热带雨林公路建设对野生动物的影响及保护研究进展

热带雨林是地球上生物多样性最丰富的陆地生态系统,公路等线性基础设施建设是导致热带雨林生物多样性损失的主要因素之一。公路切割热带雨林地区野生动物栖息地,对野生动物造成致死是最为显著的影响,其次是阻隔野生动物的移动。另外,噪声、灯光和空气污染等造成野生动物回避公路,野生动物的行为特征发生改变,栖息地破碎化导致小种群的出现,当道路密度达到阈值,可能导致种群的非线性降低或损失。在野生动物保护方面,当前国际上主要措施有:合理规划路线;科学设置动物通道;针对道路致死、动物通道、路域动物活动等开展持续性监测与研究;构建多部门、多领域的合作机制,多渠道、多路径加强热带雨林公路建设中野生动物的管理。本研究提出了未来我国热带雨林公路建设野生动物保护研究需重视的4个方面:(1)加强基础研究,开展技术攻关;(2)编制标准规范,更好指导工程建设;(3)多学科团队合作,参与公路建设全过程;(4)加强管理教育,降低人为干扰。     

探秘“动物自疗”

正鹰击长空,鱼翔浅底,万类霜天竞自由,野生动物和家养动物在日常的生存活动中,不管是受到外力损伤还是寄生虫和病菌侵害,都不可避免地患上一些疾病。对于家养动物而言,如果罹患疾病,常常会有人类的照料,给予相应的治疗。然而对于野生动物而言,它们在崇山峻岭、江河湖泊、风吹雨淋、冬冷秋雨中摄食狩猎,迁徙攀援,其生存环境更加恶劣,染患疾病和受伤的几率也更高。相关研究显示,虽然缺少人类的照料,这些动物普遍都拥有自我治疗的能力,可     

人类生态学(八):野生动物管理(2)

栖息地遭受破坏和污染随着人类人口的增长和对自然资源需求的增加,人类一直在不断地砍伐森林、扩大耕地、建立城市、修筑道路、开采矿山、竖立井架、建设发电站等。热带雨林是保护生物遗传多样性最理想的地方,但地球上热带雨林的面积正在急剧缩小,顶极植被的破坏是对野生动物生存的最大威胁。每一种动物对于周围环境都有自己特定的忍受限度,栖息地的改变和破坏将使很多动物失去生存场所和必需的资源,造成这些动物的生存危机。虽然很多野生动     

野生动物肇事补偿对社区居民态度改变的作用及机制——以四川卧龙国家级自然保护区为例

野生动物肇事补偿是缓和人与野生动物冲突的常用措施之一，其核心目的是补偿社区居民的经济损失并最终改善社区居民对于肇事动物的态度，实现人与野生动物的和谐共处。以四川卧龙国家级自然保护区为例，研究了目前以及假设补偿后社区居民态度的变化及其影响因素和作用机制。在对态度进行多维特征划分的基础上，使用Wilcoxon秩和检验、二元logistic回归模型等方法探究野生动物肇事补偿对社区居民态度改变的作用以及影响因素。研究发现：野生动物肇事补偿可显著改变社区居民对于肇事动物的态度，且均发生了积极的改变，但对不同维度态度的改变作用不同。其中，喜厌态度的改变最明显，其次是捕杀态度和保护态度，最后是期望态度。肇事补偿对于社区居民的态度及其改变作用受到其社会经济特征的影响，其中是否受到过野生动物破坏、耕作总收入或总收入中耕作收入比重以及受教育程度显著影响社区居民的态度，农地总面积、牲畜数量、玉米地面积会显著影响社区居民情感态度的改变，玉米地损失面积会显著影响社区居民行为态度的改变。论文进一步讨论了各个影响因素的作用机制，并根据研究结果提出了普及肇事补偿制度、完善肇事补偿机制、调整生计策略和种植结构、通过多种...     

