The Wintering of Blackcaps in the British Isles

During this century the Blackbird has become one of the commonest urban and suburban song-birds in Britain. In an effort to discover why town life attracts so many Blackbirds, the author has looked closely at the B.T.O. data, derived mainly from ringing and nest records, and has found interesting differences in productivity between London and rural populations.     

鄱阳湖越冬水鸟种群变化动态

鄱阳湖是东亚-澳大利西亚候鸟迁徙路线上重要的越冬地,开展鄱阳湖越冬水鸟种群变化动态研究,对指导鄱阳湖湿地生境管理,尤其是水位管控具有重要意义。2005～2007年的越冬季节,我们对鄱阳湖国家级自然保护区内3个重要湖泊(大湖池、沙湖和梅西湖)的越冬水鸟种群变化动态进行了调查,调查时间为每年10月至次年4月。3年共记录到水鸟53种,隶属于7目13科。3个越冬季节中单个调查日种类的最低值为9种,最高为31种。鄱阳湖越冬水鸟从10月上旬开始出现,在11月份鸟类数量急剧增加,在12月上旬和中旬达到数量峰值,然后开始缓慢减少,至4月初仅有少于1%的鸟类还停留在监测区域。在鄱阳湖要继续深入开展越冬候鸟空间分布动态变化的研究,分析水文节律变化对越冬鸟类生境的潜在影响,并深入研究气候因子与鄱阳湖越冬水鸟迁徙的关系。     

Accumulation of Free Proline in Citrus Leaves during Cold Hardening of Young Trees in Controlled Temperature Regimes

Free proline increased in leaves of orange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osb. cv. Valencia) and grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad. cv. Star Ruby) trees on a wide range of citrus rootstocks during cold hardening. Increases in sugars accompanied proline accumulation. During cold hardening, the rate of proline accumulation was greater in old than in young leaves. In leaves of grapefruit trees kept in the dark during cold hardening, neither proline nor sugars increased and the degree of cold hardiness was less than in trees exposed to light. Like sugar accumulations, proline accumulation does not reflect specific degrees of cold hardiness in citrus cultivars.     

Wintering forest birds roost in areas of higher sun radiation

We analyze environmental determinants of roost site selection by tree gleaning passerines wintering in a Mediterranean montane oakwood at a craggy area of high variation in altitude and hill-shading pattern. We hypothesize that in temperate latitudes of cold winter climate, birds should spend the night in areas of low altitudes, higher temperatures, and higher solar radiation in order to minimize thermoregulation costs during resting time and to improve foraging conditions just before and after roosting. We study night occupation of woodland locations by the presence of feces in 159 wooden nest boxes (i.e., under identical controlled roosting situations). We employ GIS methods to quantify solar radiation at each location surrounding the nest boxes and data loggers to measure air temperature in the field. Birds prefer to roost in forest patches with higher solar radiation, where the period of light available for foraging is extended and thermoregulation costs during daytime are minimized. They also selected woodland patches with taller trees, a pattern consistent with their foraging preferences for trunks and branches. Other environmental variables played a negligible role in determining the selection of roost sites. Here, we show, for the first time, the importance of sun radiation determining where to spend the night in wintering birds and call attention on considering the thermal space in forest management. Forest management should preserve woodland patches with taller trees more exposed to solar radiation to enhance winter habitat suitability for birds in these Mediterranean oakwoods.     

Modeling Beehive Microclimate at the End of Wintering

Biophysics - Abstract—Beekeepers use electric heating of hives to overcome the difficult wintering period of bees, which is observed in late winter and early spring. The data previously given...     

Effect of Daily Temperature Fluctuation during the Cool Season on the Infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum

