Tempests, Poxes, Predators, and People

Tempests, Poxes, Predators, and People
Author: L.Michael Romero
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 625
Release: 2015-10-20
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0199710597

Although scientists have discovered many fundamental physiological and behavioral mechanisms that comprise the stress response, most of current knowledge is based on laboratory experiments using domesticated or captive animals. Scientists are only beginning, however, to understand how stress impacts wild animals - by studying the nature of the stressful stimuli that animals in their natural environments have adapted to for survival, and what the mechanisms that allow that survival might be. This book summarizes, for the first time, several decades of work on understanding stress in natural contexts. The aim is two-fold. The first goal of this work is to place modern stress research into an evolutionary context. The stress response clearly did not evolve to cause disease, so that studying how animals use the stress response to survive in the wild should provide insight into why mechanisms evolved the way that they did. The second goal is to provide predictions on how wild animals might cope with the Anthropocene, the current period of Earth's history characterized by the massive human remodeling of habitats on a global scale. Conservation of species will rely upon how wild animals use their stress response to successfully cope with human-created stressors.

Avian Immunology

Avian Immunology
Author: Bernd Kaspers
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 627
Release: 2021-12-05
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 012819071X

Avian Immunology, Third Edition contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system, encompassing the mucosal, enteric, respiratory and reproductive systems. The diseases and disorders it covers, include immunodepressive diseases and immune evasion, autoimmune diseases, and tumors of the immune system. Practical aspects of vaccination are examined as well. Extensive appendices summarize resources for scientists including cell lines, inbred chicken lines, cytokines, chemokines, and monoclonal antibodies. With contributions from the foremost international experts in the field, Avian Immunology 3rd, provides the most up-to-date crucial information not only for poultry health professionals and avian biologists, but also for comparative and veterinary immunologists, graduate students and veterinary students with an interest in avian immunology. Avian Immunology, Third Edition, is a fascinating and growing field and surely provides new and exciting insights for mainstream immunology in the future. - Reflects significant advances in the field since the second edition, particularly the explosion of knowledge on genomics including work on the chicken, turkey and zebra finch genomes - Provides a single source reference ranging from the basic science to cutting edge research - Provides practical information for veterinarians particularly those specialised in poultry or companion bird medicine - New chapters on the impact of the microbiome on the immune system, defence mechanisms in the egg and embryo and emerging transgene technologies

Current Ornithology Volume 17

Current Ornithology Volume 17
Author: Charles F. Thompson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2010-09-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1441964215

Current Ornithology publishes authoritative, up-to-date, scholarly reviews of topics selected from the full range of current research in avian biology. Topics cover the spectrum from the molecular level of organization to population biology and community ecology. The series seeks especially to review (1) fields in which an abundant recent literature will benefit from synthesis and organization, or (2) newly emerging fields that are gaining recognition as the result of recent discoveries or shifts in perspective, or (3) fields in which students of vertebrates may benefit from comparisons of birds with other classes. All chapters are invited, and authors are chosen for their leadership in the subjects under review.

Public Health Significance of Urban Pests

Public Health Significance of Urban Pests
Author: Xavier Bonnefoy
Publisher: World Health Organization
Total Pages: 293
Release: 2008
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9289071885

The second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century witnessed important changes in ecology, climate and human behaviour that favoured the development of urban pests. Most alarmingly, urban planners now face the dramatic expansion of urban sprawl, in which city suburbs are growing into the natural habitats of ticks, rodents and other pests. Also, many city managers now erroneously assume that pest-borne diseases are relics of the past. All these changes make timely a new analysis of the direct and indirect effects of present-day urban pests on health. Such an analysis should lead to the development of strategies to manage them and reduce the risk of exposure. To this end, WHO invited international experts in various fields - pests, pest-related diseases and pest management - to provide evidence on which to base policies. These experts identified the public health risk posed by various pests and appropriate measures to prevent and control them. This book presents their conclusions and formulates policy options for all levels of decision-making to manage pests and pest-related diseases in the future. [Ed.]

Avian Urban Ecology

Avian Urban Ecology
Author: Diego Gil
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2014
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0199661588

This edited volume adopts an evolutionary framework to explore how pre-existing differences in life history, behaviour, and physiology of birds may determine the course of their adaptation to urban habitats.

