野生朱鹮的种群数量和分布现状

2012年9-10月,我们对野生朱鹮（Nipponia nippon）的分布区和潜在分布区进行了调查,共发现其游荡期夜宿地23个,其中20个有朱鹮夜宿,分布在洋县（16个）、宁陕县（3个）和城固县（1个）。对这些夜宿地进行了的同步调查,共统计到野生朱鹮1 090只,其中97.2%分布在洋县境内。最大的夜宿集群数量为184只,集群数量超过40只的夜宿地共11个,累计停歇的朱鹮占总数的91.7%,表明野生朱鹮在游荡期有趋于集结较大群体夜宿的习性。朱鹮野生种群中当年出生的幼鸟占19.0%,据此估算,截至秋季朱鹮幼鸟的存活率约为67.2%。加强对保护区以外,尤其是野生朱鹮新扩散地区的的保护管理,将促进野生朱鹮种群的扩散,进一步增加这一濒危物种抵御风险的能力。     

Just how important are structural elements as habitat components? Indications from a declining lycaenid butterfly with priority conservation status

Recently, it has been suggested that habitats for insect herbivores have been too narrowly defined, often on the basis of larval hostplants; in particular, non-consumable resources (called utilities; structural elements) have been ignored. Here, the importance of utility resources for roosting and mate location has been examined in the silver-studded blue butterfly Plebejus argus (L.) (Lycaenidae) on the Great Ormes Head, North Wales, UK. The methods included using dedicated surveys and correspondence analysis applied to behavioural observations in relation to vegetation structure on a transect through a key patch for this metapopulation model species. A substantial and significant bias in roosting (97%) and mating (75%) is found to occur outside hostplant areas on shrubs and rank bunched grasses and forbs. Population density is higher in shrubby areas and shrubs are increasingly occupied during the afternoons and night, during the late flight season and in cloudy, cool and windy weather. These findings suggest that shrubs are a valuable habitat component for this butterfly, at least at this coastal location, and important for their conservation. As scrub growth is inimical to calcicolous grassland, population status will depend on a fine balance between shrub and hostplant cover dependent on grazing and browsing by the indigenous goat, sheep and rabbit populations as well as on controlled cutting and burning. Opportunities exist for increasing population size and distribution on the headland but this will need to be managed carefully. There are also implications for metapopulation dynamics studies; the status of shrubs neighbouring host plant areas switches from that of barriers to resources and refuges.     

四川雉鹑的冬季夜栖地选择

四川雉鹑(Tetraophasis szechenyii)是中国特有物种,国家Ⅰ级重点保护野生动物,对其冬季夜栖地选择的了解,有助于理解物种的生存策略,为物种保护提供参考。利用徒步跟踪和无线电遥测的方法,我们于2006年9月到2007年4月在四川省雅江县帕姆岭进行了野外研究。采用卡方检验、配对样本t检验和二元逻辑斯缔回归等方法对数据进行分析。结果发现:(1)四川雉鹑利用鳞皮冷杉(Abies squamata)和大果红杉(Larix potaninii var.macrocarpa)两种树夜栖,卡方检验分析发现四川雉鹑对这两树种没有明显的选择偏好(χ2=0.745,df=1,P=0.388);(2)夜栖树的胸径为(25.8±1.3)cm,夜栖枝条离地高度为(6.3±0.3)m,直径为(3.3±0.1)cm;(3)与对照样地相比,夜栖地生境一般靠近林缘,乔木的平均胸径大、林下盖度小、倒木数量多,夜栖树胸径大、最近乔木胸径大和最近乔木距离远;(4)逻辑斯缔回归分析表明:夜栖树第一枝距地面高为冬季四川雉鹑夜栖地选择的关键因子;倒木数量、平均乔木胸径、最近林缘距离为次关键因子,该模型对夜栖地的预测正确率为80.9%。冬季四川雉鹑选择夜栖地是安全、能量和地点转移三个因素综合作用的结果,在不同的环境下,同一物种对环境会有不同的适应策略。     

Morphological characters and feeding habits of insectivorous Kuhl’s pipistrelle bat Pipistrellus kuhlii Cretzschmar, 1830, in different riverine habitats

This study revises the morphological characters of both sexes of Kuhl’s pipistrelle, including external, cranial and dental characters. This study also establishes a baseline for the diet of this insectivorous bat species across a variety of habitats in the Nile Valley, where diets have never before been investigated. Our findings of the stomach contentswere not significantly affected despite the different habitats from which the samples were collected. The three most common insect taxa recovered were Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. The percentage volume of insect orders in the diet of Kuhl’s bat (63 stomachs) consisted of 29% of Hymenoptera, 9% of Coleoptera, 27% of Lepidoptera, 32% unknown materials and unexpected thing of these insectivorous bats was the presences of 3% fruits. A single order did not dominate the diet of this specie because Hymenoptera was the most fed insect orders by frequency of occurrence 87.3%, Lepidoptera by 74.6%, Coleoptera 36.5% and fruits in 4.8% of samples. Also, they may also be fed by other insect orders, as unknown materials were found in all samples.     

