宝兴歌鸫和北红尾鸲巢中藓类植物的研究

2005年5月～9月在北京小龙门自然保护区,对宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）、北红尾鸲（Phoenisurus auroreus）两种鸟的巢材进行了观察分析。该两种鸟均以藓类植物为其主要巢材,巢材中共有藓类植物5科约10余种,其中均以牛舌藓属（Anomodon）和绢藓属（Entodon）的植物所占比例最大。以干重计,宝兴歌鸫的巢材平均为65．94g,藓类植物平均重20．16g,占巢材总重的30．57％;北红尾鸲的巢材干重平均30．87g,藓类植物重8．58g,占巢材总重的27．79％。同时对小龙门自然保护区和两种鸟巢周围藓类植物的分布、藓类植物的特点和用做巢材的意义,以及两种鸟对藓类植物的选择等问题也进行了初步分析。     

黄山藓类植物区系

对黄山进行了多次实地调查、考察和标本采集,经分类鉴定,收集整理有关黄山藓类的研究资料,目前黄山藓类植物有46科、135属、401种（包括7亚种和22变种）,与20世纪50年代陈邦杰等以及后来对黄山的调查研究结果相比,藓类植物增加了4科、28属、184种;科内种数（≥15种）优势科有10个,属内种数（≥6种）的优势属有18个。黄山藓类植物地理成分类型复杂,东亚成分（包括中国特有）占37.82%,温带成分占35.13%,热带、亚热带成分占26.75%,表现出明显的由亚热带向温带过渡的特性。     

杂色山雀对人工巢箱内苔藓类巢材的选择

2008年及2009年每年的3～8月,在辽宁省仙人洞国家级自然保护区对杂色山雀(Parus varius)人工巢箱内苔藓类巢材进行了收集和鉴定,发现巢中共有藓类植物7科9属。其中,小锦藓属(Brotherella)、青藓属(Brachytheccium)、棉藓属(Plagiothecium)及绢藓属(Entodon)所占比重较大。我们分别按照样方和苔藓群落采集了周围环境中的藓类植物,鉴定出7科8属的藓类植物;采集到35个苔藓群落,出现最多的是东亚小锦藓(B.fauriei)群落。结果显示,杂色山雀对苔藓的选择可能与苔藓的生物学特性、分布和数量有关。另外通过统计分析和比较得出,按照苔藓群落来采集的方式更适合本文的研究。     

不同巢材鸟巢中优势菌群的分离鉴定

从鸟类苔藓和草叶巢材中分离出6株优势细菌和8株放线菌,采用传统表观型特征观察和16SrRNA基因序列分析法对其进行菌种鉴定。结果表明：草叶巢材中的优势细菌分别为霍氏肠杆菌（Enterobacter hormaechei）、麝香石竹假单胞菌（Pseudomonas caryophyUi）和丁香假单胞菌（Pseudomonas syringae）;苔藓巢材中的优势细菌分别为苏云金芽胞杆菌（Bacillus thuringiensis）、阴沟肠杆菌（Enterobacter cloacae）和马氏棒杆菌（Corynebacteriu matruchotii）;从2种巢材中分离出的8株放线菌均为链霉菌属（Streptomyces）,其中4株分另q为金色链霉菌（Streptomyces aureus）、红色淡紫灰链霉菌（Streptomyces rubrolavendulae）、胶样链霉菌（Streptomyces gelaticus）和灰色链霉菌（Streptomyces griseus）,另外4株链霉菌有待于进一步鉴定。     

新疆喀纳斯自然保护区藓类植物物种多样性与区系调查

从1995～2009年,作者对新疆喀纳斯自然保护区藓类植物进行了全面的调查、采集、鉴定,分析研究。结果表明,该自然保护区藓类植物共有37科113属253种（含1变种）,优势科主要体现寒、温带地区分布类型,该区藓类植物生境的多样性可以从物种多样性,如曲尾藓科、木灵藓科、泥炭藓科、紫萼藓科、丛藓科等的广泛分布反映出来。通过与该区相邻的6个地区的物种丰富度系数比较,该自然保护区综合系数S i排第三位,说明此区藓类植物物种多样性丰富,这与本区的水分条件有很大关系。藓类植物区系成分以北温带成分为绝对优势,占总种数的83.33%;东亚成分占总种数的5.10%;东亚-北美成分占总种数的4.17%,各区系成分交汇。主成分分析和聚类分析表明,喀纳斯自然保护区藓类植物区系与新疆东部天山、内蒙古大青山、吉林长白山、河北木兰围场藓类植物区系关系较接近,与贵州梵净山、云南鸡足山藓类植物区系关系疏远,体现了我国北方藓类植物分布特征。     

