The Effects of Egg- and Substrate-Associated Microbiota on the Larval Performance of the Housefly, .

Increasing human population size and income growth are causing an increasing demand for food and feed. Insects are a more sustainable alternative to conventional animal source proteins, as they can convert waste and by-products from the agricultural industry into biomass for commercial feed for livestock and, potentially, serve as a food source for human consumption. Moreover, insects together with their microorganisms have been shown to play a pivotal role in the development of insects and in the breakdown of complex growth substrates, and are, therefore, closely tied to insect production.

Behavioral Coding of Captive African Elephants (): Utilizing DeepLabCut and Create ML for Nocturnal Activity Tracking.

This study investigates the possibility of using machine learning models created in DeepLabCut and Create ML to automate aspects of behavioral coding and aid in behavioral analysis. Two models with different capabilities and complexities were constructed and compared to a manually observed control period. The accuracy of the models was assessed by comparison with manually scoring, before being applied to seven nights of footage of the nocturnal behavior of two African elephants ().

Application of Machine Learning for Automating Behavioral Tracking of Captive Bornean Orangutans ().

This article applies object detection to CCTV video material to investigate the potential of using machine learning to automate behavior tracking. This study includes video tapings of two captive Bornean orangutans and their behavior. From a 2 min training video containing the selected behaviors, 334 images were extracted and labeled using Rectlabel.

Strong acclimation effect of temperature and humidity on heat tolerance of the Arctic collembolan Megaphorura arctica.

The Arctic is a highly variable environment in which extreme daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations can occur. With climate change, an increase in the occurrence of extreme high temperatures and drought events is expected. While the effects of cold and dehydration stress on polar arthropods are well studied in combination, little is known about how these species respond to the combined effects of heat and dehydration stress.

Effects of Social Facilitation and Introduction Methods for Cattle on Virtual Fence Adaptation.

Agricultural industries rely on physical fences to manage livestock. However, these present practical, financial, and ecological challenges, which may be solved using virtual fencing. This study aimed to identify how experienced cattle through social facilitation and the introduction method influence inexperienced cattle.

A Review of the Occurrence of Metals and Xenobiotics in European Hedgehogs ().

Monitoring data from several European countries indicate that European hedgehog () populations are declining, and research exploring the causes of the decline, including exposure to potentially harmful xenobiotics and metals, may inform conservation initiatives to protect this species in the wild. Hedgehogs are ground-dwelling mammals, feeding on a range of insects, slugs, snails, and earthworms, as well as eggs, live vertebrates, and carrion, including carcasses of apex predator species representing higher levels of the food chain. Consequently, hedgehogs come into close contact with contaminants present in their habitats and prey.

Testing the Impact of Robotic Lawn Mowers on European Hedgehogs () and Designing a Safety Test.

Previous research has established that some models of robotic lawn mowers are potentially harmful to hedgehogs. As the market for robotic lawn mowers is expanding rapidly and the populations of European hedgehogs () are in decline, it is important to investigate this risk further to understand the potential threat which some robotic lawn mowers may pose to hedgehogs. We tested 19 models of robotic lawn mowers in collision with hedgehog cadavers to measure their effect on hedgehogs.

Facing Danger: Exploring Personality and Reactions of European Hedgehogs () towards Robotic Lawn Mowers.

The populations of European hedgehog () are in decline, and it is essential that research identifies and mitigates the factors causing this. Hedgehogs are increasingly sharing habitats with humans, being exposed to a range of dangers in our backyards. Previous research has documented that some models of robotic lawn mowers can cause harm to hedgehogs.

The possible impact of escaped captive American mink (Neogale vison) on the population of feral mink in Denmark.

The Danish feral mink (Neogale vison) population can be divided into wild-born and captive-born mink newly escaped from a farm. The impact of the captive-born mink on the population of feral population is unknown. Captive-born mink has lately been estimated to make up 25-30% of the feral mink population.

Computed Tomography as a Method for Age Determination of Carnivora and Odontocetes with Validation from Individuals with Known Age.

Traditional methods for age determination of wildlife include either slicing thin sections off or grinding a tooth, both of which are laborious and invasive. Especially when it comes to ancient and valuable museum samples of rare or extinct species, non-invasive methods are preferable. In this study, X-ray micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) was verified as an alternative non-invasive method for age determination of three species within the order of Carnivora and suborders Odontoceti.

eDNA Metabarcoding- and Microscopic Analysis for Diet Determination in Waterfowl, a Comparative Study in Vejlerne, Denmark.