不同野化训练条件下朱鹮的行为差异

2010年7月至201 1年1月,在陕西省洋县朱鹮生态园和华阳镇朱鹮野化训练基地,采用瞬时扫描取样法和行为取样法,对2处野化训练大网笼中朱鹮(Nipponia nippon)(n洋县=30只;n华阳=22只)的行为进行研究,同时调查2处大网笼野化训练条件的不同.结果表明,在觅食行为的时间分配中,秋季洋县群的划动寻觅、探...     

Roosting site selection in the endangered damselfly, Coenagrion mercuriale, and implications for habitat design

A successful conservation strategy for an insect species should address the habitat requirements of all life stages and all activities performed by those life stages. In this paper the night-time roosting habitat and behaviour of the endangered damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) was investigated by marking damselflies with UV fluorescent paint. Night-time observations revealed that individuals did not roost together and those that were recorded on more than one occasion did not return to the same spot each night. There was no apparent preference for roosting close to the watercourses. C. mercuriale roosted towards the top of the vegetation and this vegetation was considerably taller than the mean height of the vegetation in the study area. Adults were strongly associated with two tussock-forming monocots, Juncus inflexus and Deschampsia cespitosa. Differences in the abundance of these plants were shown to result in large differences in the numbers of C. mercuriale roosting in different parts of the site. The importance of providing these structural elements of habitat as part of a wider conservation strategy for this species is discussed.     

Potential energy expenditure by litter-roosting bats associated with temperature under leaf litter during winter

In temperate portions of North America, some bats that remain active during winter undergo short periods of hibernation below leaf litter on the forest floor during episodes of below-freezing weather. These winter roosts may provide above-freezing conditions, but the thermal conditions under leaf litter are unclear. Further, little is known of the relationship between temperatures under litter and potential energy expenditure by bats. Therefore, I characterized thermal conditions below leaf litter, compared temperatures encountered under different litter depths, and evaluated the quality of these sites as hibernacula based on potential energy use by eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) during winter in forests of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas, USA. Over an averaged 24-h period, there was no significant difference in temperature among different depths of leaf litter, but temperatures under litter remained significantly warmer than air temperatures, especially during nighttime and under snow cover. Temperatures below leaf litter were significantly warmer on south-facing slopes than north-facing slopes, but predicted metabolic rates did not differ among aspects. Predicted metabolic rates of eastern red bats were lowest under the deepest leaf litter measured (8 cm) and highest under ambient air conditions. Depending on depth of leaf litter cover, predicted energy savings based on O₂ consumption from roosting under litter were 1.9 to 3.1 times greater than remaining in ambient air during periods of freezing weather and around 5.6 times greater when roosting under leaf litter with snow cover. A model for predicted total energy consumption (estimated as the total oxygen consumption during a 24-h period) by eastern red bats indicated that when roosting below leaf litter, energy consumption would be reduced with greater ground temperatures, greater leaf litter moisture, and when located on south-facing slopes. Predicted metabolic rates and total energy consumption may provide more insight on the quality of roost sites for wintering bats than temperature of roost sites alone.     

Bat fly species richness in Neotropical bats: correlations with host ecology and host brain

Patterns of ectoparasite species richness in mammals have been investigated in various terrestrial mammalian taxa such as primates, ungulates and carnivores. Several ecological or life traits of hosts are expected to explain much of the variability in species richness of parasites. In the present comparative analysis we investigate some determinants of parasite richness in bats, a large and understudied group of flying mammals, and their obligate blood-sucking ectoparasite, streblid bat flies (Diptera). We investigate the effects of host body size, geographical range, group size and roosting ecology on the species richness of bat flies in tropical areas of Venezuela and Peru, where both host and parasite diversities are high. We use the data from a major sampling effort on 138 bat species from nine families. We also investigate potential correlation between bat fly species richness and brain size (corrected for body size) in these tropical bats. We expect a relationship if there is a potential energetic trade-off between costly large brains and parasite-mediated impacts. We show that body size and roosting in cavities are positively correlated with bat fly species richness. No effects of bat range size and group size were observed. Our results also suggest an association between body mass-independent brain size and bat fly species richness. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

