Detours in bird migration

Bird migration routes often follow detours where passages across ecological barriers are reduced in extent. This occurs in spite of the fact that long barrier crossings are within the birds' potential flight range capacity. Long-distance flights are associated with extra energy costs for transport of the heavy fuel loads required. This paper explores how important the fuel transport costs, estimated on the basis of flight mechanics, may be to explain detours for birds migrating by flapping flight. Maximum detours in relation to expanse of the barrier are predicted for cases where birds travel along the detour by numerous short flights and small fuel reserves, divide the detour into a limited number of flight steps, and where a reduced barrier passage is included in the detour. The principles for determining the optimum route, often involving a shortcut across part of the barrier, are derived. Furthermore, the effects of differences in fuel deposition rates and in transport costs for the profitability of detours are briefly considered. An evaluation of a number of observed and potential detours in relation to the general predictions of maximum detours, indicates that reduction of fuel transport costs may well be a factor of widespread importance for the evolution of detours in bird migration at wide ecological barriers.     

INFLUENCE OF VEGETATION,TOPOGRAPHY, AND ROADS ON COUGAR MOVEMENT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Abstract: Models of individual movement can help conserve wide-ranging carnivores on increasingly human-altered landscapes, and cannot be constructed solely by analyzing the daytime resting locations typically collected in carnivore studies. We examined the movements of 10 female and 7 male cougars (Puma concolor) at 15-min intervals during 44 nocturnal or diel periods of hunting or traveling in the Santa Ana Mountain Range of southern California, USA, between 1988 and 1992. Cougars tended to move in a meandering path (mean turning angle ∼54°), and distance moved (mean and mode ∼300 m) was not correlated with turning angle. Cougars used a broader range of habitats for nocturnal or diel movements than for previously described daybed locations for this same population. Riparian vegetation ranked highest in a compositional analysis of vegetation types selected during movement; grassland, woodland and urbanized sites were least selected. During periods of stasis (we presume many of these were stalking locations), patterns of selection were less marked. Cougars spent a disproportionate amount of time in highly ranked vegetation types, and traveled slowest through riparian habitats and fastest through human-dominated areas. Our results suggest that travel speed may provide an efficient index of habitat selection in concert with other types of analysis. Hunting or traveling individuals consistently used travel paths that were less rugged than their general surroundings. Traveling cougars avoided 2-lane paved roads, but dirt roads may have facilitated movement. Maintenance and restoration of corridors between large wildlands is essential to conserving cougars in southern California. Our results indicate that riparian vegetation, and other vegetation types that provide horizontal cover, are desirable features in such corridors, that dirt roads should not impede cougar use of corridors, and that corridors should lie along routes with relatively gentle topography. Our results suggest that cougars do not key in on highway-crossing structures in a way that creates a prey trap. Our empirical frequency distributions of distances and turning angles, along with cougar responses to vegetation, topography, and roads can help parameterize an individually-based movement model for cougars in human-altered landscapes.     

南充城市扩展中的景观生态安全格局

基于景观生态安全格局理论和RS、GIS技术,选择地形条件、洪水危害、土壤侵蚀、植被覆盖、地质灾害和生物保护6个要素作为城市空间扩展的生态约束条件,分析了南充市的生态安全等级分布,依据最小积累阻力模型,构建了生态廊道和生态节点等来加强生态网络的空间联系,在保障生态安全的基础上对城市合理的扩展趋势以及空间布局的优化进行分析.结果表明:南充市市域范围内整体生态安全状况较好,低生态安全水平区域较集中地分布于市区南部的嘉陵江下流区域和城郊西部山地;生态要素是南充市城市空间未来扩展的重要制约条件;南充市东部、北部存在发展空间,以卫星城镇模式增长可最大程度地保证南充市的生态安全.     

