陕西红碱淖湿地鸥科鸟类组成及分布的研究

2005～2009年,采用路线调查法和定点观察法对陕西红碱淖湿地鸥科鸟类组成及其分布进行了调查研究.结果 表明:红碱淖分布有鸥科鸟类4属10种,在此繁殖的有5种,其中有全球性濒危鸟类--遗鸥的最大种群在此繁殖.记述了鸥科鸟类最早发现时间段、分布状况及迁徙数量情况,也探明了繁殖种群数量.并从植被类型、水位变化、食物因素、湖心岛生境状况和环境气候等因素分析了红碱淖鸥科鸟类迁徙状况、种群数量变化、繁殖情况等.     

辽宁双台河口自然保护区旅游区鸟类群落结构分析

2009年3～11月调查了双台河口自然保护区旅游区的鸟类,共记录到鸟类88种,隶属13日30科,其中水鸟44种.地理区系以占北界为主(占59%),居留类型以夏候鸟为主(占57.95%).群落数星的季节变化并不明显,总的来说为夏季略高于春秋季,种类以春季最多(65种),秋季次之(45种),夏季最少(39种).水鸟的数最组成中,以鹭类和鸥类最大,水鸟种类组成有较明显的季节性变化.春季鸟类群落的多样性和均匀度指数均最高,分别为3.2和0.76.物种类型最丰富的生境类型是芦苇沼泽生境,密度最大的为鱼塘生境.不同生境类型的多样性和均匀度指数均存在季节差异.对鸟类群落造成影响的主要凶子包括不规范的旅游活动、围河造田等.     

上海崇明明珠湖摇蚊幼虫群落结构特征及其对水质的指示作用

2006年7月至2008年4月,对上海崇明岛明珠湖摇蚊群落的结构特征进行了季节调查研究.共调查到11种摇蚊,隶属3亚科10属,优势种为红裸须摇蚊和微小摇蚊.聚类分析表明,优势种具有明显的季节性,春夏季优势种为微小摇蚊、秋季为中国长足摇蚊、冬季为红裸须摇蚊.摇蚊群落物种多样性（H′）季节间差异显著,春、秋、冬季较高,夏季最低;物种多样性与均匀度（J）和物种丰富度（S）均显著相关,但主要受均匀度的影响.摇蚊幼虫年平均密度冬季最高、秋季最低,生物量冬季最高,其他3季均处在较低水平上.红裸须摇蚊和微小摇蚊种群动态季节变化显著,而中国长足摇蚊的变化不明显.采用Shannon多样性指数和Hilsenhoff生物指数对明珠湖的水质进行了评价,表明该湖的水质等级为中污染-污染,已达富营养化水平.     

海南红树林的海陆蛙分布与种群密度调查

为掌握海南红树林中海陆蛙(Fejervarya cancrivora)分布和种群数量状况,于2008年4～8月选择12个红树林进行了海陆蛙分布状况调查,同时采用样带法对4个调查地点的海陆蛙生境和种群密度进行了调查.结果表明,海陆蛙只分布于海南东寨港红树林国家级自然保护区、文昌清澜港红树林省级自然保护区、儋州新英港红树林...     

生境破坏的模式对集合种群动态和续存的影响

构建了空间关联的集合种群模型,该模型不但包含了种群的空间结构信息,而且引入了破坏生境的全局密度和局部密度两个指标,它们描述了破坏生境的模式.模型揭示了破坏生境的空间分布格局复杂地影响了集合种群的动态和续存,破坏和未破坏生境斑块的均匀混合不利于集合种群的增长和续存,而生境类型聚集分布可以促进集合种群的快速增长和长期续存;对于两种斑块类型相对均匀混合的生境来说,均匀场假设可能会高估集合种群的续存,对于相对斑块类型高度聚集的生境,均匀场假设可能会低估集合种群的续存;物种的迁移范围也会影响集合种群的续存,迁移范围越大的物种越容易抵御生境的破坏而免遭灭绝.这意味着在生物保护中不能仅仅考虑生境的恢复和斑块质量的改善,生境结构的构建也是很重要的,加强生境斑块之间的连通性也有利于物种的长期续存.     

