p>3. On average two tree species were recorded per surveyed farm. Generalized Poisson regression models revealed that cocoa production area, experience in tree planting and expected benefits influence tree species introduction through planting or 'retention' when clearing land for cocoa establishment. Age of farmer also influenced (P = 0.017) farmers' tree species planting in cocoa farms. Few tree species were introduced in current intensive cocoa-production areas than in 'old cocoa-loop' and forested areas. The number of tree species introduced in cocoa farms increased with expected benefits and experience in tree planting. The number of planted tree species also increased with farmers' age. Tree species were mostly selected for provision of shade to cocoa, production of useful tree products (38%) and income from the sale of these products (7%). Fruit tree species were the most planted while timber tree species were mostly spared when clearing land for cocoa production.</p> <p>Synthesis and applications. Agroforestry is gaining momentum in Côte d'Ivoire, as public and private institutions including the World Agroforestry Centre are developing and deploying multi-strata cocoa-based agroforestry systems. The results of the present study can guide the design and implementation of biodiverse cocoa-based agroforestry in the cocoa-producing zones of the country</p>
Data from: Wildflower plantings on fruit farms provide pollen resources and increase nesting by stem nesting bees
<p>1. Wildflower plantings on farms have been shown to attract foraging wild bees, however, whether these added floral resources increase nesting densities of bees remains largely untested.</p> <p>2. We placed nest boxes containing natural reeds at 20 fruit farms in Michigan. We then compared nesting densities between farms with and without wildflower plantings and analyzed nest provisions to evaluate use of wildflower plantings for brood provisioning.</p> <p>3. We found significantly greater nesting at farms with wildflower plantings, with only one out of 236 completed nests at a farm without a planting. The majority of nests were completed by <i>Megachile pugnata</i>, with a portion of nests completed by <i>Osmia caerulescens</i>.</p> <p>4. We found that nesting bees collected pollen from only a subset of the available flowers in the wildflower plantings, with a strong preference for <i>Centaurea maculosa</i>, and <i>Rudbeckia</i> type pollens. While these species were found growing in the plantings, only <i>Rudbeckia </i>type<i> </i>species were seeded in the plantings.</p> <p>5. This study provides evidence that wildflower plantings (though not only seeded species) are filling a critical resource gap for stem-nesting bees in agricultural landscapes and likely support local populations.</p>
Data from: Economics, life history and international trade data for seven turtle species in Malaysia and Indonesian farms
<p class="Body"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>We collected data on the wildlife trade of seven turtle and tortoise species endemic to Indonesia and Malaysia (<i>Amyda cartilaginea</i>, <i>Batagur borneoensis</i>, <i>Cuora amboinensis</i>, <i>Carettochelys insculpta</i>, <i>Heosemys annandalii</i>, <i>Heosemys grandis</i>, and <i>Heosemys spinosa</i>). We collated data for: the operations and economics of three breeding farms and one ranching facility; species life-history traits; and species international legal trade and confiscation data. We collected data for the facilities (one in Malaysia and three in Indonesia) using field visits and a semi-structured questionnaire. We conducted a literature review to compile relevant information on species' life-history traits to estimate breeding viability. We downloaded species-specific data on international trade from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database for the exporting countries (Malaysia and Indonesia) for 2000–2015. We compared legal trade with confiscation data obtained from <span><span>CITES. </span></span>The data in this article can provide insights into the operations of turtle breeding farms in Southeast Asia. The data can be used as a reference for the inspection of breeding farms and for legislative bodies to determine whether captive breeding for select turtle species is feasible.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Data from: Thermal plasticity in farmed, wild and hybrid Atlantic salmon during early development: has domestication caused divergence in low temperature tolerance?