东方田鼠指名亚种和长江亚种筑巢行为

为了解东方田鼠（Microtus fortis）筑巢行为在不同环境条件下的适应性进化。在实验室内采用48 h等级法和连续144 h巢材获取重量法,比较了东方田鼠长江亚种（M. f. calamorumt）和指名亚种（M. f. fortis）筑巢行为。结果表明,东方田鼠指名亚种和长江亚种皆能主动获取巢材并建筑质量良好的巢,具有稳定的筑巢行为;东方田鼠两个亚种的筑巢行为在利用巢材能力（P < 0.01）和获取巢材能力（P < 0.05）上皆具有显著性差异;指名亚种雌雄个体在利用巢材（P < 0.05）和获取巢材的能力（P < 0.05）上皆具有显著差异,而长江亚种在这两个方面都不存在性别差异。     

长白山地表藓类分布格局与环境因子的关系

对长白山自然保护区41个样地中的42种主要地表藓类分布与6种重要环境因子间的关系进行了定量研究。应用双向指标种分析法（TWINSPAN）发现调查的41个样地可分成4个样地组,42种地面藓 类可分成4种藓类群,应用除趋势典范对应分析（DCCA）的研究结果表明,海拨高度、土壤含砂量、土壤酸度、林冠层郁闭度、土壤含水量是5个影响42种地表藓类分布格局的主要环境因子,在DCCA排序图上,显示出藓类群与样地类型良好的对应性,藓类群1－4分别在落叶松（Larix olgensis）沼泽地、高山苔原、暗针叶林、亚高山岳松（Betula ernanni）林和岳松－落叶松林中占优势。     

滇桂两省中越边境地区藓类物种多样性及区系研究

对2012~2015年间采集自滇、桂两省中越边境地区的2 600余份藓类植物标本进行物种鉴定和文献研究,分析了中越边境地区藓类植物的物种组成和区系特点,并将中越边境地区与邻近地区和国家的藓类植物进行物种丰富度、属种相似性和区系谱的比较及聚类分析。结果表明:(1)滇、桂两省中越边境地区共有藓类植物51科、155属、452种(含种下单位),其中卷边麻锦藓[Taxithelium kerianum(Broth.)Broth.]为中国新记录种。(2)中越边境地区的藓类植物共有优势科9科,优势属12属。(3)中越边境地区的藓类植物区系以热带亚洲成分所占比例最高,达31.19%,其次为东亚成分(25.46%)和北温带广布成分(13.76%)。(4)与中越边境地区的藓类植物属及种的相似性最高的分别是越南和中国贵州。(5)中越边境地区的藓类植物区系与贵州、广东、福建及台湾的亲缘关系较近。     

利用红外相机对贵州茂兰自然保护区兽类和鸟类资源的初步调查

2016年8月至12月,在贵州茂兰国家级自然保护区布设69台红外相机(1台丢失,3台损坏),对区内大中型兽类及林下鸟类资源进行连续监测。共记录到11种兽类和16种鸟类,包括1种国家I级重点保护野生动物（白颈长尾雉Syrmaticus ellioti）和4种国家II级重点保护野生动物（斑灵狸Prionodon pardicolor、猕猴Macaca mulatta、白鹇Lophura nycthemera、仙八色鸫Pitta nympha）。其中,相对丰富度最高的兽类为小泡巨鼠（Leopoldamys edwardsi）（RAI=15.22）、红腿长吻松鼠（Dremomys pyrrhomerus）（RAI=9.58）、帚尾豪猪（Atherurus macrourus）（RAI=1.46）、鼬獾（Melogale moschata）（RAI=1.04）、赤腹松鼠（Callosciurus erythraeus）（RAI=0.57）;相对丰富度最高的鸟类为紫啸鸫（Myiophoneus caeruleus）（RAI=3.79）,白鹇（RAI=3.25）,橙头地鸫（Zoothera citrina）（RAI=0.45）,虎斑地鸫（Zoothera dauma）（RAI=0.45）。豹猫（Prionailurus bengalensis）、仙八色鸫、灰头鸫（Turdus rubrocanus）、灰翅鸫（Turdus boulboul）、灰眶雀鹛（Alcippe morrisonia）、绿翅金鸠（Chalcophaps indica）、黄嘴栗啄木鸟（Blythipicus pyrrhotis）为保护区新记录。活动节律分析结果显示,白鹇和紫啸鸫为昼行性动物,帚尾豪猪和鼬獾为夜行性动物,结果与传统方法基本一致。本研究结果有助于监测茂兰保护区中大中型兽类和林下鸟类资源,为保护区有效管理提供数据支持。     