太原市南郊区红隼越冬种群数量动态

鉴于以往对红隼(Falco tinnunculus)的种群数量动态还研究不多,1980～1984年的1～4月和9～12月,我们在太原市南郊区对红隼的越冬种群数量进行了初步调查。现将获得的资料报道如下:一、调查方法与环境根据红隼具有漂荡性大的习性,在调查区内选定相互交叉的东西线和南北线统计红隼的数量。(一)东西线:从西向东,经由杨家村、晋源、小店、西温庄至东温庄村的主干公路和乡村路,贯穿全区南北范围中央的平川地区。全线长15公里,海拔750～900米。路线两侧村庄星罗棋布,多为阶地耕作区。常见的:树种有杨(Popuulus spp.)柳(Salix spp.)榆(Ulmus pumi…     

生境破碎对古尔班通古特沙漠南缘骆驼刺种群生物学特性的影响

在破碎化生境中,植物种群的生物学特性直接反映植物对环境的响应特征和适应对策,探讨不同破碎化程度生境中植株的大小、密度、结实率、种子大小、种子质量以及萌发特性等,对深入了解植物在不同生境中的生存和繁殖状况有重要的指导意义。对古尔班通古特沙漠南缘9个斑块化骆驼刺种群的形态特征和繁殖生物学参数进行了连续2年的调查研究,研究结果表明：随着生境破碎化程度的加剧,骆驼刺的株高、冠幅、密度、结实率、种子大小、种子质量以及萌发率等均显著下降（P < 0.05）。生境破碎不仅强烈抑制了骆驼刺植株的营养生长,使其生长矮小,个体分布稀疏,而且严重阻碍了骆驼刺的繁殖成功和种群更新,增加了种群衰退甚至灭绝的风险。     

农用地时空变化对大熊猫生境的影响:以岷山中部地区的白草河流域为例

岷山中部地区是我国野生大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)种群分布密度较高的地区之一,但近年来砍伐森林、种植药材等农业活动较为突出,可能对大熊猫及其生境利用造成不利影响.为了明确该地区农用地的时空变化特征,及其对保护区内外大熊猫生境的影响,我们采用遥感影像解析、GIS空间分析和野外调查相结合的方法在白草河流域进行了本项研究.结果表明.该流域的农用地主要分布在海拔1,700 m以下的地区.从1994-2008年,农用地面积呈现先减少后增加的趋势:1994-2001年间,农用地面积减少,减少区域主要在海拔1,700 m以下的地区;2001-2008年间,农用地面积增加明显,增加区域主要在海拔1,700m以上的高海拔地区和自然保护区周边.农用地扩张直接导致1994-2008年间该地区5,281 hm2(6.46%)的大熊猫生境丧失.就保护区内外而言,保护区外部大熊猫生境的丧失比例达21.53%,而保护区内部的生境变化不大.为了有效保护该地区的大熊猫生境,除了禁止在自然保护区内部进行开发外,建议对保护区外部的大熊猫生境进行保护,禁止在海拔1,700 m以上的高海拔地区进行土地开发.     

蛇岛蝮蛇(Gloydius shedaoensis Zhao)种群分布格局对捕食率的影响

目的进一步了解蛇岛蝮蛇的种群动态,深入探讨全岛的种群密度和分布格局对捕食率的影响。方法结合蛇岛蝮蛇种群数量调查,对全岛所有区域的各种生境蝮蛇数量进行标记统计,每1～2天进行一个沟溪全面踏查,分别记录春秋两季不同区域、不同生境的蛇岛蝮蛇不同年龄组的分布数量和捕食状况,进行比较。结果2005～2006年蛇岛蝮蛇种群密度为0.0278条/m2,春秋两季是候鸟迁徙和捕食高峰时期,灌木林是蛇岛蝮蛇捕食栖息的主要场所,占全部种群的63.38%,其次是稀树草地27.04%,乔木林和裸地分别为5.86%、3.72%。蛇岛蝮蛇春季捕食持续时间短,捕食率10.92%,秋季捕食持续时间长,捕食率为8.61%。结论应密切关注候鸟迁徙的动态。     

内蒙古贺兰山冬春季岩羊种群现状及保护

为调查内蒙古贺兰山国家级自然保护区内岩羊（Pseudois nayaur alashanicus）的种群现状,通过样线法在2017、2018年冬季,2018、2019年春季进行了调查,利用R 4.0.3中的Distance 1.0.2对样线观测数据进行分析,估测保护区内岩羊的种群数量及密度,分析其种群结构。结果显示,调查共观测到岩羊6299只,其中,2018年冬季种群数量最高,约为2654（2230-3161）只（括号内为95%数量置信区间）,种群密度为3.921（3.293-4.668）只/km²。与2003年同季节的调查数据对比发现,保护区内岩羊的种群数量在15年间增长迅速,岩羊的种群密度累计增长了约53.17%,年平均增长3.54%。岩羊集群形式：混合群（88.03%,80.95%）为岩羊冬、春最主要的集群形式,且混合群的数量冬季多于春季,独羊出现的次数最低（1.99%,2.86%）,不同的集群类型在不同的季节的差异极显著（P<0.001）;岩羊平均群大小：春季为（13.439±12.085）只,冬季为（9.011±8.610）只,调查季节中集群大小多为1-10只,岩羊的不同季节的群大小差异极显著（P<0.001）。种群成体与幼体比在不同季节的变化范围为1.411-2.673,雌雄比在不同季节的变化范围为0.934-1.469,种群结构的季节性差异极显著（P<0.001）。集群类型、群大小及群组成的调查表明,不同季节间岩羊种群结构差异明显。     

