甘肃兴隆山保护区圈养雄性马麝繁殖性能的行为判别

2000年6月至2001年2月,采用焦点取样连续记录方法,对甘肃兴隆山自然保护区马麝(Moschus sifanicus)繁育中心的雄性马麝进行了行为取样。按马麝爬胯结果,将样本动物区分为爬胯成功雄麝和爬胯失败雄麝,并对两类群雄麝在非交配季节(6—10月)和交配季节(11月—翌年1月)的行为格局分别进行了比较分析。结果表明,在单位取样时间(5min)内,爬胯成功雄麝在非交配季节的摄食行为持续时间显著少于爬胯失败雄麝,而静卧和蹭尾行为的持续时间显著多于爬胯失败雄麝。爬胯成功雄麝在交配季节的静卧时间显著少于爬胯失败雄麝,而攻击行为、蹭尾及粪尿标记的持续时间显著多于爬胯失败雄麝。根据以上结果,在麝类迁地保护和驯养实践中,雄性马麝的静卧和蹭尾行为(尤其是蹭尾)可以作为其爬胯成功度及繁殖性能的行为判别指标。这为马麝驯养实践,尤其是在提高配种雄麝选取的直观性及可操作性方面提供了量化行为参数。     

Identification of key tissue type for antler regeneration through pedicle periosteum deletion

Epimorphic regeneration is the “holy grail” of regenerative medicine. Research aimed at investigating the various models of epimorphic regeneration is essential if a fundamental understanding of the factors underpinning this process are to be established. Deer antlers are the only mammalian appendages that are subject to an annual cycle of epimorphic regeneration. In our previous studies, we have reported that histogenesis of antler regeneration relies on cells resident within the pedicle periosteum (PP). The present study elaborates this finding by means of functional studies involving the deletion of PP. Four yearling and four 2-year-old stags were selected for total PP deletion or partial PP deletion experiments. Of the animals in the total PP deletion group, one showed no signs of antler regeneration throughout the antler growth season. Two showed substantial and one showed marginal delays in antler regeneration (at 34, 20 and 7 days, respectively) compared with the corresponding sham-operated sides. Histological investigation revealed that the delayed antlers were derived from regenerated PP. Unexpectedly, the regenerative capacity of the antler from the total periosteum-deleted pedicles depended on antler length at surgery. Of the four deer that had partial PP deletion, two regenerated antlers exclusively from the left-over PP on the pedicle shafts in the absence of participation from the pedicle bone proper. The combined results from the PP deletion experiments convincingly demonstrate that the cells of the PP are responsible for antler regeneration. The authors thank the New Zealand Foundation of Research, Science and Technology and Deer Industry New Zealand for funding their research.     

Restoring ecological balance to the British mammal fauna

• 1 The mammal fauna of the British Isles has seen major perturbations since the end of the last ice age, some natural and some anthropogenic. Today, 61 species of terrestrial mammals breed in the British Isles, but only 39 of them are native species, the rest have been introduced. Furthermore, 19 native species have disappeared from the fauna including all the large predators, lynx Lynx lynx, wolf Canis lupus and brown bear Ursus arctos.
• 2 Inevitably, these changes in species composition have been accompanied by major changes in community function including changes in patterns of energy flow through the mammalian community. For example, a high percentage of all the energy now flows through the introduced rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus population and red deer Cervus elaphus, which, in the absence of natural predators, are living at extremely high densities.
• 3 Could the reintroduction of species help to reverse such changes in community structure and function? The successful return to the wild of species such as the Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx and beaver Castor fiber has shown that reintroductions are certainly possible. However, the impact on community function of returned species is more difficult to evaluate.
• 4 This question is addressed in relation to the consequences for deer populations of any possible reintroduction of the wolf to Scotland. Based on what we know of wolves elsewhere, predictions are made about the likely demography and patterns of killing behaviour of introduced wolves. These values are then used to parameterize a Leslie matrix simulation of the impact of wolves on contemporary populations of red deer in Scotland. The simulations suggest very strongly that wolves are very unlikely to have any significant impact on the high‐density populations of deer now living in the Scottish landscape.

