Using invasion process theory to enhance the understanding and management of introduced species: a case study reconstructing the invasion sequence of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis).

Research indicates that invasion is a multi-step process, where each stage is contingent on the stage that precedes it. Numerous hypotheses addressing the factors that influence each stage of the invasion process have been formulated, but how well does this theory match what occurs in the natural world? We created a general conceptual model for the invasion process based on invasion theory. Using a composite 41-year data set, we then reconstructed the invasion sequence of the common myna (Acridotheres tristis) to investigate the similarities between invasion theory and this observed invasion.

The effects of winter recreation on alpine and subalpine fauna: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The ski industry is often perceived as having a negative impact on sensitive alpine and subalpine communities. However, empirical evidence of such impacts is lacking. We reviewed the available literature from the last 35 years to quantify the reported effects of winter recreation on faunal communities.

Can individual and social patterns of resource use buffer animal populations against resource decline?

Species in many ecosystems are facing declines of key resources. If we are to understand and predict the effects of resource loss on natural populations, we need to understand whether and how the way animals use resources changes under resource decline. We investigated how the abundance of arboreal marsupials varies in response to a critical resource, hollow-bearing trees.

Foliage chemistry influences tree choice and landscape use of a gliding marsupial folivore.

The chemical quality of forage may determine landscape use and habitat quality for some herbivorous species. However, studies that investigate the relationship between foliar chemistry and foraging choices in wild vertebrates are rare. Petauroides volans (the greater glider) is unique among Australian marsupial folivores because it glides.

Testing hypotheses associated with bird responses to wildfire.

Disturbance is a key ecological process influencing the distribution and abundance of many elements of the earth's biota. Predicting the response of biota to disturbance is therefore important, but it nevertheless remains difficult to make accurate forecasts of response. We tested predictions from disturbance-related theories and concepts in 10 vegetation types at Booderee National Park (southeastern Australia) using a retrospective study of bird responses to fire history (over 35 years) on 110 sites and a prospective study following a single wildfire event in 2003 at 59 of these sites.

Lateralization of visual learning in the honeybee.

Lateralization is a well-described phenomenon in humans and other vertebrates and there are interesting parallels across a variety of different vertebrate species. However, there are only a few studies of lateralization in invertebrates. In a recent report, we showed lateralization of olfactory learning in the honeybee (Apis mellifera).

Lateralization of olfaction in the honeybee Apis mellifera.

Lateralization of function is a well-known phenomenon in humans. The two hemispheres of the human brain are functionally specialized such that certain cognitive skills, such as language or musical ability, conspecific recognition, and even emotional responses, are mediated by one hemisphere more than the other [1, 2]. Studies over the past 30 years suggest that lateralization occurs in other vertebrate species as well [3-11].

BALB/c alleles for Prkdc and Cdkn2a interact to modify tumor susceptibility in Trp53+/- mice.

In mice heterozygous for p53 (Trp53(+/-)), the incidence of mammary tumors varies among strains, with C57BL/6 being resistant and BALB/c being susceptible. Mammary tumor phenotypes were examined in female Trp53(+/-) F1 mice (C57BL/6 x BALB/c;n = 19) and N2 backcross mice [(C57BL/6 x BALB/c) x BALB/c] (n = 224). Susceptibility to mammary tumors segregated as a dominant phenotype in F1 females, but a higher frequency and shorter latency in N2 mice indicated a contribution from recessive-acting modifiers.