Avian Immunology

Avian Immunology
Author: Bernd Kaspers
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 456
Release: 2012-12-02
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0123972728

The second edition of Avian Immunology provides an up-to-date overview of the current knowledge of avian immunology. From the ontogeny of the avian immune system to practical application in vaccinology, the book encompasses all aspects of innate and adaptive immunity in chickens. In addition, chapters are devoted to the immunology of other commercially important species such as turkeys and ducks, and to ecoimmunology summarizing the knowledge of immune responses in free-living birds often in relation to reproductive success. The book contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system, encompassing the mucosal, enteric, respiratory and reproductive systems. The diseases and disorders it covers include immunodepressive diseases and immune evasion, autoimmune diseases, and tumors of the immune system. Practical aspects of vaccination are examined as well. Extensive appendices summarize resources for scientists including cell lines, inbred chicken lines, cytokines, chemokines, and monoclonal antibodies. The world-wide importance of poultry protein for the human diet, as well as the threat of avian influenza pandemics like H5N1 and heavy reliance on vaccination to protect commercial flocks makes this book a vital resource. This book provides crucial information not only for poultry health professionals and avian biologists, but also for comparative and veterinary immunologists, graduate students and veterinary students with an interest in avian immunology. - With contributions from 33 of the foremost international experts in the field, this book provides the most up-to-date review of avian immunology so far - Contains a detailed description of the avian innate immune system reviewing constitutive barriers, chemical and cellular responses; it includes a comprehensive review of avian Toll-like receptors - Contains a wide-ranging review of the "ecoimmunology" of free-living avian species, as applied to studies of population dynamics, and reviews methods and resources available for carrying out such research

Mammals and Birds as Bioindicators of Trace Element Contaminations in Terrestrial Environments

Mammals and Birds as Bioindicators of Trace Element Contaminations in Terrestrial Environments
Author: Elżbieta Kalisińska
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 707
Release: 2019-03-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030001210

The population explosion that began in the 1960s has been accompanied by a decrease in the quality of the natural environment, e.g. pollution of the air, water and soil with essential and toxic trace elements. Numerous poisonings of people and animals with highly toxic anthropogenic Hg and Cd in the 20th century prompted the creation of the abiotic environment, mainly in developed countries. However, the system is insufficient for long-term exposure to low concentrations of various substances that are mainly ingested through food and water. This problem could be addressed by the monitoring of sentinels – organisms that accumulate trace elements and as such reflect the rate and degree of environmental pollution. Usually these are long-lived vertebrates – herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous birds and mammals, especially game species. This book describes the responses of the sentinels most commonly used in ecotoxicological studies to 17 trace elements.

Environmental Endocrinology

Environmental Endocrinology
Author: I. Assenmacher
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2013-03-07
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 3642669816

From 11 to 15 July 1977 about 60 physiologists, endo crinologists, ecologists and other biologists from 14 countries convened at the University Montpellier for a symposium on Environmental Endocrinology. This meet ing was organized as a Satellite Symposium of the 27th International Congress of Physiological Sciences, Paris, 18-23 July 1977. This volume is a record of the com munications presented at the symposium. The objectives of the program were to examine the role of the endocrine system in a wide spectrum of adjustments and adaptations to changes in environmental conditions by various spe cies of animals, including man, and to promote an ex change of ideas among investigators who have approached these functions from diverse aspects. The diversity of the information and ideas communicated is great. Of necessity, they represent only an extremely modest se lection of the many facets of endocrine function in the interaction of animals with their environments. Be yond the usefulness of the communications individually, we hope that they collectively demonstrate the substan tial heuristic value of the concept of environmental endocrinology as it was perceived by the participants. We acknowledge gratefully the kindness and sympathy of Professor Jaques ROUZAUD, President of the University of Montpellier II, for his generous extension of the hospitality of the University to the Symposium. We are most grateful to Mrs. Monique VIEU who effected so well the secretarial organization of the Sympos.

Behavioural and Ecological Consequences of Urban Life in Birds

Behavioural and Ecological Consequences of Urban Life in Birds
Author: Caroline Isaksson
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2018-06-19
Genre:
ISBN: 2889454975

Urbanization is next to global warming the largest threat to biodiversity. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly evident that many bird species get locally extinct as a result of urban development. However, many bird species benefit from urbanization, especially through the abundance of human-provided resources, and increase in abundance and densities. These birds are intriguing to study in relation to its resilience and adaption to urban environments, but also in relation to its susceptibility and the potential costs of urban life. This Research Topic consisting of 30 articles (one review, two meta-analyzes and 27 original data papers) provides insights into species and population responses to urbanization through diverse lenses, including biogeography, community ecology, behaviour, life history evolution, and physiology.