Background: In the past three decades, millions of domesticated Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. have escaped from farms into the wild. Their offspring display reduced survival in the natural environment, which demonstrates that gene-flow is likely to have a negative effect on wild populations. However, inter-population differences in introgression of farmed salmon have been observed, and the underlying ecological mechanisms remain enigmatic. We hypothesised that domestication-driven divergence in tolerance to low temperatures during early development may contribute to lower survival of farmed salmon offspring in the wild, which in turn, may influence patterns of introgression among populations exposed to different temperature regimes. We reared the offspring of 35 families of wild, farmed and hybrid origin at three temperatures (3.9, 5.6 and 12 °C) from the onset of exogenous feeding and throughout their first summer. Thermal reaction norms for growth and survival were investigated along the gradient. Results: The main results of this study, which is based upon the analysis of juvenile salmon from five wild strains, two farmed strains and two hybrid strains, can be summarised as; (i) salmon of all origins were able to successfully initiate feeding at all temperatures and similar survival reaction norms were detected in all strains across the temperature gradient; (ii) deviating growth reaction norms were detected between strains, although this result was most likely due to an overall lack of growth in the lower temperature treatments. Conclusions: This study revealed no evidence of domesticated-driven divergence in low temperature tolerance in Atlantic salmon during early development. Although the potential interaction between low temperature and other river-specific factors cannot be excluded, our results indicate that the reduced survival of farmed offspring in the wild is not explained by farmed salmon displaying impaired abilities to initiate feeding at low temperatures. We therefore suggest that the observed inter-population patterns of introgression are not low-temperature driven and that other ecological or biological factors may explain why detection of farmed salmon in wild rivers is not synonymous with introgression. In general, our results support the literature indicating that phenotypic plasticity instead of thermal adaption has been selected for in Atlantic salmon.
Data from: Guiding carbon farming using interdisciplinary mixed methods mapping
In recognition of the need to address complex environmental problems, some ecological studies have adopted social research methods to better understand the complexity of social‐ecological systems management. The overwhelming majority of these studies stop short of fully embracing qualitative methodologies. The lack of integrative social and natural science data for a topic such as soil carbon farming is problematic as theoretical carbon sequestration opportunities identified through soil mapping and process‐based models can fail to deliver the sequestration levels promised when introduced on‐the‐ground. Such mapping needs to account for the human factors involved in delivering increased soil carbon on‐farm. Here, we develop a mixed methods mapping approach to explore the potential for increasing soil carbon stocks on upland farms in the UK. Our approach considers ecological and social complexity through application of soil science, ecology, participant observation, interviews and a focus group. Our maps revealed landscapes that are full of carbon farming opportunity, but contain previously hidden barriers to the delivery of increased soil carbon. For example, they revealed that carbon farming can be considered by farmers to work in opposition to perceived 'good farming' practices and be correlated with increased incidents of livestock disease. We also discovered that the use of maps in research can be problematic as they can close down discussion and exclude local representation of an area. Trialling an interdisciplinary mixed methods approach produced new, deeper and more richly‐textured understandings about how soil carbon management is produced socially as well as ecologically on upland livestock farms. Our findings have potential to improve the success of future carbon farming initiatives by incorporating farmer knowledge and social drivers of implementation.
Data from: Fatty acid profiles of five farmed Brazilian freshwater fish species from different families
The proximate composition and fatty acid (FA) profiles of five Brazilian freshwater fish species, namely Brycon cephalus (BC), Cichla ocellaris (CO), Prochilodus lineatus (PL), Leporinus friderici (LF) and Pseudoplatystoma corruscans (PCO), were investigated. CO and LF exhibited the highest (p < 0.05) moisture content, as well as one of the lowest (p < 0.05) lipid values, whereas BC presented the lowest (p < 0.05) moisture and, alongside PL, the highest (p < 0.05) lipid content. The predominant FAs in the evaluated fish species were palmitic, oleic, linoleic and docosahexaenoic acids. BC and CO presented high n-3 PUFA content, especially DHA, and demonstrated superior nutritional quality indices compared to the other evaluated fish species. Furthermore, a significant relationship was observed among these species, suggesting they possess similar nutritional lipid values. Thus, BC and CO were proven to be an excellent matrix with relevant lipid quality, desirable for human health.
