Chromatic and achromatic differences of melanin-and carotenoid-based plumage coloration in five minivet species(Pericrocotus spp.)under conspecific and predator visual systems

Adaptive mate choice has been accepted as the leading theory to explain the colorful plumage of birds.This theory hypothesizes that conspicuous colors act as signals to advertise the qualities of the owners.However,a dilemma arises in that conspicuous colors may not only attract mates,but also alert predators.The"private channels of communication"hypothesis proposes that some intraspecific signals may not be visible to heterospecific animals because of different visual systems.To better understand the evolution of plumage colors and sexual selection in birds,here we studied the chromatic difference and achromatic differences of melanin-and carotenoid-based plumage coloration in five minivet species(Pericrocotus spp.)under conspecific and predator visual systems.We found that either the chromatic or achromatic difference among male or female minivets’plumage was consistently higher under conspecific vision than under predator vision for all five studied species of minivets.This result indicated that individual differences in plumage colors of minivets were visible to the conspecific receivers and hidden from potential predators as a result of evolution under predation risk and conspecific communication.However,males were under a higher risk of predation because they were more conspicuous than females to the vision of a nocturnal predator.

Landscaping and performance of some aesthetic plant species in hot, arid conditions of India

Establishment of ornamental and aesthetic plants in hot, arid conditions of India is difficult due to the prevailing climatic, edaphic and biotic factors. Effect of turfgrass on the growth of ornamental plants in hot arid conditions has not been studied so far anywhere in the world. A study was conducted on the campus of Arid Forest Research Institute, Jodhpur, India to assess the performance of a few ornamental plant spe- cies in combination with turfgrass and without turfgrass with respect to different soil tilling intervals. Growth of plants was better with turfgrass than without turfgrass. We suggest adopting a soil tilling interval of 30 days to achieve optimum growth of ornamental plant species in terms of height and crown diameter. Our results can help reduce labor costs and achieving better landscapes in fewer days in hot urban conditions of Indian sub continent.

Ornaments as Means of Efficient Reinforcement in Heritage Buildings

Heritage consists of those items people have inherited and want to keep, as they give them the sense of the past of their cultural identity, but these items, especially the buildings, could not face deteriorations during their period of life, such as the change of loads, the act of the environmental conditions, the effect of the duration time of the materials and the misuse of the occupants. They need special treatments and reinforcements to keep the structural state or to gain extra forces to receive the new loads. But the traditional ways of reinforcement do not prove endless solutions as the most means of the deteriorations from the nature. So, the liability issue is how to find the least reinforcement within the means of technology with the least deterioration and in a less time or by other ways efficiently. The hypothesis considers that the ornaments in some heritage buildings are found in critical levels of the construction which can share in an efficient way in the reinforcement processes of such buildings.

Effect of Natural Surface Secretes of Some Common Ornamental Plants Leaves on Pathogenic Micro-organisms

This study presents the antimicrobial effect of natural surface secretes of some common ornamental plants leaves （Ficus elastica, Philodendrom bipinnatifidum and Aglonema） against some pathogenic bacteria （ Escherichia coli, P. aeruginosa and Staph. Aureus）, and fungi （Microsporum gypseum and Aspergillus flavus）. It was concluded that all tested washing water of the plants leaves secretes exhibited various inhibitory effects, both Philodendrom more antibacterial activity than Ficus elastica. While both E. coli and P bipinnatifidum and Aglonema commutatum had exhibited aeruginosa were being more sensitive than Staph. aureus. The same inhibitory effects were observed when the plants leaves inoculated in their surface with pathogenic bacteria. In contrast to bacterial inhibitory effects, the washing water of natural surface secretes of tested ornamental plants leaves induced mycelium growth of both tested fungi. Microsporum gypseum mycelium growth induced more than Aspergillusflavus especially in case of the washing water of Ficus elastic that have highest effects at 7.5/500 mL of medium. This study concluded the uses of ornamental plants for the indoors and outdoors to control the growth of pathogenic microbes and problems associated with hospital.