Farmland habitat selection of wintering lesser kestrels in a Spanish pseudosteppe: implications for conservation strategies

The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni is a globally threatened species, whose breeding populations seem to have declined due to recent agricultural changes. However, nothing is known about habitat requirements during winter, despite the fact that several populations are overwintering in areas affected by agricultural transformations. We studied population size and habitat selection by wintering lesser kestrels in a Spanish pseudosteppe (Los Monegros), where traditional fallow systems for cereals are rapidly being replaced by intensive and/or irrigated crops. About 15% of the adult population wintered in the study area, as determined by systematic roadside counts compared with accurate censuses made during the breeding season. Wintering lesser kestrels preferred to forage on field margins and stubble, while avoiding abandoned fields, ploughs, scrubland, growing cereals and, mainly, the expanding irrigated crops. This work confirms the need to incorporate the habitat requirements of threatened species over their complete annual cycles; while breeding lesser kestrels scarcely use fallow (ploughed at that time), during the winter, fallow (stubble at that time) is their main foraging habitat. Both fallow land and the present agricultural calendar should be maintained to assure the conservation of wintering lesser kestrel populations.     

Predator presence may benefit: kestrels protect curlew nests against nest predators

We studied whether the presence of breeding kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) affected nest predation and breeding habitat selection of curlews (Numenius arquata) on an open flat farmland area in western Finland. We searched for nests of curlews from an area of 6 km² during 1985–1993. For each nest found, we recorded the fate of the nest, and the distance to the nearest kestrel nest and to the nearest perch. We measured the impact of breeding kestrels on nest predation by constructing artificial curlew nests in the vicinity of ten kestrel nests in 1993. Curlew nests were closer to kestrel nests than expected from random distribution, eventhough kestrels fed on average 5.5% of curlew chick production. Predation risk by kestrels was lower than predation risk by corvids and other generalist predators, which predated 9% of curlew nests surviving farming practices and an unknown proportion of chicks. Artificial nest experiment showed that nest predation was lower close to kestrel nests than further away suggesting that the breeding association of curlews and kestrels was a behavioural adaptation against nest predation. Thus, the presence of a predator may sometimes be beneficial to prey, and prey animals have behavioural adaptations to these situations.     

Immigration stabilizes a population of threatened cavity‐nesting raptors despite possibility of nest box imprinting

Nest box provisioning is a common management tool intended to increase population size or stability of threatened birds, but its effectiveness is rarely assessed. The provisioning of nest boxes may lead to unexpected results if nest type imprinting prevents naïve adult birds from immigrating into the nest box population, or limiting the ability of juveniles reared in nest boxes to emigrate to areas with only natural nesting substrates. We analyzed the population trends from 2008 to 2010 of southeastern American kestrels Falco sparverius paulus associated with a network of nest boxes in north‐central Florida, USA, with Bayesian integrated population models (IPMs) that simultaneously considered mark–recapture data sets, fledgling production, and population surveys. We evaluated the demography of the nest box population by comparing population growth rates, apparent survival probabilities, and recapture probabilities between an IPM that explicitly modeled immigration and one that did not. Overall population growth rates suggested that the population was stable, and that immigration was apparently important in maintaining this stability, with approximately 0.3 and 0.5 female immigrants per resident female kestrel each year. Explicitly modeling immigration resulted in lower estimates of juvenile kestrel apparent survival probability, suggesting that a large proportion of locally produced juveniles emigrated rather than recruited locally. We concluded that neither preference for natural cavities nor imprinting on artificial nest boxes appeared to prevent immigration from maintaining the stability of the local population. Natal habitat preference imprinting on nest sites may occur to some degree, but it did not preclude the adoption of nest boxes by most breeding kestrels. We also found additional indications that many juvenile kestrels fledged from nest boxes emigrated to the surrounding natural areas.     