Data from: Assessing risks of invasion through gamete performance: farm Atlantic salmon sperm and eggs show equivalence in function, fertility, compatibility and competitiveness to wild Atlantic salmon
Adaptations at the gamete level (a) evolve quickly, (b) appear sensitive to inbreeding and outbreeding and (c) have important influences on potential to reproduce. We apply this understanding to problems posed by escaped farm salmon and measure their potential to reproduce in the wild. Farm Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are a threat to biodiversity, because they escape in large numbers and can introgress, dilute or disrupt locally adapted wild gene pools. Experiments at the whole fish level have found farm reproductive potential to be significant, but inferior compared to wild adults, especially for males. Here, we assess reproductive performance at the gamete level through detailed in vitro comparisons of the form, function, fertility, compatibility and competitiveness of farm versus wild Atlantic salmon sperm and eggs, in conditions mimicking the natural gametic microenvironment, using fish raised under similar environmental conditions. Despite selective domestication and reduced genetic diversity, we find functional equivalence in all farm fish gamete traits compared with their wild ancestral strain. Our results identify a clear threat of farm salmon reproduction with wild fish and therefore encourage further consideration of using triploid farm strains with optimized traits for aquaculture and fish welfare, as triploid fish remain reproductively sterile following escape.
Data from: Phylogenomics clarifies repeated evolutionary origins of inbreeding and fungus farming in bark beetles (Curculionidae, Scolytinae)
Bark and ambrosia beetles (Curculionidae, Scolytinae) display a conspicuous diversity of unusual genetic and ecological attributes and behaviors. Reconstructing the evolution of Scolytinae, particularly the large and ecologically significant tribe Cryphalini (pygmy borers), has long been problematic. These challenges have not adequately been addressed using morphological characters, and previous research has used only DNA sequence data from small numbers of genes. Through a combination of anchored hybrid enrichment, low-coverage draft genomes, and transcriptomes, we addressed these challenges by amassing a large molecular phylogenetic dataset for bark and ambrosia beetles. The resulting DNA sequence data from 251 protein coding genes (114,276 bp of nucleotide sequence data) support inference of the first robust phylogeny of Scolytinae, with a special focus on the species rich tribe Cryphalini and its close relatives. Key strategies, including inbreeding mating systems and fungus farming, evolved repeatedly across Scolytinae. We confirm 12 of 16 hypothesized origins of fungus farming, 6 of 8 origins of inbreeding polygyny and at least 11 independent origins of a super-generalist host range. These three innovations are statistically correlated, but their appearance within lineages was not necessarily simultaneous. Additionally, the evolution of extreme host plant generalism often preceded, rather than succeeded, fungus farming. Of the high-diversity tribes of Scolytinae, only Xyleborini is monophyletic, Corthylini is paraphyletic and Cryphalini is highly polyphyletic. Cryphalini sensu stricto is part of a clade containing the genera Hypothenemus, Cryphalus and Trypophloeus, and the tribe Xyloterini. Stegomerus and Cryptocarenus (Cryphalini) are part of a clade otherwise containing all Corthylini. Several other genera, including Ernoporus and Scolytogenes (Cryphalini), make up a distantly related clade. Several of the genera of Cryphalini are also intermixed. For example, Cryphalus and Hypocryphalus are intermingled, as well as Ernoporicus, Ptilopodius and Scolytogenes. Our data are consistent with widespread polyphyly and paraphyly across Scolytinae and within Cryphalini, and provides new insights into the evolution of inbreeding mating systems and fungus farming in the species rich and ecologically significant weevil subfamily Scolytinae.