四川王朗国家级自然保护区藓类植物多样性研究

通过对中国四川王朗国家级自然保护区藓类植物连续2年的野外调查,结合室内鉴定及文献研究,分析了王朗自然保护区藓类植物区系组成及其特点,探讨藓类植物在不同林分类型(原始林、次生林、人工林)下的分布,并通过对王朗自然保护区与周围6个地区(玉树、佛坪、神农架、峨眉山、金佛山、大围山)藓类植物的比较,揭示王朗自然保护区藓类与周围地区藓类植物的关系。研究结果表明:(1)王朗自然保护区藓类植物物种丰富度较高,涵盖藓类植物33科、111属、227种(包括5个变种)。(2)王朗自然保护区藓类植物区系中,北温带分布、东亚分布及中国特有种占有优势。(3)王朗自然保护区不同林分类型下,藓类植物的种类有明显的差异性,共有属40个(占王朗自然保护区藓类总属数的36.04%),非共有属71个(占王朗自然保护区藓类总属数的63.96%),且不同林分类型下,次生林藓类物种丰富度最高、原始林次之、人工林最少。(4)王朗自然保护区与佛坪、峨眉山自然保护区的藓类植物具有明显的相似性,其中,属的相似性系数达到60%以上,种的相似性系数在35%以上。     

Floating bird nests provide resources for wildlife: ecological roles of vertebrates using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aechmophorus</Emphasis> grebe nests at Clear Lake,California

Floating bird nests occur ephemerally in many wetlands, providing resources for wildlife, but the species using such nests and their ecological roles are poorly studied. Grebes (Podicipedidae) construct floating nests anchored to vegetation. During 2010–2017 we studied the vertebrates using nests of the colonially-nesting western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Clark’s grebe (A. clarkii) at Clear Lake, California. In addition to both grebe species using each other’s nests for copulation and egg dumping, we identified 47 other species of vertebrates using Aechmophorus grebe nests, including one fish, one amphibian, two turtles, one snake, 39 birds, and three mammals. Ecological roles of vertebrates using grebe nests included: egg dumping (one bird); predation on grebe eggs, chicks, or adults (four birds and three mammals); scavenging on broken grebe eggs (five birds); resting (one amphibian, three reptiles, and 15 birds); foraging for non-avian prey on nests (13 birds) or in adjacent water (five birds); and incidental destruction of grebe eggs (one fish and two reptiles) and nests (many species). Floating grebe nests undergo a process of ecological succession. Egg dumping, predation, and scavenging occur during early stages of nest development and maintenance. Once abandoned, older nests are used for resting or foraging for prey in nearby water. Decomposing nests are colonized by arthropods which are preyed upon by birds. Because floating bird nests increase food web complexity by attracting aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial organisms at all trophic levels, protecting the engineers and their nests should be considered a conservation priority by wetland managers.     

Predators at bird nests in a northern hardwood forest in New Hampshire

ABSTRACT.   Nest predation is the primary cause of nest failure in most passerine birds, and increases in nest predation associated with anthropogenic habitat disturbance are invoked as explanations for population declines of some bird species. In most cases, however, the identity of the nest predators is not known with certainty. We monitored active bird nests with infrared time-lapse video cameras to determine which nest predators were responsible for depredating bird nests in northern New Hampshire. We monitored 64 nests of 11 bird species during three breeding seasons, and identified seven species of predators during 14 predation events. In addition, we recorded two instances of birds defending nests from predators and, in both cases, these nests were ultimately lost to predation. These results contrast with other studies in terms of the relatively high proportion of nests depredated by raptors and mice, as well as the absence of any predation by snakes. The diverse suite of predators in this and other studies is likely to confound our understanding of patterns of nest predation relative to fragmentation and habitat structure.     

