白马雪山黑白仰鼻猴(Rhinopithecus bieti)垂直迁移(英文）

2000-2001年间,在白马雪山国家级自然保护区南任村附近,通过在四个山坡每隔海拔100米的样带（宽5.0米）内搜集黑白仰鼻猴的粪便来研究猴群不同季节的垂直迁移模式。同时,通过在每个地区山脊上和山沟内搜集2.5米宽垂直样带内的粪便,来研究猴群不同季节对山脊和山沟的选择性。结果表明：猴群在海拔3500-4300米的区域活动。虽然猴群全年集中利用3900-4200米的林带;但是具有季节性差异：夏季最高（4200米）,依次是秋季（4100米）和冬季（4000米）,夏季最低（3900米）。另外,冬季山沟中的粪便多于山脊说明猴群在沟中停留时间长,这与沟中少风且温度高有关。不同海拔带上的粪便密度和松萝量间正相关,这意味着食物资源的垂直分布是影响猴群垂直迁移的重要因素。春季,猴群会下到低海拔采食嫩芽/叶,而冬季则下到低海拔处躲避首次大雪,这很可能导致猴群集中利用第二个海拔带。     

滇金丝猴迁移习性的初步观察

1985年4—12月在白马雪山自然保护区观察了滇金丝猴Rhionpithecus bieti猴群的迁移习性,现报道如下。一、寻找猴群:据观察滇金丝猴栖息于海拔3200—4200米的暗针叶林中。过群居游走觅食的生活方式,所以在猴群活动过的森林中,枝叶、粪便散落很多,特别是云杉、冷杉、大杜鹃等枝叶显而易见。可以根据散落物的新鲜程度及粪便(呈算盘子形状,墨绿色)的干湿程度粗略判断猴群过往时间,猴群在迁移过程中喜欢在林间攀缘纵跳前进,由于体形大(成年雄猴体重约30—40公斤),跳跃时紧缩身躯,突发跃出,伸展四肢向前跳去,往往造成树枝断折,故一般以断落下来的…     

戴云山南坡不同海拔森林土壤微生物功能多样性特征及影响因素

土壤微生物作为森林生态系统的主要分解者,参与土壤养分循环,在维持土壤生态系统功能和服务中发挥着重要作用。探讨不同海拔土壤微生物群落结构和功能多样性的季节变化,对维持土壤生态系统稳定具有重要研究价值。以戴云山南坡不同海拔土壤为研究对象(900-1500 m),采用Biolog-ECO微平板法,研究不同海拔土壤微生物群落结构和功能多样性的季节变化(夏季与冬季),揭示驱动戴云山不同海拔土壤微生物季节变化的主要因素。结果表明:(1)夏季海拔1400 m区域土壤微生物的碳源利用最强,微生物活性最高。冬季表现为海拔900 m处土壤微生物对碳源利用最强,活性最高。(2)土壤微生物群落对碳源利用特征的研究表明,夏季与冬季中氨基酸类和羧酸类碳源是7个海拔土壤微生物利用的主要碳源,且夏季碳源利用程度高于冬季。(3)冗余分析表明夏季和冬季戴云山南坡7个海拔土壤微生物群落功能多样性均受土壤环境因子驱动,解释量分别为72.63%和44.12%,均高于地形因子的解释量。(4)土壤温度和全钾含量等因子是驱动夏季土壤微生物群落功能多样性变化的主要因素;土壤全钾、全磷、有效磷含量和坡向是驱动冬季土壤微生物群落功能多样性变化的主要因素。海拔和季节变化通过调节土壤理化性质和土壤酶活性,进而影响森林土壤微生物群落结构和功能多样性。     

短尾猴栖息地的季节变化

本文阐述了短尾猴栖息地的季节变化。春季,主要利用海拔570-1600米的常绿阔叶林、常绿、落叶阔叶混交林和落叶阔叶林;夏季,限于海拔1000米以上的落叶阔叶林。秋季的栖息地,在海拔650-1200米常绿阔叶林和常绿、落叶阔叶混交林;冬季仅利用海拔600-900米的常绿阔叶林。此外还报道了短尾猴四季的食物组成。并对栖息地的变化原因,做了初步探讨。     

