A controversy dating from the appearance of Altum's book, Der Vogel und sein Leben, 1868 (Mayr, 1935) is that of the biological function or functions of the territorial behavior in birds. However, attention was not focused upon this problem until the advent of Howard's book, Territory in Bird Life, published in 1920. In a general review of the problem Hinde (1956) discussed several functions of the territory and presented evidence both for and against their importance. The more important of these presumed functions are; (1) limitation of population density; (2) facilitation of pair formation and maintenance of the pair bond; (3) reduction in interference with reproductive activities by other members of the species; (4) provision of an adequate food supply for rearing the young; (5) reduction of loss to predators; (6) reduction of time spent in aggression; and (7) prevention of epidemics.

Some positive-strand RNA plant viruses possess a transfer RNA-like structure (TLS) at the 3'-terminus of their genomic RNAs. The closest mimicry to tRNA is exhibited by the valylatable TLSs from tymoviruses and furo-like viruses, which are able to interact with key cellular tRNA enzymes: [CTP, ATP]:tRNA nucleotidyltransferase (CCA NTase), valyl-tRNA synthetase (ValRS), and translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A). In this thesis, I report the discovery of two new roles of the Turnip yellow mosaic tymovirus TLS, in translation enhancement (Chapter 2) and repression of minus strand initiation (Chapter 4). Placement of the 3'-terminal 109 nts of TYMV RNA in a luciferase reporter RNA with a generic 5'-UTR enhanced translation by about 20-fold in cowpea protoplasts. Exhibiting a synergistic relationship with the 5'-cap, the 3'-translation enhancement was largely dependent on the aminoacylatability of the TLS and apparently on eEF1A interaction. In the presence of the 5'-UTR from genomic TYMV RNA, translation of both the overlapping proteins p69 and p206 was strongly dependent on a 5'-cap structure, and was enhanced by the 3'-enhancer. These in vivo results contradict the proposed model in which translation initiation of p206, but not p69, is cap-independent and TLS-dependent (Barends et al. Cell 112(2003):123-9). In vitro experiments with a partially purified preparation of TYMV replicase have investigated the phenomenon of minus strand repression. Interaction of purified eEF1A���GTP specifically with the valylated TLS decreased the template activity for minus strand to near-background levels. eEF1A���GTP acts by making the 3'-CCA minus strand initiation site unavailable to the replicase. The influence of eEF1A in simultaneously enhancing translation and repressing minus strand synthesis can be considered a regulation that ensures robust translation early in the infection and that offers a coordinated transition from translation to replication. Previously shown to be critical for TYMV infectivity, a valylatable TLS was investigated for its role in the replication and infectivity of the bipartite Peanut clump pecluvirus. A valylatable TLS provided a small competitive advantage in protoplasts and whole plants. The advantage was more apparent in protoplasts than in whole plants, and more so in the replication protein-encoding RNA1 than in the trans-replicating RNA2. / Graduation date: 2004

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This study evaluates the life history responses of yellow perch to mass removal and the potential for population recovery. We removed approximately 94% of a perch population from Nepawin Lake, a 35 hectare oligotrophic lake in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, as part of a study designed to enhance the recruitment success of brook trout. Several response variables were examined both before and after mass removal: (1) condition, which includes growth, diet and overall condition responses, and (2) reproduction, which includes size at maturity and fecundity. We examine the question of whether compensatory life history responses in the yellow perch will overcome brook trout predation leading to a reestablishment of a high density perch population. Results showed that prior to the manipulation, perch exhibited a narrow size distribution, high dietary overlap, and low condition, typifying a stunted population. After mass removal, the perch population remained in a narrow size distribution, exhibited decreased growth rates for older age classes, showed increased mean condition and increased consumption of zooplankton in all size classes. Perch also exhibited increased size at maturity and decreased fecundity immediately following the mass removal. A time lag is expected before compensatory recruitment is possible in the population, but it is likely that the perch will recover from the mass removal because of strong age 0+ and 1+ cohorts. However, stunting and bottlenecking may still occur in the population. Continued monitoring and management is necessary to observe further changes to the perch population dynamics in Nepawin Lake.

No description available.

Food habits for yellow perch Perca flavescens were compared using current and previous diet studies from southern Lake Michigan index sites. Yellow perch were not gape limited but size-selective in consumption of the newly established round goby Neogobius melanostomus. Ingested fish ranged from 7 to 47% of the yellow perch's total length and 2 to 53% of their gape. Currently, yellow perch diets are dominated in volume by fish/fish products (85%), which is double from previous studies. Utilization of zooplankton and insect prey items in the yellow perch diet has decreased to <1% by volume in 2002, contrasting with previous consumption of 4 to 20% and 5 to 17%, respectively, from previous studies during 1971-1993. Yellow perch are exhibiting opportunistic, generalist feeding strategy that incorporates both exotic and native prey items, allowing the population to use multiple prey items with the changing prey base in Lake Michigan. / Department of Biology

Typescript (photocopy) / xii, 107 leaves, [11] leaves of plates : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Dept. of Agricultural Science, University of Adelaide, 1982

Typescript (photocopy) / iv, 206 leaves, [4] leaves of plates : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Entomology, 1980