吉林向海自然保护区占用喜鹊巢繁殖的鸟类巢记述

部分鸟类在繁殖过程中,为避免被捕食、减少繁殖投入等而选择占用其他鸟类的巢。2014~2016年每年的4~8月,在吉林向海国家级自然保护区记录到4种占用喜鹊巢进行繁殖的鸟类,其中绿头鸭(Anas platyrhynchos)8巢,纵纹腹小鸮(Athene noctua)4巢,长耳鸮(Aiso otus)5巢,麻雀(Passer montanus)6巢。大部分(82.6%)为利用喜鹊的废弃旧巢,而绿头鸭(1巢)、长耳鸮(2巢)和纵纹腹小鸮(1巢)少数侵占喜鹊当年新建的巢。     

Aspergillus fumigatus and Other Thermophilic Fungi in Nests of Wetland Birds

A study was performed on the numbers and species diversity of thermophilic fungi (growing at 45 °C in vitro) in 38 nests of 9 species of wetland birds, taking into account the physicochemical properties of the nests and the bird species. It was found that in nests with the maximum weight (nests of Mute Swan), the number and diversity of thermophilic fungi were significantly greater than in other nests, with lower weight. The diversity of the thermophilic biota was positively correlated with the individual mass of bird and with the level of phosphorus in the nests. The dominant species within the mycobiota under study was Aspergillus fumigatus which inhabited 95 % of the nests under study, with average frequency of ca. 650 cfu g^?1 of dry mass of the nest material. In a majority of the nests studied (nests of 7 bird species), the share of A. fumigatus exceeded 50 % of the total fungi growing at 45 °C. Significantly higher frequencies of the fungal species were characteristic of the nests of small and medium-sized piscivorous species, compared with the other bird species. The number of A. fumigatus increased with increase in the moisture level of the nests, whereas the frequency of occurrence of that opportunistic pathogen, opposite to the general frequency of thermophilic mycobiota, was negatively correlated with the level of phosphorus in the nest material, and with the body mass and length of the birds. The authors indicate the causes of varied growth of thermophilic fungi in nests of wetland birds and, in particular, present a discussion of the causes of accumulation of A. fumigatus, the related threats to the birds, and its role as a source of transmission in the epidemiological chain of aspergillosis.     

A Large-scale, Multihabitat Inventory of the Phylum Tardigrada in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA: A Preliminary Report

An All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) is underway in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), with the goal of attempting to identify all species of life in the 2000 km² park. The GSMNP is a hotbed of biodiversity, a U.N. Biosphere Reserve, and one of the largest protected, deciduous forests in the temperate world. We have completed two field seasons of work on the tardigrades in the park (2001–2002). As of July 2003, we have collected 420 samples from soil/decomposed leaf litter, lichens and mosses on trees, and stream sediment and periphyton. A few samples from caves, bird nests, and lichens/mosses on rocks were also collected. Samples were taken from within permanent plots established for the ATBI, representing the major biological communities of the GSMNP. Tardigrades were extracted from samples using centrifugation with Ludox AM™, individually mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer’s medium, and studied with phase contrast and DIC microscopy. We have examined 1524 slides from 60 samples as of July 2003. Prior to our work, only three species of tardigrades had been previously reported from a few samples in the park. We have now recorded 42 species, 8 of which we believe may be new to science. Species richness estimates were calculated using EstimateS 6 software for each of the major tardigrade habitats. Overall, we predict that there are 47 to 76 species in the GSMNP, with generally similar species richness in soil, lichen, moss, and stream habitats. Species richness estimates were also used to determine that the number of tardigrade species was greater in mosses at breast height on trees than in mosses at the base of trees.     

Mesostigmatic mites (Acari: Mesostigmata) in nests of the Eurasian griffon vulture (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gyps fulvus</Emphasis>) in Croatia

We examined the species composition and community structure of mites of the order Mesostigmata (Acari) in nests of the Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus Hablizl, 1783) in Croatia. Material collected from 18 nests included 565 mites belonging to seven species. The most abundant species were Leiodinychus orbicularis (C.L. Koch, 1839) (Trematuridae) and Androlaelaps casalis (Berlese, 1887) (Laelapidae). The results were compared with the community structure and frequency of dominant species of Mesostigmata in nests of 32 other bird species. Leiodinychus orbicularis occurred in the nests of 13 species of birds. It is a typical nidicolous species which occurs most frequently in the perennial nests of birds of prey. In contrast, A. casalis rarely occurs in the nests of birds of prey.     