白马雪山自然保护区格花箐滇金丝猴夜宿地的季节性选择

2005年9月至2006年9月,在白马雪山自然保护区南端的格花箐,对一群(约250只)滇金丝猴的夜宿地选择与利用情况进行调查.整个调查历时13个月,确认研究群的夜宿点54个,共记录夜宿地的利用次数137次,提示研究群在其中一些地点多次夜宿.滇金丝猴夜宿地在平均海拔分布上存在明显的季节性差异:夏季猴群夜宿地的平均海拔为3 352 m,为一年中夜宿地分布最高的时期;春季猴群则多选择在低海拔地区夜宿,平均海拔在一年中最低(3 082 m).猴群夜宿地集中分布于3 200～3 400 m的海拔范围,随季节变化,不同海拔梯度上的夜宿地数量和利用频次差异明显.虽然猴群夜宿地主要位于针阔混交林中,但是不同季节猴群夜宿地植被的组成明显不同.猴群明显偏好在位于南坡面和西坡面的地点过夜,在夏季和秋季尚未发现北坡向的夜宿地.研究还表明,不同季节,猴群都会不同程度地在少数几个地点多次过夜,但大多数夜宿地在一年中仅利用一次.滇金丝猴为什么会对某些地点多次利用尚需进一步研究证实.     

基于水声学方法的天目湖鱼类季节和昼夜空间分布研究

采用水声学方法系统地对天目湖春夏秋冬四季鱼类水平和垂直空间分布进行了调查研究,同时对昼夜探测的差异性进行了比较,并对不同季节间鱼类聚群形态进行了探讨。研究结果表明,天目湖鱼类在不同季节间存在规律性水平迁移,从全湖角度分析,天目湖鱼类资源昼夜间的水平空间分布无明显差异特征,但在春末和夏季的局部区域里,昼夜间鱼类存在一定近岸—远岸的水平迁移;不同季节和昼夜间,鱼类垂直分布差异明显,且在存在温跃层的夏季7月昼间,鱼类密度垂直分布与水温的垂直分布关系密切,温跃层以下的鱼类密度基本为0;天目湖鱼类在四个季节都属于成群分布类型,但季节间鱼类聚群形态不同,在冬季的1月呈现出典型的聚集,相对于昼间,春夏季鱼类在夜间分布更为均匀、分散,且水平探测表明在夜间水体表层存在大量鱼类分布。     

基于样线法和非损伤性标志重捕法对古田山小麂种群现状评价

为分析古田山自然保护区内小麂种群资源的现状,制定合理的保护和管理措施,本研究结合传统的样带调查法和非损伤性标志重捕法进行小麂种群资源的调查与评估。2014年4月、7月、10月和2015年1月在古田山自然保护区内进行了4次调查,结果显示：样带法得到全区的种群密度为(5.8±0.4)只/km²,种群数量为(473.5±29.2)只,其中核心区种群密度最高,为(7.5±0.7)只/km²,种群数量为(160.8±14.0)只;缓冲区为(5.7±0.6)只/km2,种群数量为(98.2±10.4)只;实验区密度最低,为(3.3±0.5)只/km²,种群数量为(140.5±20.7)只。非损伤性标志重捕法得到全区种群密度为(4.9±0.3)只/km²,种群数量为(397±26)只。样带法调查显示,不同功能区之间的种群密度随季节发生变化,核心区、缓冲区和实验区均是春季种群密度最高,保护区内小麂主要栖息在海拔400-800 m之间,夏季向高海拔区域迁移,冬季则向低海拔迁移。SRY性别鉴定结果表明,古田山小麂种群季节间平均雌雄性比1.17∶1,周年雌雄性比为1.11∶1（9只雌性,84只雄性）（x=0.458,P=0.499）,雌性个体的数量优势并不是很明显,若要进一步提高种群数量,则需要加强保护。     