Effect of participation in commercial production of medicinal plants through community-based conservation groups on farm income at Kakamega forest, Kenya
<p class="Abstract">Forest conservation by peripheral communities is one of the most advocated strategies for ensuring sustainable supply of forest goods and services. In Kenya, although conservation activities generate considerable environmental improvements, studies evaluating the economic benefits are very limited. This study aimed at assessing the impact of participating in the commercialization training program by forest adjacent communities on farm income. Utilizing matching techniques, the analysis is based on the data collected from a randomly selected sample of farm households around Kakamega forest in Kenya. The results show that age, forest distance, forest benefit, market distance and farming experience are the main factors that influence the participation in the commercialization program. Also, participating in commercial production of medicinal plants has a positive and significant effect on farmers' income. The average treatment effect on the treated (ATT), based on three estimation algorithms, ranges from KSH. 80,047 to KSH. 176,788 per hectare, per year, implying that policy efforts that focus on the participation in the commercialization program of medicinal plants can enhance incomes among farm-dependent households. The findings from this study suggest that upscaling the participation in the commercialization program to other areas.</p>
Data from: Density-dependent changes in neophobia and stress-coping styles in the world's oldest farmed fish
Farmed fish are typically reared at densities much higher than those observed in the wild, but to what extent crowding results in abnormal behaviours that can impact welfare and stress coping styles is subject to debate. Neophobia (i.e. fear of the 'new') is thought to be adaptive under natural conditions by limiting risks, but it is potentially maladapted in captivity, where there are no predators or novel foods. We reared juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for six weeks at either high (50g/L) or low density (14g/L), assessed the extent of skin and eye darkening (two proxies of chronic stress), and exposed them to a novel object in an open-test arena, with and without cover, to assess the effects of density on neophobia and stress coping styles. Fish reared at high density were darker, more neophobic, less aggressive, less mobile and less likely to take risks than those reared at low density, and these effects were exacerbated when no cover was available. Thus, the reactive coping style shown by fish at high density was very different from the proactive coping style shown by fish at low density. Our findings provide novel insights into the plasticity of fish behaviour and the effects of aquaculture intensification on one of the world's oldest farmed and most invasive fish, and highlight the importance of considering context. Crowding could have a positive effect on the welfare of tilapia by reducing aggressive behaviour, but it can also make fish chronically stressed and more fearful, which could make them less invasive.
Data from: Patterns of migrating soaring migrants indicate attraction to marine wind farms
Monitoring of bird migration at marine wind farms has a short history, and unsurprisingly most studies have focused on the potential for collisions. Risk for population impacts may exist to soaring migrants such as raptors with K-strategic life-history characteristics. Soaring migrants display strong dependence on thermals and updrafts and an affinity to land areas and islands during their migration, a behaviour that creates corridors where raptors move across narrow straits and sounds and are attracted to islands. Several migration corridors for soaring birds overlap with the development regions for marine wind farms in NW Europe. However, no empirical data have yet been available on avoidance or attraction rates and behavioural reactions of soaring migrants to marine wind farms. Based on a post-construction monitoring study, we show that all raptor species displayed a significant attraction behaviour towards a wind farm. The modified migratory behaviour was also significantly different from the behaviour at nearby reference sites. The attraction was inversely related to distance to the wind farm and was primarily recorded during periods of adverse wind conditions. The attraction behaviour suggests that migrating raptor species are far more at risk of colliding with wind turbines at sea than hitherto assessed.