植被、海拔、人为干扰对大中型野生动物分布的影响——以九寨沟自然保护区为例

利用九寨沟自然保护区内8条动物监测样线在2003—2010年的生态监测数据,分析了植被、海拔、人为干扰对大中型野生动物分布的影响,结果显示:1)本监测共记录到保护区内大中型野生动物26种,其中兽类18种,鸟类8种,属于我国Ⅰ级、Ⅱ级保护动物的分别有5种和11种。2)针阔混交林和针叶林是大中型野生动物种类最丰富的两种植被类型(分别有26种和17种),阔叶林和灌丛次之(分别为10种和12种),草地最少(2种)。3)海拔2400 m以下的地方,大中型野生动物种类稀少,为10种,2400—2599 m海拔段物种数增加至20种,之后随海拔上升物种丰富度下降。4)人为干扰显著影响大中型野生动物的空间分布:历史上的人类活动将原生森林植被转化为次生的落叶阔叶林、灌丛和草地,使树正、亚纳和尖盘等地下坡位(相对海拔0—199 m)的大中型野生动物的物种丰富度降低(分别为4、2、2种)。包括旅游活动和交通在内的人为干扰,可能导致附近50m海拔范围内保护动物的缺失,并使下坡位的某些物种向高海拔处移动。生境破碎化则使野生动物的种类组成发生改变,使原有森林内部优势种,如羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor),逐渐被适应能力强的物种,如豹猫(Prionailurus bengalensis)、雉鸡(Phasianuscolchicus)和野猪(Sus scrofa)等所取代,并将长期影响野生动物种群的存活。当前九寨沟自然保护区大中型野生动物的分布是植被、海拔与人为干扰综合作用的结果。     

环境噪音对鸟类鸣声的影响及鸟类的适应对策

在高噪音环境中生存的动物,发出的声信号会与噪声的频率、振幅和时间等重叠,使动物声信号的传播效率降低.鸟类主要靠鸣声通讯,鸣声传播效率下降会影响鸟类个体间识别、配偶关系、领域防卫、种群密度、群落结构等.本文综述了城市噪音、自然噪音等环境噪声对鸟类鸣声的影响以及鸟类的适应对策,提出在城市化进程中要关注噪音对鸟类的影响,并展望了本领域今后可能的研究热点.     

粪样在野生动物研究中的作用

野生动物数量少,取样难度大;在野外工作时,动物肌肉和血液样品还难以保存。这些给野生动物研究带来很大不便。由于动物粪样容易收集,易于保存,对动物的影响小,在野生动物研究中得到了广泛的应用。粪样分析已经应用在动物的领域、食性、消化动态、疾病与寄生虫、种群数量和遗传结构、有效种群大小、食物链与食物网、能量流与物质流的研究等方面。研究证明,在野生动物的研究和保护中,通过粪样可以得到许多关键性问题的答案。     

风力发电对鸟类的影响以及应对措施

风能是一种清洁而稳定的可再生能源,风力发电可以减少全球温室气体排放,在减缓气候变化中发挥重要作用。然而,风电场的建设会对自然保护、生态环境和动物生存会造成一定的负面影响,其中对鸟类的影响尤为突出。本文通过查阅欧美等国风电场对鸟类及野生动物影响的研究文献,总结了风电场对鸟类的生存、迁徙和栖息地环境的影响,以及导致鸟类与风电塔相撞的影响因素,并提出了相关防范措施和方法。近十年中国风力发电事业发展迅猛,已经成为世界上风电装机容量最大的国家,但中国在评估风电场发展对野生动物影响方面的研究工作非常匮乏。目前,我国应借鉴国外相关研究管理经验,通过长期的连续观测,认真评估国内正在运行和在建风电场对于鸟类和其他野生动物的影响及潜在威胁。同时,应重视鸟类迁徙的基础研究,为新建风电场选址提供科学方案,保证风力发电与生态环境保护之间的和谐发展。     

现代狩猎在野生动物管理中的作用

尽管现代狩猎有别于传统狩猎,但仍是一个备受争议的话题.国际上有大量学者从生态学、行为学、遗传学、经济学等角度研究狩猎对野生动物的影响.本文综合国内外文献,综述了狩猎在种群动态、行为、基因及表型方面可能对野生动物产生的影响.研究表明： 规范管理下的适当狩猎是管理野生动物种群的有效方式,有利于野外种群数量的恢复甚至增加.但过度或不当的狩猎会影响野生动物种群性比、出生率和死亡率,改变动物觅食行为及社群空间行为,对动物基因及表型产生人工选择.国际上很多国家已成功开展适当的狩猎活动,而我国要想在野生动物管理中科学应用狩猎,应基于生态学、经济学理论,参考国际上的成功案例,科学制定狩猎限额,加强狩猎监督管理,兼顾生态保护与经济发展.     

