Collserola Park in northeastern Spain is an 8,000 ha Mediterranean forest park surrounded by the Barcelona metropolitan area with a population of some three million inhabitants. Wild boar Sus scrofa are common in Collserola and cause specific management problems. We obtained information on their activity and habitat use in different areas of the park by use of two field methods: prospect ing of non-linear transects at night on foot and periodic monitoring of sign-survey plots. Prospecting of routes on foot provided information on summer nocturnal activity in different natural and semi-natural environments: feeding activity takes place mainly during 00:00-05:00, and the maximum amount of movements was registered during 20:00-00:00 and at dawn. Wild boar feed ing activity was significantly lower on dry slopes than in other habitat types such as riparian woodland, valley bottoms and agricultural areas. Pellet-group density varied significantly between habitats, being higher in agricultural hab itats, intermediate in riparian woodland and lowest on wooded slopes. In gen eral, pellet-group density was higher on level ground than on slopes. The mean surface area rooted by wild boar was less than 5% in all survey periods. Rooting activity, which was dominated by surface rooting, was highest in win ter and lowest in summer when soil conditions for rooting were poorest. Rooting activity varied significantly between habitat types, and distinct sea sonal patterns were observed within individual habitat areas. The results we obtained support the view that the summer is a critical period for wild boar in Mediterranean environments and highlight the importance of ensuring certain scarce habitats for foraging activities during this season.

A stereoselective total synthesis of the alkaloids of the uleine group, dasycarpidone, dasycarpidol, and nordasycarpidone, has been accomplished from the tetracyclic intermediate 1, which has been prepared by two alternative routes, either by Fischer indolization of 2-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanone 9 or, more efficiently, by stereocontrolled cyclization of 2-[(2-cyano-3-ethyl-4-piperidyl)methyl]indoles 24a and 24b. From the same tetracyclic intermediate 1, the Strychnos alkaloid tubotaiwine was also synthesized, the key step being the construction of the quaternary spiranic center by cyclization of a thionium ion upon the indole /3-position.The indole alkaloids with a nonrearranged secologanin skeleton include several structural types.1 Among them, the alkaloids of the uleine group* 12 (dasycarpidan stereoparent) and the Strychnos alkaloids3 with the Aspidospermatan biogenetic subtype4 5(condyfolan stereoparent) are characterized by the presence of a 1,5methanoazocino [4,[3][4][5][6]indole fragment bearing a twocarbon chain, usually an ethyl substituent, at the bridge carbon.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract