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Theory predicts that risk taking should be influenced by external (e.g., season) and internal (e.g., breeding condition, sex, and body mass) conditions. We investigated whether these factors are associated with a potentially risky behavior: exploration of a novel environment. We conducted repeated open‐field tests of exploration in a common forest rodent, the yellow‐necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis. Contrary to expectations, the exploration did not vary with the season (spring vs. fall) or the reproductive status of the tested animals. Also unexpectedly, there was an inverted U‐shaped relationship between body mass and exploration: animals with intermediate body mass tended to have the highest exploration tendencies. Males were more exploratory than females. Finally, even after adjusting for the effects of body mass and sex, individuals exhibited consistent, repeatable differences in exploration tendencies (“behavioral types” or “personalities”). The discrepancies between certain broad generalizations and our results suggest that risk taking depends on details of species‐specific biology. We placed wild rodents (yellow‐necked mice, Apodemus flavicollis) in a novel environment (an open arena) and evaluated how body mass, sex, reproductive status, and season affect their exploration. We found (1) an inverted U‐shaped relationship between body mass and exploration, (2) higher exploration in males than in females, and (3) no influence of season or reproductive status on exploration.

Aim: Wastewater is generated in the daily activities of population. In order to ensure the continuous treatment of wastewater, we maintain wastewater network system and operate wastewater treatment plants. The position and condition of wastewater treatment plants plays an important role in maintaining the safety of society, since untreated wastewater may cause significant health and environmental problems if it is released untreated into the environment. The aim of this article is to examine the complex protection situation of wastewater treatment plants.Methodology: This article is based on literature, on-site observation and analysis of images available on Google Maps.Findings: Without the complex protection of the wastewater treatment plants, the continuous provision of wastewater treatment cannot be maintained.Value: The article focuses on the situation of the fences as one element of the outdoor protection, which is part of the complex protection system of wastewater treatment plants. Cél: A szennyvíz a lakosság napi tevékenysége során keletkezik. A szennyvíz folyamatos kezelése érdekében szennyvízhálózati rendszert tartunk fenn és szennyvíztisztító telepeket üzemeltetünk. A szennyvíztisztító telepek elhelyezkedése és állapota fontos szerepet játszik a társadalom biztonságának fenntartásában, hiszen a kezeletlen szennyvíz jelentős egészségügyi és környezeti problémákat okozhat, ha tisztítatlanul kerül a környezetbe. Jelen cikk célja a szennyvíztisztító telepek komplex védelmi helyzetének vizsgálata.Módszertan: Jelen tanulmány a szakirodalom feldolgozásán, helyszíni megfigyelésen és a Google Maps-ben elérhető képek elemzésén alapul.Megállapítások: A szennyvíztisztító telepek komplex védelme nélkül a szennyvíztisztítás folyamatosságának biztosítása nem tartható fenn.Értékek: A cikk a kerítések helyzetére összpontosít, mint a kültéri védelem egyik elemére, amely a szennyvíztisztító telepek komplex védelmi rendszerének része.

Background Animal personalities are characterized by within-individual consistency linked to among-individual variability. Personality expression is often dependent on major life history events such as mating and the onset of reproduction. Here, we hypothesized that in facultatively polyandrous animals, multiple mating increases the females’ assets (i.e., residual reproductive value — RRV), due to direct and/or indirect benefits. Based on the predictions of the asset protection principle, higher RRV should promote behaviors that reduce the risk of fitness loss and hence mediate behavioral repeatability displayed in groups. Methods We tested our hypothesis in group-living predatory mites, Phytoseiulus persimilis . Predatory mite females were presented with one or two mates, and their postmating repeatability in activity and sociability was evaluated in groups composed of females of the same and mixed mating types. Results Mating frequency had little effect on activity patterns but pronounced effects on sociability traits. Polyandrous females were on average more sociable as well as more repeatable in sociability than monandrous females. These behavioral shifts reflect strategies to mitigate inter-individual conflicts within groups to enhance asset protection. Conclusions Our study suggests that the mating frequency can critically influence female personality expression after mating and highlights the importance of considering mate-related variables in animal personality research.