圈养赤斑羚夏季日食量及表观消化率的探讨

<正>野生动物营养学是野生动物生态学和管理学的重要组成部分,是了解野生和圈养野生动物种群生存和繁殖的核心内容之一(Robbins,1983)。动物采食是一个复杂的、动态的、生物和非生物因素相互作用和相互影响的过程(Van Soest,1994),同时受动物自身、环境和饲料等多种因素的影响,有时还存在互作(NRC,1996)。采食量决定营养物质的摄入量,决定着动物能够从环境中获得营养物     

Ability to alter song in two grassland songbirds exposed to simulated anthropogenic noise is not related to pre-existing variability

Organisms encounter noise naturally in the environment. However, increasing prevalence of human-caused noise seems to be resulting in behavioural changes in many animals that can affect survival and reproduction. Not all species react the same way to noise; some adjust their vocal signals while others do not. We hypothesized that species with more variability in their vocal signals would be better able to adjust their signals to be audible over anthropogenic noise. We tested this within a large-scale manipulative experiment by recording songs of two grassland songbirds, Baird’s sparrow (Ammodramus bairdii) and Savannah sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis), both of which are found in areas increasingly affected by energy extraction noise. We compared these species because Savannah sparrows have more variability in their songs geographically and temporally compared to Baird’s sparrows. We recorded both species’ songs before, during and after high-fidelity playbacks of oil well drilling noise. Surprisingly, both species changed parts of their songs in the presence of noise (Baird’s sparrow usually decreasing frequency and Savannah sparrow increasing frequency) and these changes were not related to seasonal, song, or syllable variability. We suggest instead that acoustically heterogeneous environments may favour the evolution of species that are capable of adjusting their songs in response to variable ambient noise.     

Calling at the highway: The spatiotemporal constraint of road noise on Pacific chorus frog communication

Loss of acoustic habitat due to anthropogenic noise is a key environmental stressor for vocal amphibian species, a taxonomic group that is experiencing global population declines. The Pacific chorus frog (Pseudacris regilla) is the most common vocal species of the Pacific Northwest and can occupy human‐dominated habitat types, including agricultural and urban wetlands. This species is exposed to anthropogenic noise, which can interfere with vocalizations during the breeding season. We hypothesized that Pacific chorus frogs would alter the spatial and temporal structure of their breeding vocalizations in response to road noise, a widespread anthropogenic stressor. We compared Pacific chorus frog call structure and ambient road noise levels along a gradient of road noise exposures in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. We used both passive acoustic monitoring and directional recordings to determine source level (i.e., amplitude or volume), dominant frequency (i.e., pitch), call duration, and call rate of individual frogs and to quantify ambient road noise levels. Pacific chorus frogs were unable to change their vocalizations to compensate for road noise. A model of the active space and time (“spatiotemporal communication”) over which a Pacific chorus frog vocalization could be heard revealed that in high‐noise habitats, spatiotemporal communication was drastically reduced for an individual. This may have implications for the reproductive success of this species, which relies on specific call repertoires to portray relative fitness and attract mates. Using the acoustic call parameters defined by this study (frequency, source level, call rate, and call duration), we developed a simplified model of acoustic communication space–time for this species. This model can be used in combination with models that determine the insertion loss for various acoustic barriers to define the impact of anthropogenic noise on the radius of communication in threatened species. Additionally, this model can be applied to other vocal taxonomic groups provided the necessary acoustic parameters are determined, including the frequency parameters and perception thresholds. Reduction in acoustic habitat by anthropogenic noise may emerge as a compounding environmental stressor for an already sensitive taxonomic group.     

Blue whales respond to anthropogenic noise

Anthropogenic noise may significantly impact exposed marine mammals. This work studied the vocalization response of endangered blue whales to anthropogenic noise sources in the mid-frequency range using passive acoustic monitoring in the Southern California Bight. Blue whales were less likely to produce calls when mid-frequency active sonar was present. This reduction was more pronounced when the sonar source was closer to the animal, at higher sound levels. The animals were equally likely to stop calling at any time of day, showing no diel pattern in their sensitivity to sonar. Conversely, the likelihood of whales emitting calls increased when ship sounds were nearby. Whales did not show a differential response to ship noise as a function of the time of the day either. These results demonstrate that anthropogenic noise, even at frequencies well above the blue whales' sound production range, has a strong probability of eliciting changes in vocal behavior. The long-term implications of disruption in call production to blue whale foraging and other behaviors are currently not well understood.     