基于提高鸟类多样性的北京城市线性公园绿地植物景观探析

植被覆盖率高的线性公园,可作为鸟类的迁徙途径和栖息之所,并猜测其可作为生态廊道的一部分,适宜的营造植物景观、提升植物种类的多样性对保护鸟类多样性有促进作用。因此,采用标准取样法对北京城市线性公园绿地进行研究,提取可能影响鸟类多样性的植物群落因素、植物生境因素,对提高鸟类多样性提出建设性的意见。研究结果主要表明,在线性公园绿地宽度30~200m内,随着宽度的增加,鸟类的数量有所提高;含有不同类型植物生境的线性公园绿地,对鸟类目标种的吸引力不同,植物生境类型数较多样的线性公园绿地具有较高的鸟类目标种吸引力;不同的鸟类目标种偏好在不同的树种上进行活动。     

Opportunities of habitat connectivity for tiger (Panthera tigris) between Kanha and Pench National Parks in Madhya Pradesh, India

The Tiger (Panthera tigris) population in India has undergone a sharp decline during the last few years. Of the number of factors attributed to this decline, habitat fragmentation has been the most worrisome. Wildlife corridors have long been a subject of discussion amongst wildlife biologists and conservationists with contrasting schools of thought arguing their merits and demerits. However, it is largely believed that wildlife corridors can help minimize genetic isolation, offset fragmentation problems, improve animal dispersal, restore ecological processes and reduce man animal conflict. This study attempted to evaluate the possibilities of identifying a suitable wildlife corridor between two very important wildlife areas of central India--the Kanha National Park and the Pench National Park--with tiger as the focal species. Geographic Information System (GIS) centric Least Cost Path modeling was used to identify likely routes for movement of tigers. Habitat suitability, perennial water bodies, road density, railway tracks, human settlement density and total forest edge were considered as key variables influencing tiger movement across the Kanha-Pench landscape. Each of these variables was weighted in terms of relative importance through an expert consultation process. Using different importance scenarios, three alternate corridor routes were generated of which one was identified as the most promising for tiger dispersal. Weak links--where cover and habitat conditions are currently sub-optimal--were flagged on the corridor route. Interventions aimed at augmenting the identified corridor route have been suggested using accepted wildlife corridor design principles. The involvement of local communities through initiatives such as ecotourism has been stressed as a crucial long term strategy for conservation of the Kanha-Pench wildlife corridor. The results of the study indicate that restoration of the identified wildlife corridors between the two protected areas is technically feasible.     

Weather effects on birds of different size are mediated by long‐term climate and vegetation type in endangered temperate woodlands

Species occurrence is influenced by a range of factors including habitat attributes, climate, weather, and human landscape modification. These drivers are likely to interact, but their effects are frequently quantified independently. Here, we report the results of a 13‐year study of temperate woodland birds in south‐eastern Australia to quantify how different‐sized birds respond to the interacting effects of: (a) short‐term weather (rainfall and temperature in the 12 months preceding our surveys), (b) long‐term climate (average rainfall and maximum and minimum temperatures over the period 1970–2014), and (c) broad structural forms of vegetation (old‐growth woodland, regrowth woodland, and restoration plantings). We uncovered significant interactions between bird body size, vegetation type, climate, and weather. High short‐term rainfall was associated with decreased occurrence of large birds in old‐growth and regrowth woodland, but not in restoration plantings. Conversely, small bird occurrence peaked in wet years, but this effect was most pronounced in locations with a history of high rainfall, and was actually reversed (peak occurrence in dry years) in restoration plantings in dry climates. The occurrence of small birds was depressed—and large birds elevated—in hot years, except in restoration plantings which supported few large birds under these circumstances. Our investigation suggests that different mechanisms may underpin contrasting responses of small and large birds to the interacting effects of climate, weather, and vegetation type. A diversity of vegetation cover is needed across a landscape to promote the occurrence of different‐sized bird species in agriculture‐dominated landscapes, particularly under variable weather conditions. Climate change is predicted to lead to widespread drying of our study region, and restoration plantings—especially currently climatically wet areas—may become critically important for conserving bird species, particularly small‐bodied taxa.     

