Decline of the boreal willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) has been accelerated by more frequent snow-free springs.

Climate change has influenced a range of species across the globe. Yet, to state a noted decline in the abundance of a given species as a consequence of a specific environmental change, for instance, spatially explicit long-term data are a prerequisite. This study assessed the extent to which prolonged snow-free periods in autumn and spring have contributed to the decline of the willow grouse, the only forest grouse changing into a white winter plumage.

Evaluation of reproductive safety of beta-sitosterol on the American mink (Neovison vison).

beta-Sitosterol is a weakly estrogenic phytosterol used extensively in functional foods to lower elevated serum cholesterol concentrations due to its inhibitory action on intestinal cholesterol absorption. It caused previously decreased sex steroid concentrations in fish and lowered sperm counts in rats. In the American mink (Neovison vison), litter size increased slightly due to dietary beta-sitosterol supplement.