Vocal traits and diet explain avian sensitivities to anthropogenic noise

Global population growth has caused extensive human‐induced environmental change, including a near‐ubiquitous transformation of the acoustical environment due to the propagation of anthropogenic noise. Because the acoustical environment is a critical ecological dimension for countless species to obtain, interpret and respond to environmental cues, highly novel environmental acoustics have the potential to negatively impact organisms that use acoustics for a variety of functions, such as communication and predator/prey detection. Using a comparative approach with 308 populations of 183 bird species from 14 locations in Europe, North American and the Caribbean, I sought to reveal the intrinsic and extrinsic factors responsible for avian sensitivities to anthropogenic noise as measured by their habitat use in noisy versus adjacent quiet locations. Birds across all locations tended to avoid noisy areas, but trait‐specific differences emerged. Vocal frequency, diet and foraging location predicted patterns of habitat use in response to anthropogenic noise, but body size, nest placement and type, other vocal features and the type of anthropogenic noise (chronic industrial vs. intermittent urban/traffic noise) failed to explain variation in habitat use. Strongly supported models also indicated the relationship between sensitivity to noise and predictive traits had little to no phylogenetic structure. In general, traits associated with hearing were strong predictors – species with low‐frequency vocalizations, which experience greater spectral overlap with low‐frequency anthropogenic noise tend to avoid noisy areas, whereas species with higher frequency vocalizations respond less severely. Additionally, omnivorous species and those with animal‐based diets were more sensitive to noise than birds with plant‐based diets, likely because noise may interfere with the use of audition in multimodal prey detection. Collectively, these results suggest that anthropogenic noise is a powerful sensory pollutant that can filter avian communities nonrandomly by interfering with birds' abilities to receive, respond to and dispatch acoustic cues and signals.     

The different roles of social learning in vocal communication

While vocal learning has been studied extensively in birds and mammals, little effort has been made to define what exactly constitutes vocal learning and to classify the forms that it may take. We present such a theoretical framework for the study of social learning in vocal communication. We define different forms of social learning that affect communication and discuss the required methodology to show each one. We distinguish between contextual and production learning in animal communication. Contextual learning affects the behavioural context or serial position of a signal. It can affect both usage and comprehension. Production learning refers to instances where the signals themselves are modified in form as a result of experience with those of other individuals. Vocal learning is defined as production learning in the vocal domain. It can affect one or more of three systems: the respiratory, phonatory and filter systems. Each involves a different level of control over the sound production apparatus. We hypothesize that contextual learning and respiratory production learning preceded the evolution of phonatory and filter production learning. Each form of learning potentially increases the complexity of a communication system. We also found that unexpected genetic or environmental factors can have considerable effects on vocal behaviour in birds and mammals and are often more likely to cause changes or differences in vocalizations than investigators may assume. Finally, we discuss how production learning is used in innovation and invention, and present important future research questions. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

Song characteristics track bill morphology along a gradient of urbanization in house finches (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Haemorhous mexicanus</Emphasis>)

Introduction

Urbanization can considerably impact animal ecology, evolution, and behavior. Among the new conditions that animals experience in cities is anthropogenic noise, which can limit the sound space available for animals to communicate using acoustic signals. Some urban bird species increase their song frequencies so that they can be heard above low-frequency background city noise. However, the ability to make such song modifications may be constrained by several morphological factors, including bill gape, size, and shape, thereby limiting the degree to which certain species can vocally adapt to urban settings. We examined the relationship between song characteristics and bill morphology in a species (the house finch, Haemorhous mexicanus) where both vocal performance and bill size are known to differ between city and rural animals.

Results

We found that bills were longer and narrower in more disturbed, urban areas. We observed an increase in minimum song frequency of urban birds, and we also found that the upper frequency limit of songs decreased in direct relation to bill morphology.

Conclusions

These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that birds with longer beaks and therefore longer vocal tracts sing songs with lower maximum frequencies because longer tubes have lower-frequency resonances. Thus, for the first time, we reveal dual constraints (one biotic, one abiotic) on the song frequency range of urban animals. Urban foraging pressures may additionally interact with the acoustic environment to shape bill traits and vocal performance.

     

The Songbird as a Percussionist: Syntactic Rules for Non-Vocal Sound and Song Production in Java Sparrows

Music and dance are two remarkable human characteristics that are closely related. Communication through integrated vocal and motional signals is also common in the courtship displays of birds. The contribution of songbird studies to our understanding of vocal learning has already shed some light on the cognitive underpinnings of musical ability. Moreover, recent pioneering research has begun to show how animals can synchronize their behaviors with external stimuli, like metronome beats. However, few studies have applied such perspectives to unraveling how animals can integrate multimodal communicative signals that have natural functions. Additionally, studies have rarely asked how well these behaviors are learned. With this in mind, here we cast a spotlight on an unusual animal behavior: non-vocal sound production associated with singing in the Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora), a songbird. We show that male Java sparrows coordinate their bill-click sounds with the syntax of their song-note sequences, similar to percussionists. Analysis showed that they produced clicks frequently toward the beginning of songs and before/after specific song notes. We also show that bill-clicking patterns are similar between social fathers and their sons, suggesting that these behaviors might be learned from models or linked to learning-based vocalizations. Individuals untutored by conspecifics also exhibited stereotypical bill-clicking patterns in relation to song-note sequence, indicating that while the production of bill clicking itself is intrinsic, its syncopation appears to develop with songs. This paints an intriguing picture in which non-vocal sounds are integrated with vocal courtship signals in a songbird, a model that we expect will contribute to the further understanding of multimodal communication.     