The compilation of plans for the protection and utilization of natural resource assets owned by the general population is of great practical significance in supporting the preservation and appreciation of natural resource assets, preventing the loss of state-owned assets, and realizing the reform goal of unified management of natural resource assets. However, the planplanning for the protection and utilization of natural resource assets in China is still at the exploratory stage, with a lack of normative technical procedures and preparation guidelines. Land storage strengthens the management of land assets and helps to realize the preservation and appreciation of land assets, which can provide supporting evidence for the protection and utilization of other natural resource assets. Therefore, on the basis of analyzing the mechanisms of land storage, and drawing on the theory, methods, and practical experience of land storage, this paper extends the land storage system to the protection and utilization management of other natural resource assets, developing a “body and two wings” planning concept for the protection and utilization of natural resource assets, while hoping to provide a useful reference for the protection and utilization of natural resource assets in China. The study found that the theory, method, and practice of land storage meet the needs of natural resource asset protection and management. The proposed plans for the protection and utilization of natural resource assets owned by the general population, mainly through storage, can not only play a basic role in protecting public-welfare natural resource assets and improving ecological functions, but can also play a key role in the operational management of natural resource assets in terms of optimizing resource allocation, improving the efficiency of resource development and utilization, and promoting high-quality development. This is a valuable study that contributes to realization of the reform goal of unified management of natural resource assets, and which can provide a reference for the preparation of natural resource asset plans in various regions.

Individuals of the same species differ consistently in risky actions. Such ‘animal personality’ variation is intriguing because behavioural flexibility is often assumed to be the norm. Recent theory predicts that between-individual differences in propensity to take risks should evolve if individuals differ in future fitness expectations: individuals with high long-term fitness expectations (i.e. that have much to lose) should behave consistently more cautious than individuals with lower expectations. Consequently, any manipulation of future fitness expectations should result in within-individual changes in risky behaviour in the direction predicted by this adaptive theory. We tested this prediction and confirmed experimentally that individuals indeed adjust their ‘exploration behaviour’, a proxy for risk-taking behaviour, to their future fitness expectations. We show for wild great tits (Parus major) that individuals with experimentally decreased survival probability become faster explorers (i.e. increase risk-taking behaviour) compared to individuals with increased survival probability. We also show, using quantitative genetics approaches, that non-genetic effects (i.e. permanent environment effects) underpin adaptive personality variation in this species. This study thereby confirms a key prediction of adaptive personality theory based on life-history trade-offs, and implies that selection may indeed favour the evolution of personalities in situations where individuals differ in future fitness expectations.

Underwater explosions are inherently complex and unique physical phenomena markedly distinct from those occurring above the surface. This distinctiveness is primarily attributed to the relatively incompressible nature of water, which fundamentally alters the propagation and impact of shock waves. The study of underwater explosions is paramount in applications such as underwater demolitions for construction and salvage operations. These applications require a comprehensive understanding in order to mitigate the disturbances’ impact on marine structures and ecosystems. Studying underwater explosions and their mitigation encompasses various disciplines, including fluid mechanics, materials science and structural engineering. The work reviewed in this study contributes significantly to enhancing safety measures in marine structures by providing critical insights into the behaviour of structures under extreme conditions. This includes understanding the behaviour of gas bubbles formed by explosions, the transmission of shock waves through different media and the resultant forces exerted on structures submerged in water. Consequently, this review is meant to aid in designing robust and resilient marine systems capable of withstanding severe loading conditions caused by underwater explosions by providing key engineering considerations. The continuous evolution of this research area is essential for advancing maritime technology, ensuring the safety of undersea operations and protecting marine environments from the adverse effects of extreme subaqueous loadings.

Despite increasing interest, animal personality is still a puzzling phenomenon. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain intraindividual consistency and interindividual variation in behaviour, which have been primarily supported by qualitative data and simulations. Using an empirical approach, I tested predictions of one main life-history hypothesis, which posits that consistent individual differences in behaviour are favoured by a trade-off between current and future reproduction. Data on life-history were collected for individuals of a natural population of grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Using open-field and novel-object tests, I quantified variation in activity, exploration and boldness for 117 individuals over 3 years. I found systematic variation in boldness between individuals of different residual reproductive value. Young males with low current but high expected future fitness were less bold than older males with high current fecundity, and males might increase in boldness with age. Females have low variation in assets and in boldness with age. Body condition was not related to boldness and only explained marginal variation in exploration. Overall, these data indicate that a trade-off between current and future reproduction might maintain personality variation in mouse lemurs, and thus provide empirical support of this life-history trade-off hypothesis.