色季拉山急尖长苞冷杉叶片及细根性状随海拔的变异特征

叶片和细根是植物对环境变化响应的主要功能器官,在气候变化趋势下,研究其随环境梯度的变化,对理解植物对环境的适应策略具有重要意义。本文是在色季拉山急尖长苞冷杉分布区,按海拔梯度(3800、3900、4000、4100、4200、4300、4400m)选择7个典型样地,在样地内对其叶片基本特征、叶绿素含量、比叶重和细根特征(0—60cm)等参数进行了测量。结果表明:(1)随海拔梯度升高,急尖长苞冷杉叶片叶面积减小、叶片厚度增加、叶绿素含量逐渐降低、比叶重显著增大。3900m处急尖长苞冷杉的叶片形态特征表现最好,叶片长度、宽度和面积均显著优于其他海拔,海拔4200m叶片厚度达到最大值,叶片面积、叶绿素含量随海拔升高呈下降趋势,但在4200m处出现第二峰值。(2)随海拔梯度增加,细根各性状与海拔表现出非线性关系,其中细根生物量和细根体积在3900m和4200m处出现两次峰值,3900m处细根生物量达到最大值,4200m处细根体积达到最大值,4400m处细根生物量和细根体积均显著少于其他海拔。细根根长密度在海拔3900、4200、4300m较高,三者之间差异不显著,但显著高于其余海拔,4400m海拔细根根长密度最小。细根表面积在3900m海拔处达到最大值,显著高于其他海拔,4200和4300m次之,3800、4000和4400m海拔下细根表面积相对较小。4400m处细根比根长达到最大值。各海拔上细根均主要分布在0—20cm土层。随土层厚度增加,各海拔细根生物量和根系体积在0—60cm土层范围内均逐渐减小;细根根长密度、表面积在20—40cm和40—60cm显著提高;同一海拔细根比根长随土层深度增加呈明显的增加趋势。各海拔40—60cm土层细根比根长显著高于20—40和0—20cm土层。(3)综合叶片及细根特征,海拔3900m为急尖长苞冷杉的最适宜生长区域;随海拔升高,环境因子逐渐恶劣,环境胁迫加剧,急尖长苞冷杉最终形成在4400m处为其分布上限的海拔梯度格局。     

Carbon and nutrient physiology in shrubs at the upper limits: a multispecies study

高山分布上限灌木的碳与养分生理碳水化合物不足是高山林线树种生长限制假说之一,国内外以碳水化合物为基础的高山林线研究已有很多,而与高山林线相比,人们对碳水化合物在灌丛线形成中的作用知之甚少。除此之外,土壤养分亦被视为限制高山树种向上分布的重要因素之一。本研究将探究欧亚多种高山灌木不同器官中非结构性碳水化合物(NSCs)、氮(N)和磷(P)在不同季节及高低海拔上的含量变化规律。研究结果显示,除了与夏季相比冬季细根中具有较低的P含量以外,不同海拔与季节对灌木不同器官中的N和P含量均无显著影响。冬季灌木枝条中的NSCs和可溶性糖含量显著高于夏季。海拔与季节对细根中NSCs、淀粉、可溶性糖和糖与淀粉比值的影响均有显著的交互作用。在冬季,灌木细根中的可溶性糖与淀粉含量在海拔上限处要显著低于其在低海拔处;而在夏季,这些指标在高低海拔间均无显著差异。本研究结果表明,与高山林线树种相似,海拔分布上限的灌木冬季细根中较低的非结构性碳水化合物含量可能限制了灌木的向上分布。     