The present work calculated the rate of inactivation of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts attributable to daily oscillations of low ambient temperatures. The relationship between air temperature and the internal temperature of bovine feces on commercial operations was measured, and three representative 24-h thermal regimens in the ∼15°C, ∼25°C, and ∼35°C ranges were chosen and emulated using a thermocycler. C. parvum oocysts suspended in deionized water were exposed to the temperature cycles, and their infectivity in mice was tested. Oral inoculation of 10³ treated oocysts per neonatal BALB/c mouse (∼14 times the 50% infective dose) resulted in time- and temperature-dependent reductions in the proportion of infected mice. Oocysts were completely noninfectious after 14 24-h cycles with the 30°C regimen and after 70 24-h cycles with the 20°C regimen. In contrast, oocysts remained infectious after 90 24-h cycles with the 10°C regimens. The estimated numbers of days needed for a 1-log₁₀ reduction in C. parvum oocyst infectivity were 4.9, 28.7, and 71.5 days for the 30, 20, and 10°C thermal regimens, respectively. The loss of infectivity of oocysts induced by these thermal regimens was due in part to partial or complete in vitro excystation.It is well recognized that the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum causes waterborne enteric disease and poses a significant threat to public health. Fecal contamination from infected hosts, such as humans and some species of livestock and wildlife (17), can lead to elevated concentrations of C. parvum oocysts in drinking, recreational, and irrigation water supplies (6, 8). Once excreted, C. parvum oocysts can be eluted from fresh fecal matrices during precipitation events that generate surface flow or runoff conditions (4, 5, 12, 21, 32). During cool moist conditions oocysts can persist for months in the environment (10, 11, 25, 30), but factors such as extremes of temperature, exposure to UV radiation, and desiccation can substantially reduce the number of infective oocysts prior to waterborne transport (2, 7, 9, 11, 19, 24, 25, 29, 30).To examine thermal stress, most studies have used constant thermal regimens to investigate the effect of temperature on the viability or infectivity of Cryptosporidium oocysts (11, 14, 20, 28, 30). To complement this work, we previously investigated the impact of large daily changes in the ambient temperature on C. parvum oocyst infectivity, using spring through autumn thermal regimens and temperatures measured inside bovine fecal pats that were exposed to solar radiation at cow-calf and dairy production facilities (23). Under California''s summer climatic conditions, internal fecal pat temperatures range from 45°C to 75°C during the day and decrease 10 to 60°C during the night. Exposing oocysts to these large thermal fluctuations results in >3.3-log₁₀ reductions in oocyst infectivity in each 24-h cycle (23). The present study was conducted in order to measure the effect of exposure to oocysts to cool-season daily temperatures (with peaks at temperatures greater than 10°C, 20°C, and 30°C) on the rate of inactivation of C. parvum oocysts. Determining the temperature-dependent rate of C. parvum oocyst inactivation for these lower temperatures would allow grazing management and source water assessment plans to more properly predict the amount of time needed for exclusion of cattle prior to the onset of winter precipitation in order to inactivate sufficient numbers of oocysts in critical watersheds.     

Wintering bird communities in newly-formed wetland in the Yangtze River estuary

We compared wintering bird communities and their habitats among three shoals at Jiuduansha, a newly-formed wetland in the Yangtze River estuary. The highest species richness and diversity were recorded in Shangsha, which is the highest shoal, and the highest abundance and lowest species diversity were recorded in Xiasha, which is the lowest shoal. Shangsha had the largest abundance of perching birds whereas Xiasha was the most abundant in waterbirds. Bird assemblages showed different associations with the different habitat types—perching birds were favored by reed (Phragmites australis) communities, shallow water foragers and dabbling ducks preferred sea-bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) communities, and moist-soil foragers and gulls showed a preference for bare intertidal zones. All bird assemblages, however, avoided the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) communities, which are dominated by an alien invasive plant. The composition of avian communities was related to habitat types at the three shoals. Our results suggest that the newly-formed tidelands can provide suitable habitats for waterbirds and that the lower tidelands can attract more waterfowl than the higher tidelands. Because the shoal with low species diversity could have exclusive bird species, conservation efforts should not concentrate only on the area with high species diversity. The estuarine wetlands should be considered as a whole when conservation strategies are designed. The alien invasive plant should, moreover, be effectively controlled, to provide suitable habitats for birds.     

Inland Wintering of Gulls in England and Wales, 1973

About one million gulls roosted at inland sites in England and Wales in 1973, nearly three times as many as were found by the first BTO survey 20 years before.     

Changes in Africa as a Wintering Area for Palaearctic Birds

The birds examined were in poor physical condition, with little or no body fat remaining. Starvation was the proximate cause of death.     