Data from: Landscape context and farm uptake limit effects of bird conservation in the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
1. In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been unsuccessful in halting biodiversity declines to any great extent. Two particular shortcomings of AES include the low farm uptake and the modest efficacy of many AES options. Partly in response to these shortcomings, initiatives encouraging farmers to take an active role in biodiversity conservation have gained in popularity. However, almost no evaluations of such initiatives exist. 2. We evaluated uptake of conservation advice on farms in the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance, a BirdLife Sweden-coordinated project aimed at farmland bird conservation, and the response of farmland birds to those actions using farm-level survey data, in a before-after implementation assessment. 3. Uptake was higher for unsubsidised (i.e. non-AES) measures than for AES options, and depended on farmers' interest in nature, farm size (higher uptake on larger farms) and production type (higher on organic farms). 4. In general, abundances of non-crop nesting and field-nesting bird species declined between inventory years (median interval 3 years). Decreases were more marked in agriculturally marginal regions than in more arable-dominated regions, and declines were stronger on organic than conventional farms. 5. Negative abundance trends among non-crop nesting species were reduced by an increasing number of conservation measures at the farm, but only in the more arable-dominated landscapes. Changes in other non-crop species and in field-nesting species did not significantly relate to implemented measures, but the power to detect such effects was generally small due to the small sample size of high-uptake farms as well as high inter-farm variability. 6. Implications: Our results suggest that Volunteer Farmer Alliances and the addition of unsubsidised measures may be successful in changing the local number of non-crop nesting farmland birds at the farm level, and especially so in intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Thus, unsubsidised measures can be a useful addition to the set of agri-environment tools, although their effects on breeding bird numbers are (as with AES) dependent on landscape context, as well as on ensuring high on-farm uptake of different interventions.
Data from: A genome scan for selection signatures comparing farmed Atlantic salmon with two wild populations: testing co-localization among outlier markers, candidate genes, and QTLs for production traits
Comparative genome scans can be used to identify chromosome regions, but not traits, that are putatively under selection. Identification of targeted traits may be more likely in recently domesticated populations under strong artificial selection for increased production. We used a North American Atlantic salmon 6K SNP dataset to locate genome regions of an aquaculture strain (Saint John River) that were highly diverged from that of its putative wild founder population (Tobique River). First, admixed individuals with partial European ancestry were detected using STRUCTURE and removed from the dataset. Outlier loci were then identified as those showing extreme differentiation between the aquaculture population and the founder population. All Arlequin methods identified an overlapping subset of 17 outlier loci, 3 of which were also identified by BayeScan. Many outlier loci were near candidate genes and some were near published quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for growth, appetite, maturity, or disease-resistance. Parallel comparisons using a wild, non-founder population (Stewiacke River) yielded only one overlapping outlier locus as well as a known maturity QTL. We conclude that genome scans comparing a recently domesticated strain with its wild founder population can facilitate identification of candidate genes for traits known to have been under strong artificial selection.
Data from: Estimating the relative fitness of escaped farmed salmon offspring in the wild and modeling the consequences of invasion for wild populations
Throughout their native range, wild Atlantic salmon populations are threatened by hybridization and introgression with escapees from net-pen salmon aquaculture. Although domestic-wild hybrid offspring have shown reduced fitness in lab and field experiments, consequential impacts on population abundance and genetic integrity remain difficult to predict in the field, in part because the strength of selection against domestic offspring is often unknown and context-dependent. Here we follow a single large escape event of farmed Atlantic salmon in southern Newfoundland and monitor changes in the in-river proportions of hybrids and feral individuals over time using genetically-based hybrid identification. Over a three-year period following the escape, the overall proportion of wild parr increased consistently (total wild proportion of 71.6%, 75.1%, 87.5% each year, respectively), with subsequent declines in feral (genetically pure farmed individuals originating from escaped, farmed adults) and hybrid parr. We quantify the strength of selection against parr of aquaculture ancestry and explore the genetic and demographic consequences for populations in the region. Within-cohort changes in the relative proportions of feral and F1 parr suggest reduced relative survival compared to wild individuals over the first (0.15 and 0.81 for feral and F1, respectively), and second years of life (0.26, 0.83). These relative survivorship estimates were used to inform an individual-based salmon eco-genetic model to project changes in adult abundance and overall allele frequency across three invasion scenarios ranging from short-term to long-term invasion and three relative survival scenarios. Modeling results indicate that total population abundance and time to recovery were greatly affected by relative survivorship and predict significant declines in wild population abundance under continued large escape events and calculated survivorship. Overall this work demonstrates the importance of estimating the strength of selection against domestic offspring in the wild to predict the long-term impact of farmed salmon escape events on wild populations.