Sex-Specific Recruitment and Brood Sex Ratios of Eurasian Kestrels in a Seasonally and Annually Fluctuating Northern Environment

Timing of birth and food availability may select for biased offspring sex ratios when they differentially affect the reproductive value of male and female young. Here we show that early hatching date enhances more the probability of male Eurasian kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) to breed as one-year-old than that of females in a Finnish population. This rarely documented phenomenon has been previously observed in a kestrel population in the Netherlands. As kestrels in the Finnish population are migratory, our results refute the hypothesis that early-fledged males would have an advantage for early breeding only in resident populations. Contrary to the predictions, the Finnish population showed no change in brood sex ratio during the breeding season in a long-term data from 8years. As far as we know, this is the first demonstration that biased sex allocation may not occur even when it would appear to be adaptive. This result is different from the Dutch kestrel population, in which the season began with a bias towards males and ended with a bias in favour of females. We suggest that high inter-annual variation in food abundance in Finland might reduce selection for a sex ratio trend.     

Kestrel-Prey Dynamic in a Mediterranean Region: The Effect of Generalist Predation and Climatic Factors

Background

Most hypotheses on population limitation of small mammals and their predators come from studies carried out in northern latitudes, mainly in boreal ecosystems. In such regions, many predators specialize on voles and predator-prey systems are simpler compared to southern ecosystems where predator communities are made up mostly of generalists and predator-prey systems are more complex. Determining food limitation in generalist predators is difficult due to their capacity to switch to alternative prey when the basic prey becomes scarce.

Methodology

We monitored the population density of a generalist raptor, the Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus over 15 years in a mountainous Mediterranean area. In addition, we have recorded over 11 years the inter-annual variation in the abundance of two main prey species of kestrels, the common vole Microtus arvalis and the eyed lizard Lacerta lepida and a third species scarcely represented in kestrel diet, the great white-toothed shrew Crocidura russula. We estimated the per capita growth rate (PCGR) to analyse population dynamics of kestrel and predator species.

Principal Findings

Multimodel inference determined that the PCGR of kestrels was better explained by a model containing the population density of only one prey species (the common vole) than a model using a combination of the densities of the three prey species. The PCGR of voles was explained by kestrel abundance in combination with annual rainfall and mean annual temperature. In the case of shrews, growth rate was also affected by kestrel abundance and temperature. Finally, we did not find any correlation between kestrel and lizard abundances.

Significance

Our study showed for the first time vertebrate predator-prey relationships at southern latitudes and determined that only one prey species has the capacity to modulate population dynamics of generalist predators and reveals the importance of climatic factors in the dynamics of micromammal species and lizards in the Mediterranean region.     

Importance of the premigratory areas for the conservation of lesser kestrel: space use and habitat selection during the post-fledging period

The conservation importance of the post-fledging period in migratory birds has been scarcely assessed. In this study, we examined the space use and habitat selection of radio-tagged lesser kestrels Falco naumanni at two spatial scales during summer in north-western Spain, where premigratory aggregations of around 1000 lesser kestrels occur. Space use was estimated by kernel accounting for the spatiotemporal autocorrelation of the radio locations, and habitat selection was analysed by weighted compositional analysis accounting for the intensity of use. Kestrels moved within 9 km around roosts during daylight and returned daily during sunset to the same roosts, exhibiting refuging behaviour. They foraged on average 3.7 km from the roost in an area of 346.8 ha (home range), 92.7 ha of which were used intensively (core area). Within these areas, lesser kestrels intensively used more farmland than any land-scale habitat. Within farmland, kestrels significantly avoided the irrigated crops. This avoidance seemed to be due to the difficulty of prey access and/or scarcity of prey available. Conservation plans of lesser kestrel should include the post-fledging period by legally protecting roost sites and maintaining dry farmland systems around the communal roosts.     

Patterns of Orthoptera abundance and lesser kestrel conservation in arable landscapes

The lesser kestrel Falco naumanni experienced a marked decline during the second half of the 20th century due to changes in land use that influenced breeding success by reducing the abundance and quality of prey. However, the factors governing spatial and temporal variation of prey abundance around lesser kestrel colonies has not yet been investigated. We sampled Orthoptera abundance in the main crop types and edge habitats surrounding six lesser kestrel colonies in southern Spain. Samplings focused on Orthoptera because they constitute the main prey during the nestling period. Only those Orthoptera species that are known to be preyed by lesser kestrels were considered in this study. We found differences in prey density among localities, and crop types. Semi-natural habitats such as grasslands, fallow land, and field margins held the highest densities. However, prey abundance showed a complex pattern that was not possible to explain solely on the basis of crop composition around colonies. Factors determining productivity in individual fields like soil type and productivity or biocide input, and mean size of agricultural fields contributed to explain this complex pattern of prey abundance. Our results highlight the key role of semi-natural and edge habitats in farmed landscapes as prey reservoirs and corridors. Higher conservation priorities for these habitats are suggested to benefit foraging lesser kestrels, but many other farmland species that also experienced steep population declines due to decreasing food supply resulting from modern agriculture.     

