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Hi James & All, Apr 20, 2012
For those pressed for time please skip to the question.
This is an interesting article and it shows one thing clearly; if =
you aim to 'pile it higher and deeper' then it helps to have retaining =
walls and 10 authors.
In Materials & Methods (b), for example, they stick in a wedge of =
results and based on measurement of 137Cs, with a maximum in 1963 at a =
depth of 70 cm, along with deposition start and end dates of `1928 and =
1992 "estimated that approximately 2.2 cm of guano accumulated =
annually."=20
But if 2 Metres accumulated over 64 years is not the average annual =
rate of accumulation 200/64 =3D >3 cm ? And the average between for the =
70 cm between 1963 & 1992 would be 2.4 cm; for the 130 cm between 1928 & =
1963 would be 3,7 cm.
But in any case, near the end of Introduction they postulate a 90% =
decline in Swift population during the period in question; not =
consistent with either a constant rate over the period or an only =
slightly decreased rate over the last 29 years as compared to the =
previous 35.=20
That guano accumulation in their two periods was only slightly =
reduced suggests to me that a decline in the total complement of =
roosting space may be a major cause of the population decline.
=20
In Materials and Methods (d) they refer to counting "single =
elytra... and bodies with double elytra...". apparently not remembering =
their high school biology to the effect that "elytra" is plural; =
consisting of a left elytron and a right elytron. Did their reviewers =
read any of this Ms ?
QUESTION
Is it consistent with known Chimney Swift feeding habits to assume =
that Beetles and Hemiptera constitute their entire diet ?=20
This seems to be the premise of this study. I suspect they have =
'discovered' that beetle and large Hemiptera exoskeletons persist after =
being swallowed while Lep, Diptera & Hemiptera do not.=20
I am not at all familiar with the biological implications of varying =
ratios of stable isotopes such as 13C/12C and 15N/14N.
Yt, Dave Webster Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: James Churchill=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] 50th Anniversary of Silent Spring
Hi folks,=20
Hard to say if she would have a Twitter account...but she might tweet =
the link to this article:
=
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/04/clues-to-species-decline-bu=
ried.html
Clues to Species Decline Buried in Pile of Bird Excrement
Link to the original paper by Nocera et al. in Proceedings of the =
Royal Society B:
=
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/04/15/rspb.2012=
.0445
Excerpt from abstract:
"We argue that DDT applications decimated Coleoptera populations and =
dramatically altered insect community structure by the 1960s, triggering =
nutritional consequences for swifts and other aerial insectivores"
cheers,=20
ps. as I was signing off on this email, Chris Kennedy's email of the =
same topic just came through - same wavelength Chris.
On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 8:28 AM, David & Alison Webster =
<dwebster@glinx.com> wrote:
Hi John & All, Apr 19, 2012
For starters she would have thanked Bruce MacKinnon for today's =
political cartoon; a classic if I ever saw one.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: John Kearney=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 8:41 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] 50th Anniversary of Silent Spring
Rachel Carson in her book, Silent Spring, exposed the disregard =
for the environment, human health, and wildlife in the pursuit of =
profit. Some would argue that she is directly responsible for the =
establishment of environmental protection agencies around the world. As =
these agencies are now being dismantled or gutted, as our aerial =
insectivores and many other bird species are dramatically declining, I =
would like to honor her memory by asking: What would Rachel Carson write =
today if she was still here.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
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04/18/12
--=20
James Churchill
Kentville, Nova Scotia
Email: jameslchurchill@gmail.com
Phone (h): (902) 681-2374
Skype: jameslchurchill
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus Database: 2411/4944 - Release Date: =
04/18/12
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<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19222">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi James & All, =
=20
Apr 20, 2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> For those pressed for time please =
skip to=20
the question.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> This is an interesting article =
and it shows=20
one thing clearly; if you aim to 'pile it higher and deeper' then it =
helps to=20
have retaining walls and 10 authors.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> In Materials & Methods (b), =
for=20
example, they stick in a wedge of results and based on measurement of =
137Cs,=20
with a maximum in 1963 at a depth of 70 cm, along with deposition start =
and end=20
dates of `1928 and 1992 "estimated that approximately 2.2 cm =
of guano=20
accumulated annually." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> But if 2 Metres accumulated over =
64 years=20
is not the average annual rate of accumulation 200/64 =3D >3 cm =
? And the=20
average between for the 70 cm between 1963 & 1992 would be 2.4 cm; =
for the=20
130 cm between 1928 & 1963 would be 3,7 cm.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> But in any case, near the end of=20
Introduction they postulate a 90% decline in Swift population during the =
period=20
in question; not consistent with either a constant rate over the period =
or an=20
only slightly decreased rate over the last 29 years as compared to =
the=20
previous 35. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> That guano accumulation in their =
two=20
periods was only slightly reduced suggests to me that a decline in =
the=20
total complement of roosting space may be a major cause of the =
population=20
decline.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> In Materials and Methods (d) they =
refer to=20
counting "single elytra... and bodies with double elytra...". apparently =
not=20
remembering their high school biology to the effect that "elytra" is =
plural;=20
consisting of a left elytron and a right elytron. Did =
their reviewers read=20
any of this Ms ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>QUESTION</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Is it consistent with known =
Chimney Swift=20
feeding habits to assume that Beetles and Hemiptera constitute their =
entire diet=20
? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> This seems to be the premise of =
this study.=20
I suspect they have 'discovered' that beetle and large=20
Hemiptera exoskeletons persist after being =
swallowed while Lep,=20
Diptera & Hemiptera do not. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I am not at all familiar with the =
biological implications of varying ratios of stable isotopes such as =
13C/12C and=20
15N/14N.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Yt, Dave Webster Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Djameslchurchill@gmail.com=20
href=3D"mailto:jameslchurchill@gmail.com">James Churchill</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, April 19, 2012 =
9:27=20
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] 50th =
Anniversary=20
of Silent Spring</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi folks, <BR>Hard to say if she would have a Twitter =
account...but she=20
might tweet the link to this article:</DIV>
<DIV><A=20
=
href=3D"http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/04/clues-to-species-de=
cline-buried.html">http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/04/clues-to=
-species-decline-buried.html</A></DIV>
<DIV>
<H1 id=3Dpage-title class=3D"asset-name entry-title">Clues to Species =
Decline=20
Buried in Pile of Bird Excrement</H1></DIV>
<DIV>Link to the original paper by Nocera et al. in <EM>Proceedings of =
the=20
Royal Society B:</EM></DIV>
<DIV><A=20
=
href=3D"http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/04/15/r=
spb.2012.0445">http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/=
04/15/rspb.2012.0445</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Excerpt from abstract:</U></DIV>
<DIV>"We argue that DDT applications decimated Coleoptera populations =
and=20
dramatically altered insect community structure by the 1960s, =
triggering=20
nutritional consequences for swifts and other aerial =
insectivores"</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>cheers, </DIV>
<DIV>ps. as I was signing off on this email, Chris Kennedy's email of =
the same=20
topic just came through - same wavelength Chris.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On Thu, Apr 19, 2012 at 8:28 AM, David & Alison Webster <SPAN =
dir=3Dltr><<A=20
href=3D"mailto:dwebster@glinx.com">dwebster@glinx.com</A>></SPAN>=20
wrote:<BR></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dgmail_quote>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; =
PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"=20
class=3Dgmail_quote><U></U>
<DIV lang=3DEN-CA link=3D"blue" bgcolor=3D"#ffffff" =
vlink=3D"purple">
<DIV><FONT size=3D+0>Hi John & All, =
=20
=
=20
Apr 19, 2012</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D+0></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D+0>For starters she would have thanked Bruce =
MacKinnon=20
for today's political cartoon; a classic if I ever saw =
one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D+0></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D+0>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV>
<DIV class=3Dh5>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4"><B>From:</B> =
<A=20
title=3Djohn.kearney@ns.sympatico.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:john.kearney@ns.sympatico.ca" target=3D_blank>John =
Kearney</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca"=20
target=3D_blank>naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, April 18, =
2012 8:41=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] 50th =
Anniversary=20
of Silent Spring</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=3DMsoNormal><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Rachel Carson =
in her=20
book, Silent Spring, exposed the disregard for the environment, =
human=20
health, and wildlife in the pursuit of profit. Some would =
argue that=20
she is directly responsible for the establishment of environmental =
protection agencies around the world. As these agencies are now =
being=20
dismantled or gutted, as our aerial insectivores and many other =
bird=20
species are dramatically declining, I would like to honor her =
memory by=20
asking: What would Rachel Carson write today if she was still=20
here.</SPAN><U></U><U></U></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<HR SIZE=3D1 noShade>
<A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000">No virus found in this =
message.<BR>Checked=20
by AVG - <A href=3D"http://www.avg.com/"=20
target=3D_blank>www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 10.0.1424 / Virus =
Database:=20
2411/4944 - Release Date:=20
04/18/12</P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR =
clear=3Dall><BR>--=20
<BR>James Churchill<BR>Kentville, Nova Scotia<BR>Email: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:jameslchurchill@gmail.com"=20
target=3D_blank>jameslchurchill@gmail.com</A><BR>Phone (h): (902)=20
681-2374<BR>Skype: jameslchurchill<BR><BR><BR><BR>
<HR SIZE=3D1 noShade>
<A></A>
<P class=3Davgcert align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000">No virus found in =
this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 10.0.1424 / =
Virus=20
Database: 2411/4944 - Release Date: =
04/18/12</P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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