珠穆朗玛峰地区的植被垂直分带及其与水平地带关系的初步研究

珠穆朗玛峰是世界最高峰,关于这个地区的植被垂直分带过去曾有一些报道,但是有关它的植被垂直分带与水平地带的关系问题仍是学术界中争论的问题。这个地区具有辐射强烈、日照丰富、日温差大而年温差较小、降水在夏季的气候特点。由于喜马拉雅山与西藏高原阻截了南来的印度洋湿暖季风和削弱了北下的寒流,因而在珠穆朗玛峰地区南北坡出现有不同的气候和植被。南坡降水比北坡丰富,而温度则比相应海拔高度的北坡要低。雪线则南坡低(海拔5500—6100米)、北坡高(海拔5800—6200米)。南坡出现有深切的河谷和森林;北坡出现很多覆盖有草原植被的宽谷和盆地。南坡的植被垂直分带如下:海拔1000米以下是裟罗双树季雨林带;1000—2500米是山地常绿阔叶林带;其中 2000米以下以印栲、木荷为主,以上则是铁椆、穗果柯占优势;2500一3000米是山地针叶阔叶(常绿、落叶)混交林带,主要有铁杉和高山栋;3000—3800(4100)米是冷杉亚高山针叶林带;3800(4100)—4500米分布有杜鹃,桧柏高山灌丛;4500—5200米是嵩草、冰川苔草高山草甸;在上到雪线则属地衣砾石带。北坡的植被垂直带划分如下:海拔4400米往下到雅鲁藏布江南岸(海拔3900米)分布有白草、固砂草草原,4400一5000米是紫花针等高山草原带;5000—5700米分布有冰川苔草、嵩草高山草甸;5700米往上和南坡相似,为地衣、砾石带一直分布到雪线附近。通过和温带(长白山)、亚热带(四川西部山地)、热带(东、西喜马拉雅山和墨西哥山地)的植被垂直带谱的对比,作者认为珠穆朗玛峰地区的南坡应属热带(北缘)植被垂直带的范畴。喜马拉雅山中段、珠穆朗玛峰及其邻近地区的植被垂直分带,过去曾有过若干论述[8,12,11,15,14,2] 。我国自1959年起,曾先后在这个地区进行了三次植被和自然地理的调查研究(图1)。本文是在这些工作的基础上,对珠穆朗玛峰地区的植被垂直带进行划分,并就其与水平地带的关系问题作初步探讨。     

官山白颈长尾雉活动区域海拔高度的季节变化及其影响因素

2005年7月至2006年12月,采用无线电遥测的方法在江西官山国家级自然保护区内对5只白颈长尾雉（Syrmaticus ellioti）的活动区域进行了跟踪监测,结合GIS技术和样方法分析其活动区域的海拔高度随季节变化的影响因素。结果表明：海拔400-600m为白颈长尾雉全年最适活动带,其主要活动区域的海拔高度呈现明显的季节变化：夏秋季最高,春季次之,冬季最低。水源是其冬季喜欢在低海拔区域活动的最主要原因;而距林缘距离、灌木数量、灌木种数、灌木盖度等与增加食物丰富度和隐蔽度相关的因子是促使它们在春季和夏秋季倾向于在高海拔区域活动的主要因素。     

The influence of weather on the flight altitude of nocturnal migrants in mid‐latitudes

By altering its flight altitude, a bird can change the atmospheric conditions it experiences during migration. Although many factors may influence a bird's choice of altitude, wind is generally accepted as being the most influential. However, the influence of wind is not clearly understood, particularly outside the trade‐wind zone, and other factors may play a role. We used operational weather radar to measure the flight altitudes of nocturnally migrating birds during spring and autumn in the Netherlands. We first assessed whether the nocturnal altitudinal distribution of proportional bird density could be explained by the vertical distribution of wind support using three different methods. We then used generalized additive models to assess which atmospheric variables, in addition to altitude, best explained variability in proportional bird density per altitudinal layer each night. Migrants generally remained at low altitudes, and flight altitude explained 52 and 73% of the observed variability in proportional bird density in spring and autumn, respectively. Overall, there were weak correlations between altitudinal distributions of wind support and proportional bird density. Improving tailwind support with height increased the probability of birds climbing to higher altitude, but when birds did fly higher than normal, they generally concentrated around the lowest altitude with acceptable wind conditions. The generalized additive model analysis also indicated an influence of temperature on flight altitudes, suggesting that birds avoided colder layers. These findings suggested that birds increased flight altitudes to seek out more supportive winds when wind conditions near the surface were prohibitive. Thus, birds did not select flight altitudes only to optimize wind support. Rather, they preferred to fly at low altitudes unless wind conditions there were unsupportive of migration. Overall, flight altitudes of birds in relation to environmental conditions appear to reflect a balance between different adaptive pressures.     