贵州草海越冬黑颈鹤飞出飞回夜栖地行为节律初步观察

野生动物行为节律常常是其对环境变化的一种行为适应。黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)越冬期会利用固定夜栖地,形成每天早晨飞出觅食,傍晚飞回夜栖的固定行为模式。为探索这一固定行为模式在越冬不同时期的变化及其影响因素,利用瞬时扫描法对草海湿地全部7个固定夜栖地的黑颈鹤飞出和飞回夜栖地准确时间及飞出之前和飞回之后在夜栖地的行为节律进行了观察。并且保证越冬前期(11月9日至12月31日)、中期(1月1日至2月21)和后期(2月22日至3月31日)3个阶段的调查时间分别不低于15 d。结果表明,越冬不同时期黑颈鹤飞出夜栖地时间差异极显著(F=23.38,P0.01),飞回夜栖地时间存在显著性差异(F=3.51,P0.05)。整个越冬期,黑颈鹤飞出夜栖地时间在中期延后,而到后期则更为提前,越冬前期、中期和后期飞出夜栖地的平均时间分别为7:34时、7:40时和7:13时;而飞回夜栖地时间逐渐延后,平均时间由前期的17:12时,至中期的17:40时和后期的18:15时。黑颈鹤飞出夜栖地之前的行为在越冬前期、中期和后期差异极显著(F=1 768.25,df=12,P0.01),飞回夜栖地之后的行为在前期、中期和后期差异亦极显著(F=793.98,df=12,P0.01)。越冬前期、中期和后期,黑颈鹤飞出夜栖地之前的行为与飞回夜栖地之后的行为均差异极显著(前期F=2 723.16,df=6,P0.01;中期F=1 979.48,df=6,P0.01;后期F=5 098.18,df=6,P0.01)。黑颈鹤在飞出夜栖地前的80 min内,其行为以保养(34.32%)和休息(32.38%)为主;而飞回夜栖地后的90 min内,以觅食(43.04%)和休息(23.68%)为主。飞出时刻与日出时刻呈显著强相关(r=0.832,n=48,P0.01),飞回时刻与日落时刻呈弱相关(r=0.353,n=47,P0.01)。日出时间与黑颈鹤飞出夜栖地的时间的差值(Y1)受飞离时的空气湿度(W)影响,二者成反比,Y1=0.469﹣0.625W,P0.05。黑颈鹤飞回夜栖地时刻与日落时刻的差值(Y2)受当天平均温度(T)的影响较为显著,Y2=1.231﹣0.107T,P0.05,当天平均温度越高黑颈鹤飞回夜栖地时间越早,温度越低,黑颈鹤飞回夜栖地的时间越晚。研究结果对于进一步探讨黑颈鹤完整夜栖行为及其对干扰的适应性具有重要意义。     

What helps Opuntia stricta invade Kruger National Park,South Africa: Baboons or elephants?

Question : Is Opuntia stricta more frequent, and its patches larger, under trees suitable for baboon roosting? If so, does it mean that baboons are major dispersal agents and that plants established under these trees are important foci of Opuntia stricta spread? Location: Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa. Method: We surveyed an area invaded by Opuntia stricta in the Skukuza region of KNP. The survey included plots under potential baboon roosting trees,plots under trees unlikely to support baboons,and paired randomly located open sites. Results: The null hypothesis ‐tree‐Opuntia spatial independence – can be rejected for Acacia nilotica, but not for Spirostachys africana. Opuntia plants are positively associated with Acacia trees suitable for baboon roosting. However, there is no significant difference between frequency of Opuntia under Acacia trees suitable and unsuitable for baboon roosting.It appears that all Acacia trees can serve as nurse trees for Opuntia. Compared to plots under Acacia trees, frequencies of old and robust Opuntia plants are significantly higher in open areas and under dead trees. Conclusions: While baboons may be responsible for long distance Opuntia dispersal (over km),their role is not detectable at a local scale.On the other hand, elephants seem to contribute substantially to the local vegetative propagation of this species. Opuntia establishment and growth are more influenced by micro‐habitat than previously thought.