A molecular phylogeny of African kestrels with reference to divergence across the Indian Ocean

In this paper we examine the evolutionary relationships of kestrels from mainland Africa, Indian Ocean islands and related areas. We construct a molecular phylogeny of African kestrels, using approximately 1.0 kb of mitochondrial cytochrome b sequence. Our molecular results support an Old World origin for typical kestrels and an ancient divergence of kestrels into the New World, and indicate a more recent radiation of kestrels from Africa via Madagascar towards Mauritius and the Seychelles. Phylogenetic placement of the Australian kestrel suggests a recent origin from African kestrel stock. We compare evolutionary relationships based on kestrel plumage pattern and morphology to our molecular results for the African and Indian Ocean kestrels, and reveal some consistency with the different island forms. We apply a range of published avian cytochrome b substitution rates to our data, as an alternative to internal calibration of a molecular clock arising from incomplete paleontological information. We align these divergence estimates to the geological history of Indian Ocean island formation inferred from potassium-argon dating methods. The arrival of kestrels on Mauritius appears consistent with the cessation of volcanic activity on Mauritius. The estimated time and route of divergence of the Seychelles kestrel from Madagascar may be compatible with the emergence of smaller islands during Pleistocene sea level fluctuations.     

人类足迹对东北虎豹国家公园景观破碎化的影响

探讨人类活动对东北虎豹国家公园景观破碎化的影响,对于掌握东北虎豹保护与人类发展之间的矛盾,优化虎豹栖息环境具有重要意义。基于人类足迹理论构建适地化的人类足迹指标体系,结合景观格局分析、回归分析、GIS空间分析等方法,从全局和局部两个角度探讨了各人类足迹指标对东北虎豹国家公园及核心保护区、一般控制区(虎豹潜在栖息地)、一般控制区(人口聚集区)三大管控分区景观破碎化的影响范围及其空间分异特征。结果表明：(1)虎豹公园内较高、高度景观破碎化区域占公园全域面积的8.96%,且主要分布在一般控制区(人口聚集区)中,占比高达60.54%;(2)从公园全域来看,对景观破碎化的影响从高到低的人类足迹指标依次为土地利用状况,交通可达性、人口密度、工矿活动,夜间灯光强度与景观破碎化的相关性不显著;(3)从各管控分区来看,核心保护区、一般控制区(虎豹潜在栖息地)与公园全域具有相似的规律,而在一般控制区(人口聚集区)中,工矿活动的影响程度上升到第二位;(4)从区域上占主导的人类足迹指标来看,以土地利用状况影响为主的区域最为广泛;以交通可达性影响为主的区域分布在春化镇、大肚川镇、春阳镇周边地区;以人口密度影响为...     

Retracted: MHC diversity and differential exposure to pathogens in kestrels (Aves: Falconidae)

Pathogen diversity is thought to drive major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism given that host’s immune repertories are dependent on antigen recognition capabilities. Here, we surveyed an extensive community of pathogens (n = 35 taxa) and MHC diversity in mainland versus island subspecies of the Eurasian kestrel Falco tinnunculus and in a sympatric mainland population of the phylogenetically related lesser kestrel Falco naumanni. Insular subspecies are commonly exposed to impoverished pathogen communities whilst different species’ ecologies and contrasting life‐history traits may lead to different levels of pathogen exposure. Although specific host traits may explain differential particular infections, overall pathogen diversity, richness and prevalence were higher in the truly cosmopolitan, euriphagous and long‐distance disperser Eurasian kestrel than in the estenophagous, steppe‐specialist, philopatric but long‐distance migratory lesser kestrel. Accordingly, the continental population of Eurasian kestrels displayed a higher number (64 vs. 49) as well as more divergent alleles at both MHC class I and class II loci. Detailed analyses of amino acid diversity revealed that significant differences between both species were exclusive to those functionally important codons comprising the antigen binding sites. The lowest pathogen burdens and the smallest but still quite divergent set of MHC alleles (n = 16) were found in island Eurasian kestrels, where the rates of allele fixation at MHC loci seem to have occurred faster than at neutral markers. The results presented in this study would therefore support the role of pathogen diversity and abundance in shaping patterns of genetic variation at evolutionary relevant MHC genes.