武夷山不同海拔黄山松细根性状季节变化

细根作为植物吸收养分和水分的主要器官,其功能性状对森林生态系统功能具有重要影响。以武夷山黄山松为研究对象,通过对不同季节(春季、夏季、秋季和冬季)和不同海拔(1200、1400、1600、1800 m和2000 m)的黄山松细根的功能性状的测定,分析其细根性状特征随海拔和季节变化的规律。结果表明:(1)黄山松细根比根长(SRL),比根面积(SRA)均随海拔先升高后降低,其均值分别为(9.32±0.35) cm/g与(276.41±68.10) cm~2/g;根组织密度(RTD)随海拔先降低后升高,均值为(0.16±0.05) g/cm~3。根平均直径(AvgDiam)随海拔增加变化不显著,均值为(0.097±0.004) mm。SRL和SRA在海拔1600 m处达到最大,而RTD和AvgDiam的最大值出现在海拔1800 m或2000 m处。(2)SRL和SRA在夏季或秋季达到最大,RTD和AvgDiam最大值则出现在冬季或春季。季节和海拔对各细根性状都有显著影响(P0.01),但季节与海拔对根性状并没有产生显著的交互作用(P0.05)。(3)SRL与SRA间的异速生长指数是1.25,显著大于1.0(P0.01);SRL与RTD存在负等速生长关系,而与AvgDiam存在显著负异速生长关系(P0.01);SRA与RTD,以及RTD与AvgDiam间均存在显著负异速生长关系(P0.01),但SRA与AvgDiam之间不存在异速生长关系。黄山松的细根性状在1600 m处倾向于增加比根长和比根面积,而在海拔1800 m或2000 m处则倾向于增加组织密度与根直径,这与黄山松细根性状从夏秋到冬春的季节变化规律相类似。同时,相对于比根面积来说,黄山松的细根在海拔1600 m处和夏秋季节更倾向于投资比根长来增加养分的吸收。     

Food selection by the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) along an altitudinal gradient in the Southern Andean Precordillera (Argentina)

Wild ungulates like the guanaco are exposed to important changes in climate and plant diversity along altitudinal gradients in the Andes Mountains, such as in the Southern Andean Precordillera where three phytogeographic provinces are present in altitudinal belts. The guanaco’s diet and food availability were seasonally analyzed using microhistological analysis and point-quadrat transects at six sampling sites, representative of the phytogeographic belts along the altitudinal gradient. Plant cover and diversity decreased with growing altitude. Richness of plant species was poorer at the summit than in the lower altitudes, whereas the proportion of species eaten by guanacos increased with altitude. The diet included 77 species. Grasses were preferred and shrubs were avoided all year round. The grass Poa spp. occupied more than 50 % of the diet at all altitudes. Grasses were the main dietary item even at low altitudes, where shrubs constituted the main food available. Decreasing generalism with descending phytogeographic belts agrees with the prediction for altitudinal gradients. The increase of diversity in the diet during the winter decline of plant cover at high and middle altitudes follows that expected from the optimal foraging theory. The winter decline of vegetation and the dietary shift from grazing to browsing proved to be stronger as altitude increases and the climate become more rigorous. Plant species richness, food scarcity, and climate severity are relevant variables to explain altitudinal and seasonal changes in the diet of adaptive ungulates in mountain environments, such as the guanaco in the Southern Andean Precordillera.     

