Finally, spectral flatness,

an indicator of the tonality

Finally, spectral flatness,

an indicator of the tonality of the vocalizations, was found to be inversely correlated with SVL, contradicting an oft-cited prediction that larger animals should have rougher voices. Our results confirm a tight and widespread link between body size and call frequency in anurans, and suggest that laryngeal allometry and vocal fold dimensions in particular are responsible. “
“Through their burrowing and foraging activities, subterranean rodents disturb large amounts of soil. As a result, they may modify physical and chemical soil properties and thus change the productivity, structure and dynamics of plant communities. To date, research PF-02341066 cost on the ecological importance of fossorial mammals has focused predominantly on subterranean rodents in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Surprisingly, despite the potential of them filling a similar ecological niche, very few studies have focused on the impacts of mole rats (Bathyergidae) in Africa. To determine how mole rats modulate Alectinib datasheet their environment, we examined the soil and vegetation properties of mole rat-modified habitats in the Cape Floristic

Region, South Africa. We predicted that excavation would result in mound soils having higher nutrient levels, more uniform soil particle profiles and lower compactness compared with undisturbed soils. Furthermore, we expected their digging and foraging activities would change plant species composition and increase plant productivity and diversity. As predicted, we found that soils disturbed by mole rats had higher nutrient levels and lower compactness compared with undisturbed soils, and an altered plant species composition. However, in contrast to our predictions, mounds had a finer particle size profile, and mole rat burrowing and foraging lowered the overall aboveground plant biomass. Most importantly, the presence of mole rats enhanced plant species

richness. However, as disturbance increased plant species richness declined. Our findings suggest that in Africa, mole rats fulfil the same ecological selleck inhibitor niche as their ecological cognates in other ecosystems and thus ultimately act as ecosystem engineers. “
“Studies of cat trophic behaviour can be based on collections of the prey brought home or the prey eaten by cats (i.e. analyses of scat/gut contents). Both methods involve biases with respect to palatability, prey size and assessment of hunting rates. Furthermore, these methods are often used on different groups of cats (i.e. house-based vs. feral), thus results are difficult to compare. In the present study, cats from the same area (rural areas in central Poland) were studied by both methods: prey brought home and prey eaten (scat and gut analyses). Both methods identified mammals as the most frequent prey (followed by birds).

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