     

Estimating abundance of introduced Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi and native roe deer Capreolus capreolus using portable thermal imaging equipment

• 1 Managing the conservation impacts of deer requires knowledge of their numbers. However, estimating densities in forested areas is problematic, with pellet‐group‐based methods subject to error and uncertainty in estimating defecation and decay rates in addition to sampling variance. Use of thermal imaging equipment allows direct census by distance sampling.
• 2 Densities of introduced Chinese muntjac Muntiacus reevesi and native roe deer Capreolus capreolus were estimated in 12.8 km² of conifer forest in eastern England by thermal imaging distance transects. Estimated density of introduced muntjac (±95% confidence intervals [CI]: 20 ± 8 km⁻²) exceeded that of native roe deer (16 ± 6 km⁻²); 95% CI of c. 40% were achieved in 10 days of fieldwork.
• 3 Density estimates were not sensitive to the number of width bands applied during analysis. Detectability functions differed, with narrower effective strip widths (ESW) for muntjac (74 m) than roe deer (123 m). Thus, it is important to discriminate between species when censusing mixed assemblages. Detectability and ESW also differed among plantation growth stages. Stratification by habitat may therefore improve accuracy of density estimates but would require additional survey effort.

     

Climate, food, density and wildlife population growth rate

1. The aim of this study was to derive and evaluate a priori models of the relationship between annual instantaneous population growth rate (r) and climate. These were derived from the numerical response of annual r and food, and the effect of climate on a parameter in the numerical response. The goodness of fit of a range of such deductive models to data on annual r of Soay sheep and red deer were evaluated using information-theoretic (AICc-based) analyses. 2. The analysis for sheep annual r showed negative effects of abundance and negative effects of the interaction of abundance and climate, measured as March rainfall (and winter NAO) in the best fitting models. The analysis for deer annual r showed a negative effect of deer abundance and a positive effect of climate measured as March rainfall (but a negative effect of winter NAO), but no interaction of abundance and climate in the best fitting models. 3. There was most support in the analysis of sheep dynamics for the ratio numerical response and the assumption that parameter J (equilibrium food per animal) was influenced by climate. In the analysis of deer dynamics there was most support for the numerical responses assuming effects of food and density (Ivlev and density, food and density, and additive responses) and slightly less support for the ratio numerical response. The evaluation of such models would be aided by the collection of and incorporation of food data into the analyses.     

梅花鹿鹿茸不同产品中氨基酸含量的比较

通过对二杠鹿茸、三杈鹿茸、鹿茸片、鹿茸血、鹿角、鹿角盘等鹿茸产品中氨基酸含量的测定研究,结果表明:鹿茸血中氨基酸含量最高,鹿茸片中的氨基酸含量次之,三杈鹿茸中的氨基酸含量高于二杠鹿茸中氨基酸含量,鹿花盘中的含量高于鹿角中的氨基酸含量,从而为鹿茸这一动物性中药材资源的功能评价、药理作用提供科学理论依据。     

Predicting spacing behavior and mating systems of solitary cervids: a study of hog deer and Indian muntjac

This study investigates the validity of current theory for predicting ecological and allometric effects on space use, social structure and mating systems of poorly known solitary cervids, based on a comparative analysis of radio-telemetry data on hog deer Axis porcinus (N=32) and Indian muntjac Muntiacus muntjak (N=28). The larger and sexually size-dimorphic hog deer inhabit highly productive alluvial floodplains, where resource distribution is patchy and spatiotemporally unpredictable. As predicted for this species, site fidelity was low and range sizes varied among sex and age groups and among seasons. Hog deer were probably non-territorial, as home range sizes seemed too large to be exclusive when taking into account their high population density. Extensive movements of adult males during the rut implied "roaming" as a mating strategy. The smaller, forest-dwelling and sexually size-monomorphic muntjacs inhabit a more uniform and stable habitat. As predicted, muntjacs exhibited higher site fidelity than hog deer, and no seasonal variations in home range sizes. Adults exhibited relatively large home range overlap, both inter- and intrasexually. Hence, strict territoriality did not occur, but their well-defined home ranges and high site fidelity indicated some form of site-specific dominance. In conclusion, habitat characteristics were appropriate predictors of home range sizes and site fidelity. Body mass appeared to be a suitable predictor of intraspecific patterns in space use but a poor predictor of interspecific patterns, probably due to a confounding effect of habitat productivity.