Effects of vegetation, corridor width and regional land use on early successional birds on powerline corridors

Powerline rights-of-way (ROWs) often provide habitat for early successional bird species that have suffered long-term population declines in eastern North America. To determine how the abundance of shrubland birds varies with habitat within ROW corridors and with land use patterns surrounding corridors, we ran Poisson regression models on data from 93 plots on ROWs and compared regression coefficients. We also determined nest success rates on a 1-km stretch of ROW. Seven species of shrubland birds were common in powerline corridors. However, the nest success rates for prairie warbler (Dendroica discolor) and field sparrow (Spizella pusilla) were <21%, which is too low to compensate for estimated annual mortality. Some shrubland bird species were more abundant on narrower ROWs or at sites with lower vegetation or particular types of vegetation, indicating that vegetation management could be refined to favor species of high conservation priority. Also, several species were more abundant in ROWs traversing unfragmented forest than those near residential areas or farmland, indicating that corridors in heavily forested regions may provide better habitat for these species. In the area where we monitored nests, brood parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) occurred more frequently close to a residential area. Although ROWs support dense populations of shrubland birds, those in more heavily developed landscapes may constitute sink habitat. ROWs in extensive forests may contribute more to sustaining populations of early successional birds, and thus may be the best targets for habitat management.     

基于物种分布的北京平原生态网络构建

高强度的城市化活动导致了生物栖息地破碎化、退化和消失,是生物多样性减少的主要原因。建立城市地区生态网络是保护生物多样性的重要途径。因其他物种数据可获得性差,以观测的典型鸟类群落为指示物种,探讨构建生态网络,可为城市生物多样性保护提供新思路。以北京市平原区为研究范围,重点基于86种鸟类分布大数据,通过Maxent模型掩膜生成栖息地源地并进行分级,在GIS技术的支撑下,以土地利用数据建立鸟类活动阻力面,采用最小累积阻力模型算法,模拟并形成了平原地区分级的生物多样性保护网络。研究结果表明,河湖湿地和城市公园组成了北京平原地区生态网络的优势景观类型,占平原区生态空间的81%。基于景观类型大小与物种数量的线性关系筛选出分级生物栖息地,其中一级生物栖息地58个,二级生物栖息地146个,通过模型模拟形成了平原地区生物多样性保护的一二级生态网络,共948条网络,长3760km。筛选出重要生态节点12处,关键生态廊道6条,是保护平原地区生物多样性的重要生态设施。该生态网络的实施对于提升首都平原区的生物多样性具有重要价值,研究结果可为国土生态空间优化提供重要科学依据和参考。     

Multi-Scale Associations between Vegetation Cover and Woodland Bird Communities across a Large Agricultural Region

Improving biodiversity conservation in fragmented agricultural landscapes has become an important global issue. Vegetation at the patch and landscape-scale is important for species occupancy and diversity, yet few previous studies have explored multi-scale associations between vegetation and community assemblages. Here, we investigated how patch and landscape-scale vegetation cover structure woodland bird communities. We asked: (1) How is the bird community associated with the vegetation structure of woodland patches and the amount of vegetation cover in the surrounding landscape? (2) Do species of conservation concern respond to woodland vegetation structure and surrounding vegetation cover differently to other species in the community? And (3) Can the relationships between the bird community and the woodland vegetation structure and surrounding vegetation cover be explained by the ecological traits of the species comprising the bird community? We studied 103 woodland patches (0.5 - 53.8 ha) over two time periods across a large (6,800 km²) agricultural region in southeastern Australia. We found that both patch vegetation and surrounding woody vegetation cover were important for structuring the bird community, and that these relationships were consistent over time. In particular, the occurrence of mistletoe within the patches and high values of woody vegetation cover within 1,000 ha and 10,000 ha were important, especially for bird species of conservation concern. We found that the majority of these species displayed similar, positive responses to patch and landscape vegetation attributes. We also found that these relationships were related to the foraging and nesting traits of the bird community. Our findings suggest that management strategies to increase both remnant vegetation quality and the cover of surrounding woody vegetation in fragmented agricultural landscapes may lead to improved conservation of bird communities.     