Data from: Disease-free monoculture farming by fungus-growing termites
Fungus-growing termites engage in an obligate mutualistic relationship with Termitomyces fungi, which they maintain in monocultures on specialised fungus comb structures, without apparent problems with infectious diseases. While other fungi have been reported in the symbiosis, detailed comb fungal community analyses have been lacking. Here we use culture-dependent and -independent methods to characterise fungus comb mycobiotas from three fungus-growing termite species (two genera). Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) gene analyses using 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina MiSeq showed that non-Termitomyces fungi were essentially absent in fungus combs, and that Termitomyces fungal crops are maintained in monocultures as heterokaryons with two or three abundant ITS variants in a single fungal strain. To explore whether the essential absence of other fungi within fungus combs is potentially due to the production of antifungal metabolites by Termitomyces or comb bacteria, we performed in vitro assays and found that both Termitomyces and chemical extracts of fungus comb material can inhibit potential fungal antagonists. Chemical analyses of fungus comb material point to a highly complex metabolome, including compounds with the potential to play roles in mediating these contaminant-free farming conditions in the termite symbiosis.
Data from: Do differences in food web structure between organic and conventional farms affect the ecosystem service of pest control?
While many studies have demonstrated that organic farms support greater levels of biodiversity, it is not known whether this translates into better provision of ecosystem services. Here we use a food-web approach to analyse the community structure and function at the whole-farm scale. Quantitative food webs from 10 replicate pairs of organic and conventional farms showed that organic farms have significantly more species at three trophic levels (plant, herbivore and parasitoid) and significantly different network structure. Herbivores on organic farms were attacked by more parasitoid species on organic farms than on conventional farms. However, differences in network structure did not translate into differences in robustness to simulated species loss and we found no difference in percentage parasitism (natural pest control) across a variety of host species. Furthermore, a manipulative field experiment demonstrated that the higher species richness of parasitoids on the organic farms did not increase mortality of a novel herbivore used to bioassay ecosystem service. The explanation for these differences is likely to include inherent differences in management strategies and landscape structure between the two farming systems.
Data from: Cleaner fish escape salmon farms and hybridize with local wrasse populations
The genetic impact of farmed fish escaping aquaculture is a highly debated issue. However, non-target species, such as cleaner fish used to remove sea lice from farmed fish, are rarely considered. Here we report that wild corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops), which are transported long distances to be used as cleaner fish in salmon farms, escape and hybridize with local populations. Recently, increasing numbers of corkwing wrasse have been reported in Flatanger in Norway, north of its described distribution range, an area heavily relying on import of cleaner fish from Skagerrak. Using genetic markers identified with 2bRAD sequencing, we show that, although the Flatanger population largely is a result of a northwards range expansion, there is also evidence of considerable gene flow from southern populations in Skagerrak and Kattegat. Out of 40 corkwing wrasses sampled in Flatanger, we discovered two individuals with clear southern genotypes, one first generation hybrid, and twelve potential second-generation hybrids. In summary, we provide evidence that corkwing wrasse escape from fish farms and hybridize with local populations at the leading edge of an ongoing range expansion. Although the magnitude and significance of escapees warrants further investigation, these results should be taken in consideration in the use of translocated cleaner fish.