Daily Temperature Amplitude Affects the Vegetative Growth and Carbon Metabolism of Orange Trees in a Rootstock-Dependent Manner

Both instantaneous and average growth temperatures affect plant metabolism, and the physiological importance of daily variations in temperature is frequently underestimated. To improve our understanding of the environmental regulation of citrus trees, we hypothesized that vegetative growth would be stimulated in orange plants subjected to large daily temperature variations, even without changes in the average daily air temperature or the amount of energy given by degree-days. This hypothesis was tested with orange plants grafted onto Rangpur lime or Swingle citrumelo rootstocks and grown for 20?days under thermal regimes (day/night) of 25/25°C or 32.5/17.5°C. Such regimes imposed growth conditions with daily temperature variations of 0 and 15°C. Plant growth, photosynthesis, respiration, and carbohydrate availability in leaves, stems, and roots were measured under both thermal conditions. The daily temperature variation affected the carbon metabolism of young citrus trees; plants grown under daily variation of 15°C used more of the carbon stored in mature leaves and roots and the energy generated by respiration for the biosynthesis of vegetative structures, such as leaves and branches. Thus, there was a significant increase in the leaf area of plants subjected to high daily temperature variation. Current photosynthesis was similar in the two thermal regimes; however, the photosynthetic rates increased under the 15°C variation when measurements were normalized to 25°C. In addition to the stimulatory effect of the source?Csink relationship on photosynthesis, we suggest a probable involvement of hormonal regulation of plant growth through gibberellin metabolism. The rootstock affected the response of the canopy to daily temperature amplitude, with the Rangpur lime improving plant growth through higher carbohydrate availability in roots. This is the first report that highlights the importance of daily temperature variations for citrus growth and physiology under nonlimiting conditions.     

中华秋沙鸭冬季行为初步分析

2008年11～12月,在江西龙虎山国家级风景区对中华秋沙鸭的行为进行了初步观察.中华秋沙鸭各种行为之间存在较大差异,其中取食、游泳、休息和修整在日活动中所占的比重最大,高峰期分别发生在10:01～11:00、7:01～8:00、12:01～13:00和12:01～13:00,分别占全天行为总次数的38.41%、30.76%、12.67%和7.48%.     

高原山鹑越冬后期日节律及行为观察

2010年3～4月,在四川省稻城县对高原山鹑Perdix hodgsoniae越冬后期的昼间行为进行了初步观察,包括其活动规律、时间分配、日行为节律、群体解散过程、社群行为、交配行为、天敌及反捕行为等,并与近缘种及相关研究进行了对比。其活动时间分配如下:取食占69.31%±2.33%,休整占20.06%±2.26%,防卫占7.10%±0.71%,移动占3.53%±0.47%。每日10:00～14:00、15:00～16:00为高原山鹑取食行为的高峰,清晨、傍晚以及中午14:00～15:00为取食行为的低谷;休整行为的节律与之相反,清晨和傍晚是休整的高峰,中午为小高峰;清晨、傍晚及中午14:00～15:00防卫行为的频率稍高。高原山鹑群体大小为(11.39±0.97)只(1～30,n=41),群体间具有领域行为,相互间有攻击行为。群体自3月末开始逐渐解散。最早观察到的交配行为是在3月22日,多发生在上午和中午。     

陕西省大鸨东方亚种越冬分布与救助原因分析

本文通过9年来陕西省11次共12只大鸨Otistarda dybowskii救助事件分析及相关文献资料查阅,介绍了陕西省越冬大鸨的分布,分析了被救助大鸨的发现地点、伤病原因。对当地大鸨的后续研究和保护提供了基础资料。     

我国越冬白头鹤觅食行为和食物资源研究

食物资源和人为干扰影响越冬候鸟的觅食行为。本研究通过对白头鹤Grus monacha觅食行为和食物资源的研究和分析,探讨其在我国越冬期的觅食生境利用方式。结果显示,白头鹤优先选择在人工生境取食稻谷和蚕豆;同时也会取食自然生境中下江委陵菜Potentilla limprichtii和蓼子草Polygonum criopolitanum的根。白头鹤在人工生境的行为主要为觅食,其行为时间比例极显著高于自然生境(P0.01);在自然生境中警戒行为的时间比例显著高于人工生境中(P0.05);但在人工生境中警戒频次显著高于自然生境(Z=-4.772,P0.01),因更易受到干扰。相对于自然生境的食物,稻谷和蚕豆能提供更高的能量,且容易获取。人为干扰限制了白头鹤最优觅食理论的验证。