Ecotourism management can draw on theory and data related to non‐consumptive effects of risk on wildlife. The asset protection principle (APP) predicts that variable food supply and its associated risks will affect antipredator behavior; responses to predation risk should dominate when food reserves are high, while nutritional risk becomes more important when food reserves are limited. Additionally, the human shield hypothesis (HSH) describes how some individuals might seek human presence if it repels potential sources of risk. Using camera traps, we used generalized linear mixed effects and multinomial regression models to test components of the APP and HSH where ecotourism co‐occurs with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) foraging during hyperphagia. When salmon abundance was high (+1 SD), bear activity (weekly detections) decreased by 13% with every 100 visitors/week. Under low salmon conditions, bear activity increased with visitor numbers, creating ‘high bear‐high visitor’ conditions. Consistent with HSH, detection data revealed an increased likelihood of detecting subordinate age‐sex classes compared with adult males when visitor numbers were high. Our findings suggest that when salmon are low, managers might consider limiting visitors to mitigate disturbance. More broadly, understanding how wildlife allocate anti‐predator behavior as a function of risk and food can inform conservation science and practice. Ecotourism management can draw on theory and data related to non‐consumptive effects of risk on wildlife to inform conservation outcomes. Using camera traps, we tested the asset protection principle and human shield hypothesis along the Atnarko River, Nuxalk Territory, British Columbia, where ecotourism co‐occurs with grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) foraging during a critical time to amass energy. Our findings suggest that when food resources are low, managers might consider limiting visitors to mitigate potential disturbance during hyperphagia.

It has been proposed recently that labile state variables (e.g. energy reserves) can have a key role in the development and maintenance of consistent between-individual behavioural variation (i.e. animal personality) within population. In male Carpetan rock lizards (Iberolacerta cyreni), the provitamin D₃ component of femoral gland secretion acts as an honest signal in sexual communication. Further, vitamin D₃ has many important metabolic functions in reptiles. Therefore, by employing a factorial experiment with food (high vs. low) and vitamin D₃ (supplemented vs. control) treatments in wild-caught reproductive male I. cyreni, we tested whether changing labile components of individual state affected (i) behavioural consistency (the degree of between-individual difference) and (ii) behavioural type (mean behaviour). Animal personality in activity was present in all treatments; however, personality was present only in the high food × vitamin D₃ supplementation treatment in shelter use and it was present in all but the low food × placebo treatment in risk taking. Lizards (i) decreased activity in the high food treatment, (ii) increased shelter use in the vitamin D₃ supplementation treatment and (iii) increased risk taking in the low food × vitamin D₃ supplementation treatment. We conclude that short-term changes in individual state affect both behavioural consistency and behavioural type of reproductive male I. cyreni. Unfavourable conditions resulted in decreased behavioural consistency, while high-state individuals became less active in general. Individuals with high specific (vitamin D₃) but low general (energy reserves) state took higher risk. We discuss several evolutionary explanations for the reported patterns.

In many species, males possess conspicuous characteristics to attract females. These traits often attract predators as well, and males thus may have to balance the conspicuousness of their signals in relation to the prevailing predation risk. Here we develop a theoretical model of optimal signaling and risk-taking behavior for males differing in the attractiveness of their signals. All else being equal, more attractive males should behave more cautiously. Yet this prediction may drastically change if males differ in any additional characteristic, especially if basal mortality rate or signaling costs are higher or if the vulnerability to predators is lower for attractive males. A key insight from our model is that male competition will create a positive feedback so that selection on male risk-taking strategies is acting in opposite directions. If selection acts on one male type to behave more cautiously, this will strengthen selection on males of the other types to take higher risks and vice versa. Our results further demonstrate that the asset-protection principle, which states that individuals with higher future expectations should behave more cautiously, may often be violated. We also offer an alternative to the handicap principle explaining the often found positive association between male ornamentation and viability: attractive males may simply behave more cautiously.