Spider assemblages in bird burrows

The arachnofauna of bird burrows, which are excavated in the soil, is incompletely understood. The bird burrows have a potential to serve as refugia for cavity-adopting spider species particularly in anthropogenic habitats formed by sand mining, which otherwise suffer from a limited availability of other types of cavities. We hypothesized that the presence of abundant food resources and safe shelter in bird burrows excavated in the soil allow the existence of specialized assemblage of spiders, similarly to those known from cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. Here we examined 353 burrows that had been previously occupied by Riparia riparia, Merops apiaster or Passer montanus. The burrows were examined in early May and early September in 24 Czech sand pits and construction sites. The burrows hosted a species-rich assemblage of spiders that, however, occurred at low abundances. The spiders were represented prevalently by species known to have distributions centered in anthropogenic and urban habitats, including species that were never observed outside of heated buildings in the study area and species that only were previously known from mammalian burrows and loess and karstic soil crevices. Spider assemblages strongly differed between bird burrows and cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. The species composition and overall low abundance of spiders in bird burrows was unexpected and was in strong contrast to previous observations of spider assemblages in cavities and nests made by other birds and mammals. Concluded, we rejected the initial hypothesis and, instead, we have shown that bird burrows are rarely occupied by spiders and if occupied, the spider species that adopt old bird burrows and the nests inside of them predominantly consist of species known to have their distribution centered to anthropogenic and urban habitats.     

Evidence of endozoochory in upland geese Chloephaga picta and white‐bellied seedsnipes Attagis malouinus in sub‐Antarctic Chile

Birds are known to act as potential vectors for the exogenous dispersal of bryophyte diaspores. Given the totipotency of vegetative tissue of many bryophytes, birds could also contribute to endozoochorous bryophyte dispersal. Research has shown that fecal samples of the upland goose (Chloephaga picta) and white‐bellied seedsnipe (Attagis malouinus) contain bryophyte fragments. Although few fragments from bird feces have been known to regenerate, the evidence for the viability of diaspores following passage through the bird intestinal tract remains ambiguous. We evaluated the role of endozoochory in these same herbivorous and sympatric bird species in sub‐Antarctic Chile. We hypothesized that fragments of bryophyte gametophytes retrieved from their feces are viable and capable of regenerating new plant tissue. Eleven feces disk samples containing undetermined moss fragments from C. picta (N = 6) and A. malouinus (N = 5) and six moss fragment samples from wild‐collected mosses (Conostomum tetragonum, Syntrichia robusta, and Polytrichum strictum) were grown ex situ in peat soil and in vitro using a agar Gamborg medium. After 91 days, 20% of fragments from A. malouinus feces, 50% of fragments from C. picta feces, and 67% of propagules from wild mosses produced new growth. The fact that moss diaspores remained viable and can regenerate under experimental conditions following the passage through the intestinal tracts of these robust fliers and altitudinal and latitudinal migrants suggests that sub‐Antarctic birds might play a role in bryophyte dispersal. This relationship may have important implications in the way bryophytes disperse and colonize habitats facing climate change.     

New Vice-County Records

Abstract

Bryophytes and vascular plants used in traditional home-made nativity sets were studied in an area of the Asturian Region, northern Spain. The results revealed a surprising plant diversity, with 66 bryophytes, three ferns and 37 flowering plants utilized. Most species, collected among more attractive mosses, were used only occasionally or accidentally, whereas only four large pleurocarpous mosses, Thuidium tamariscinum, Eurhynchium striatum, Hypnum cupressiforme and Pseudoscleropodium purum, were widely used, providing the moss base of all the sets. Additionally, eleven mosses and four native flowering plants were frequently selected. The diversity of the bryophytes used in nativity sets of different sizes is analysed, and the deliberate selection of moss species during the collecting is discussed. Finally, it is verified that the collection of certain showy mosses from forests and peat bogs could affect local populations of these mosses and entails the accidental removal of rare or endangered species.