Patterns of plant diversity at high altitudes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Aims To describe the biodiversity patterns of plants along an altitudinal gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and to clarify the bias in plant specimen records at high altitude.Methods We conducted a large-scale investigation of vegetation at a wide range of altitudes, focusing on a high-altitudinal range (3?200–5?200 m) at different locations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We then compared the altitudinal distribution of plant species obtained from our field investigation with that in plant specimen records from published sources and an online database.Important findings Our data provide evidence that altitude plays a large role in regulating species composition on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We could not, however, detect a clear relationship between altitude and species richness, although a weak monotonically increasing trend of richness was detected with increasing altitude. According to specimen records, most species have been sampled at a wide range of altitudes, and the average range of 145 species is>2?000 m. Despite this wide range, more than half of the species we observed were at higher altitudes than the specimen records indicate. High-altitude areas have probably been so poorly sampled that only a small fraction of the resident species has been recorded. This study clearly shows the regional bias of specimen records in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

唐家河国家级自然保护区川金丝猴生境适宜性评价

生境适宜性评价是濒危物种保护的重要基础。川金丝猴（Rhinopithecus roxellana）是栖息于温带森林的、中国特有的珍稀灵长类动物。位于岷山山系的四川唐家河国家级自然保护区是川金丝猴的重要分布地之一,但涉及该地区川金丝猴的生境信息却较缺乏。运用最大熵（Maximum entropy,MaxEnt）模型对四川唐家河国家级自然保护区川金丝猴不同季节的生境适宜性进行了研究,发现四个季节的训练集和验证集的受试者工作特征曲线下面积（Area under the receiver operator characteristic curve,AUC）值均超过0.8,说明模型预测结果较好。结果显示：（1）影响不同季节川金丝猴分布的主要因子是海拔、河流和道路。（2）川金丝猴的适宜生境面积存在季节性变化。其中,春季的适宜生境面积最大,为233.94 km²,占全区面积的58.48%;夏季的次之,为192.75 km²,占48.19%;秋冬季的适宜生境面积相对较低,分别为145.54 km²（占36.39%）和142.63 km²（占35.66%）。（3）川金丝猴的适宜生境分布具有明显的季节性垂直变化。研究揭示保护好完整的森林植被带对川金丝猴的生存具有重要意义,尤其要重视对人为干扰较强的低海拔生境的保护。     

Seasonal Altitudinal Movements of Golden Takin in the Qinling Mountains of China

Abstract: We studied seasonal movements of golden takin (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi), a large, social, forest-dwelling ungulate, by radiotracking and field surveys during 1995–1996 and 2002–2005 at Foping National Nature Reserve on the southern slope of the Qinling Mountains, China. Takins inhabited forests and subalpine meadows at an altitudinal range from 1,360 m to 2,890 m. Our results showed that golden takins had a complicated seasonal movement pattern and underwent altitudinal migration 4 times each year. Takins occupied a high-altitude range during summer, stayed at low-altitude ranges for short periods during spring and autumn, and resided at an intermediate-altitude range during winter. Changes in plant phenology may have caused seasonal movements. Reserves for takin conservation should incorporate lower altitude habitats than those takins use in spring and autumn, and seasonal movements by takins should be protected from disturbance by human activities. (JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 72(3):611–617; 2008)     

Searching for Altitudinal Zonation: Species Distribution and Vegetation Composition in the Superpáramo of Volcán Iliniza, Ecuador