Data from: Influence of ethnolinguistic diversity on the sorghum genetic patterns in subsistence farming systems in eastern Kenya
Understanding the effects of actions undertaken by human societies on crop evolution processes is a major challenge for the conservation of genetic resources. This study investigated the mechanisms whereby social boundaries associated with patterns of ethnolinguistic diversity have influenced the on-farm distribution of sorghum diversity. Social boundaries limit the diffusion of planting material, practices and knowledge, thus shaping crop diversity in situ. To assess the effect of social boundaries, this study was conducted in the contact zone between the Chuka, Mbeere and Tharaka ethnolinguistic groups in eastern Kenya. Sorghum varieties were inventoried and samples collected in 130 households. In all, 297 individual plants derived from seeds collected under sixteen variety names were characterized using a set of 18 SSR molecular markers and 15 morphological descriptors. The genetic structure was investigated using both a Bayesian assignment method and distance-based clustering. Principal Coordinates Analysis was used to describe the structure of the morphological diversity of the panicles. The distribution of the varieties and the main genetic clusters across ethnolinguistic groups was described using a non-parametric MANOVA and pairwise Fisher tests. The spatial distribution of landrace names and the overall genetic spatial patterns were significantly correlated with ethnolinguistic partition. However, the genetic structure inferred from molecular makers did not discriminate the short-cycle landraces despite their morphological distinctness. The cases of two improved varieties highlighted possible fates of improved materials. The most recent one was often given the name of local landraces. The second one, that was introduced a dozen years ago, displays traces of admixture with local landraces with differential intensity among ethnic groups. The patterns of congruence or discordance between the nomenclature of farmers' varieties and the structure of both genetic and morphological diversity highlight the effects of the social organization of communities on the diffusion of seed, practices, and variety nomenclature.
Data from: Supplementing small farms with native mason bees increases strawberry size and growth rate
Pollination services, especially those of bees, play a vital role in agriculture. Declining honeybee populations require us to find alternative solutions for sustainable agriculture. Native bees are proving to be efficient pollinators. Mason bees (Osmia lignaria) provide valuable pollinator services for some woody orchard species, but their value as pollinators for herbaceous crops is largely untested. We assessed the effectiveness of O. lignaria supplementation on nine strawberry farms over two growing seasons. We specifically selected mason bees for this work because they emerge from cocoons in the springtime, when few other bees are available for pollination. Cocoons are easily deployed on farms and emerged bees have a small flight radius, so they remain localized. We placed cocoons on one side of each berry farm plot (our mason bee addition treatment) but not on the opposite side (our control). We tagged and monitored berries on nine farms throughout the growing season. We performed statistical comparisons of berries from the treatment and control for differences in berry growth rate and size. In addition, we supplemented farms with native bee homes constructed from three materials (bamboo, Phragmites and wood). This allowed us to determine whether adult mason bees would produce a subsequent generation of bees on farms and whether the bees had a preference for nest material type. Our work demonstrates that mason bees can be used successfully to pollinate herbaceous berry crops. We found that berry growth rate was significantly higher and berry volume was significantly larger for berries from the treatment relative to the control. We also found that adult bees successfully utilized the bee homes for laying the next generation of offspring and that bees colonized bamboo homes more than other home types. Synthesis and applications. Our results are the first to show that native mason bees (Osmia lignaria) can be used successfully to provide pollination services on strawberry farms. Their use results in the production of bigger berries and faster berry growth rates than managed honeybees alone. Mason bees overwinter (and can be purchased) in cocoons, offering great potential for efficient and effective pollination services, for a variety of agricultural applications across different geographical regions. The availability of suitable nesting sites and protection of subsequent generations of cocoons from wasp parasitization warrant future consideration.
Data from: Long livestock farming history and human landscape shaping revealed by lake sediment DNA
The reconstruction of human-driven, Earth-shaping dynamics is important for understanding past human/environment interactions and for helping human societies that currently face global changes. However, it is often challenging to distinguish the effects of the climate from human activities on environmental changes. Here we evaluate an approach based on DNA metabarcoding used on lake sediments to provide the first high-resolution reconstruction of plant cover and livestock farming history since the Neolithic Period. By comparing these data with a previous reconstruction of erosive event frequency, we show that the most intense erosion period was caused by deforestation and overgrazing by sheep and cowherds during the Late Iron Age and Roman Period. Tracking plants and domestic mammals using lake sediment DNA (lake sedDNA) is a new, promising method for tracing past human practices, and it provides a new outlook of the effects of anthropogenic factors on landscape-scale changes.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.