Understanding diets and structural food webs are keys to the apprehension of ecological communities, upon which conservation and management biology are based. The understanding of grazing and habitat choice for waterfowl is one of the most important topics for avian ecologists today and can, to some degree, be answered by dietary analysis. Droppings collected from four waterfowl, the Eurasian wigeon (), Greylag goose (), pink-footed goose () and Barnacle goose () in Vejlerne (Denmark), were analysed microscopically and through eDNA metabarcoding with the use of next generation sequencing (NGS) to accumulate knowledge about the diet of these waterfowl.

Revealing the secrets of a 2900-year-old clay brick, discovering a time capsule of ancient DNA.

The recent development of techniques to sequence ancient DNA has provided valuable insights into the civilisations that came before us. However, the full potential of these methods has yet to be realised. We extracted ancient DNA from a recently exposed fracture surface of a clay brick deriving from the palace of king Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 BCE) in Nimrud, Iraq.

Effect of Translocation on Host Diet and Parasite Egg Burden: A Study of the European Bison ().

For the purpose of nature management and species conservation, European bison () are being increasingly reintroduced into nature reserves across Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate European bison's adaptability to new areas through the study of their parasite-EPG (eggs per gram feces) and dietary diversity during twelve months after translocation. We compared the parasite-EPG from introduced European bison in Lille Vildmose, Denmark, with the parasite-EPG from populations from Bornholm, Denmark, and Białowieża Forest, Poland.

Can reintroduction of beavers improve insect biodiversity?

Ecosystem engineering species, such as beavers, may help the restoration of biodiversity. Through the building of dams and lodges and altering the natural hydrology, beavers change the habitat structure and create multiple habitats that facilitate a wide variety of other organisms including terrestrial invertebrate communities. Here we study the effect of beaver reintroduction in Klosterheden in Denmark on biomass of flying invertebrates and diversity of moths.

The Effectiveness of Virtual Fencing of Bull Calves in a Holistic Grazing System.

Large grazers are essential for nature conservation. In order to prevent grazers from moving to unintended areas, it may be necessary to keep them inside enclosures. Physical fences present a number of problems, such as fragmenting the landscape.

Diet of Free Ranging American Mink () in Denmark.

Non-native American mink () is a widely spread predator in Denmark. The feral population in mainland Denmark consists of captive-born mink that escaped from fur farms and wild mink born in nature, whereas the population on Bornholm is almost all wild-born mink. In this study, the diets of feral mink in mainland Denmark and on the island of Bornholm are analyzed.

Selection of Nest Material and Summer Nest Location by the Hazel Dormouse () in the Bidstrup Forests, Denmark.

Hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) construct summer nests for resting and breeding. The nests are built directly in the vegetation, in tree hollows, or in nest boxes. The availability of nest materials and vegetation coverage may affect the likelihood of finding hazel dormice at a location.

Cortisol in Manure from Cattle Enclosed with Nofence Virtual Fencing.

To increase the efficiency and geographic expansion of nature conservation, large grazers have recently been used, either in the form of wild hoof-bearing animals or as domesticated ruminants including cattle. Using physical fencing limits migrating wildlife, while virtual fences encourage the animals to stay in the desired area without physical restrictions on wild animals. However, virtual fences raise ethical questions regarding the electric impulses emitted by the collar and stress in the fenced animals.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems as a Powerful Tool to Detect Fine-Scale Spatial Positioning and Interactions between Waterbirds at High-Tide Roosts.

The surveillance of behavioral interactions between individuals in bird populations is important to understand social dynamics and explain distribution patterns caused by competition for food and space. For waterbirds, little is known about interactions between individuals at high-tide roosts. In the present study, we used surveying with unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to provide enhanced information on previously hidden aspects of the highly dynamic communities of roosting waterbirds in the non-breeding season.

Is Virtual Fencing an Effective Way of Enclosing Cattle? Personality, Herd Behaviour and Welfare.

In modern nature conservation and rewilding there is a need for controlling the movements of large grazers in extensively managed areas. The inflexibility of physical fencing can be a limitation in nature management, and the physical boundaries created by physical fencing can have detrimental effects on wildlife. Virtual fencing systems provide boundaries without physical structures.