Altitudinal variation of the zonal superpáramo vegetation was studied between 4300 and 4630 m to test a possible occurrence of a fine altitudinal zonation within the superpáramo belt. A rectangular grid of 1 m² sample plots was established; 25 replicate plots separated by a 3 m space were located along a 100 m long transect parallel to the contours, and there were 17 such transects separated by 20 m of altitude. Species were scored using a 7-grade cover scale and basic environmental data were gathered for each sample. Major changes occur over a short altitudinal range, at around 4400 m, which corresponds to a transition between the lower and upper superpáramo. Species richness sharply declines but species turnover (per altitude) increases along the altitudinal gradient. The correlation between richness and bare ground or rock cover is negative, but the correlation to rocks becomes positive above 4500 m. Species from lower altitudes tend to have narrower altitudinal range, although a large number of species appear to be indifferent to altitude. Direct ordination analyses indicate that high-altitude species show stronger correlation to environmental variables, especially rock, than species from lower altitudes. TWINSPAN cluster analysis delimited 15 groups of samples. There is a change in the clustering pattern along the altitudinal gradient from a horizontal (i.e., within altitude) to vertical (i.e., across altitude) arrangement of the cluster groups, although this pattern is partly obscured at the highest altitudes due to a large number of empty samples. MANOVA tests for samples from adjacent altitudinal levels indicate two distinct altitudinal breaks at lower altitudes, corresponding to the Loricaria-belt in lower superpáramo and the transition between lower and upper superpáramo, while no indication of a zonation was found in upper superpáramo.     

Potential impacts of climate change on stable flies, investigated along an altitudinal gradient

Adult populations of stable flies were sampled along an altitudinal transect in Reunion Island to determine whether higher temperatures were associated with: (a) higher numbers of flies; (b) a longer season of infestation, and/or (c) different responses to warming in the cosmopolitan Stomoxys calcitrans (L) and the tropical Stomoxys niger niger Macquart (Diptera: Muscidae). Flies of both species were trapped at seven farms situated at four altitudes (100-1600 m a.s.l.) over a 90-week period. For both species, there were no relationships between the maximum or mean fly abundance and altitude. Only minimum abundance in winter was significantly higher at lower altitudes. Maximum and mean abundances differed significantly between nearby farms under similar climatic conditions. Seasonal fluctuations in fly abundance changed along the gradient. At lower altitudes, population growth started earlier after the winter but abundance declined earlier in summer, which resulted in a shift of the season of infestation. Seasonal fluctuations of both species were strongly related to climate variables at high altitude, mainly temperature. However, climate variables explained a decreasing proportion of the variations in abundance at lower altitudes. Stomoxys calcitrans was the most abundant species overall, but the proportion of S. n. niger increased significantly at lower altitudes and this species became predominant at 100 m a.s.l. It is concluded that stable fly infestations are unlikely to worsen in response to global warming. Maximum abundance is limited by local factors, possibly larval resources, which suggests that adequate husbandry practices could override the impact of climate change. Because S. n. niger tends to be the predominant pest at elevated temperatures, it is recommended that this species should not be introduced in areas where climate is changing.     

Flight altitude of trans-Sahara migrants in autumn: a comparison of radar observations with predictions from meteorological conditions and water and energy balance models

Radar observations on the altitude of bird migration and altitudinal profiles of meteorological conditions over the Sahara desert are presented for the autumn migratory period. Migratory birds fly at an average altitude of 1016 m (a.s.l.) during the day and 571 m during the night. Weather data served to calculate flight range using two models: an energy model (EM) and an energy-and-water model (EWM). The EM assumes that fuel supply limits flight range whereas the EWM assumes that both fuel and water may limit flight range. Flight ranges estimated with the EM were generally longer than those with the EWM. This indicates that trans-Sahara migrants might have more problems balancing their water than their energy budget. However, if we assume fuel stores to consist of 70% instead of 100% fat (the remainder consisting of 9% protein and 21% water), predicted flight ranges of the EM and EWM largely overlap. Increased oxygen extraction, reduced flight costs, reduced exhaled air temperature, reduced cutaneous water loss and increased tolerance to water loss are potential physiological adaptations that would improve the water budget in migrants. Both the EM and EWM predict optimal flight altitudes in agreement with radar observations in autumn. Optimal flight altitudes are differently predicted by the EM and EWM for nocturnal spring migration. During spring, the EWM predicts moderately higher and the EM substantially higher flight altitudes than during autumn. EWM predictions are therefore in better agreement with radar observations on flight altitude of migrants over the Negev desert in spring than EM predictions.