Your attention please: increasing ambient noise levels elicits a change in communication behaviour in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

High background noise is an important obstacle in successful signal detection and perception of an intended acoustic signal. To overcome this problem, many animals modify their acoustic signal by increasing the repetition rate, duration, amplitude or frequency range of the signal. An alternative method to ensure successful signal reception, yet to be tested in animals, involves the use of two different types of signal, where one signal type may enhance the other in periods of high background noise. Humpback whale communication signals comprise two different types: vocal signals, and surface-generated signals such as ‘breaching’ or ‘pectoral slapping’. We found that humpback whales gradually switched from primarily vocal to primarily surface-generated communication in increasing wind speeds and background noise levels, though kept both signal types in their repertoire. Vocal signals have the advantage of having higher information content but may have the disadvantage of loosing this information in a noisy environment. Surface-generated sounds have energy distributed over a greater frequency range and may be less likely to become confused in periods of high wind-generated noise but have less information content when compared with vocal sounds. Therefore, surface-generated sounds may improve detection or enhance the perception of vocal signals in a noisy environment.     

Anthropogenic noise affects female,not male house wren response to change in signaling network

Vocal signals mediate social relationships, and among networks of territorial animals, information is often shared via broadcast vocalizations. Anthropogenic noise may disrupt communication among individuals within networks, as animals change the way they vocalize in noise. Furthermore, constraints on signal transmission, including frequency masking and distance, may affect information exchange following a disruption in social networks. We tested the hypothesis that signaling interactions within networks of breeding male and female house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) depend on distance, ambient noise, and receiver nesting stage. We used playback experiments to simulate territorial intrusions with and without noise playbacks on the territories of established males and simultaneously recorded the vocal responses of neighbors. To examine whether intrusions impacted interactions between males, we used randomization tests to determine whether treatment, distance, noise, or nesting stage affected vocal coordination between challenged and neighboring males. We also quantified singing patterns to explore whether intrusions on territories of challenged males affected singing by males and females on neighboring territories. Males sang at the lowest rates and were less likely to overlap songs with the challenged male when their partner was laying, compared to males during early and late nesting stages. Noise and distance did not affect vocal coordination or male singing rates. Fewer females sang during the intruder-only treatment compared to the control and intrusions with noise. Added noise in the territories of challenged males may have masked signals, and as a result, females only changed their behavior during the intruder-only treatment. Our results suggest that the fertility of breeding partners may be more important to males than short-term changes on rival male territories. Elevated noise did little to alter male responses to threats within networks. Females appeared to eavesdrop on interactions involving neighboring males, but noise may have prevented detection of their interactions.     

Pollution going multimodal: the complex impact of the human-altered sensory environment on animal perception and performance

Anthropogenic sensory pollution is affecting ecosystems worldwide. Human actions generate acoustic noise, emanate artificial light and emit chemical substances. All of these pollutants are known to affect animals. Most studies on anthropogenic pollution address the impact of pollutants in unimodal sensory domains. High levels of anthropogenic noise, for example, have been shown to interfere with acoustic signals and cues. However, animals rely on multiple senses, and pollutants often co-occur. Thus, a full ecological assessment of the impact of anthropogenic activities requires a multimodal approach. We describe how sensory pollutants can co-occur and how covariance among pollutants may differ from natural situations. We review how animals combine information that arrives at their sensory systems through different modalities and outline how sensory conditions can interfere with multimodal perception. Finally, we describe how sensory pollutants can affect the perception, behaviour and endocrinology of animals within and across sensory modalities. We conclude that sensory pollution can affect animals in complex ways due to interactions among sensory stimuli, neural processing and behavioural and endocrinal feedback. We call for more empirical data on covariance among sensory conditions, for instance, data on correlated levels in noise and light pollution. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to test animal responses to a full-factorial set of sensory pollutants in the presence or the absence of ecologically important signals and cues. We realize that such approach is often time and energy consuming, but we think this is the only way to fully understand the multimodal impact of sensory pollution on animal performance and perception.