中-老交通走廊核心区生态廊道构建与关键节点识别

中-老交通走廊建设在促进中国与东盟国家互联互通的同时,也会对区域生态安全造成巨大压力;构建生态廊道对于修复破碎景观、保护生物多样性具有十分重要的意义。基于"源地-廊道-节点"的研究框架,结合生态系统服务、景观连通性和生态敏感性3个指标划分生态斑块等级,综合考虑生态斑块等级和中-老交通走廊核心区重点保护物种活动特性识别重要生态源地,利用DMSP/OLS夜间灯光数据改进基于地类赋值的基本生态阻力系数,运用最小累积阻力模型判定生态廊道走向,并结合水文分析方法和Google Erath判定关键生态节点。研究表明:①中-老交通走廊核心区生态源地面积为20243.74 km~2,占研究区总面积的14.13%,以林地、灌木为主要土地覆被类型,主要分布在云南省的普洱市以及老挝的琅南塔省和乌多姆塞省。②生态廊道总长度为3645.81 km,其中关键廊道长度为1397.78 km,主要分布在普洱市和乌多姆塞省,生态廊道与生态源地大致构成了一个环形闭合区域,能够有效促进生物物种迁徙和物质能量交流。③关键生态节点中战略点有5处,断裂点有9处,暂歇点有16处。     

基于生态廊道识别的拉萨河流域生态安全格局构建

构建生态安全格局对于保障区域生态安全、优化国土生态空间具有重要意义。以拉萨河流域为研究区,基于“生态源地-阻力面-生态廊道”的区域生态安全格局构建范式,评估流域土壤保持、水源涵养、固碳、生境质量四项生态系统服务,基于生态系统服务重要性分级识别生态源地;选择土地覆被类型、归一化植被指数、地形起伏度、坡度、距道路距离、距水体距离作为主要阻力因子,利用熵权法形成综合阻力面;利用Linkage Mapper工具基于最小成本路径理论识别生态廊道并判定生态节点,构建流域生态安全格局。结果表明：提取生态源地20个,总面积2531.42 km²,占研究区总面积的7.77%;生态廊道36条,总长度916.87 km,与拉萨河干流平行呈“二”字型分布;生态节点13个,集中分布在裸地、裸岩、低覆盖度草地等地类,构建以生态源地-生态廊道-生态节点组成的“面-线-点”结构生态网络。研究结果为拉萨河流域生态安全和生态经济协调提供数据支持,为区域生态保护与可持续发展提供科学参考。     

厦门湾中华白海豚潜在生态廊道识别及人类活动干扰评估

生态廊道具有维持或恢复生态连通性的功能,对于连接生物栖息地、保护物种多样性具有重要意义。现有的生态廊道研究主要集中于陆地,而海洋生态系统具有水体广泛连通、缺乏直观的景观斑块等特点,导致海洋生态廊道的研究成为长期以来的科学难题。以栖息地位于厦门湾的国家一级保护动物中华白海豚(Sousa chinensis)为对象,尝试基于物种分布模型和最小成本路径分析法建立海洋生态廊道的识别方法。研究采用物种分布模型识别厦门湾内中华白海豚的适宜生境分布区和节点,并利用模型产出的生境适宜性结果生成海洋中的阻力表面,模拟计算节点与节点间在阻力表面上的最小成本路径,从而生成物种扩散网络。研究结果显示,厦门湾中华白海豚的分布主要受到航道距离、到岸线距离和叶绿素浓度三项因素的影响,主要适宜生境位于西海域至九龙江口和大嶝海域。潜在的核心生态廊道面积93.19km²,次级生态廊道面积170.41km²,九龙江口-鼓浪屿南侧-黄厝-大小嶝岛沿线可能是厦门湾中华白海豚的主要迁移路线。在此基础上,从用海空间重叠和桥梁影响两方面开展了人类活动对廊道的干扰评估。评估结果显示旅游活动和...     

综合模型法评估黄河三角洲湿地景观连通性

景观连通性是区域生态系统功能完整的重要表征。连通性的评估对生态系统管理和保护规划有重要意义。综合常用的景观连通性评估模型,即最小耗费距离模型与电路理论模型,根据生态网络构建的一般范式,采取两种不同阻力面赋值方案,对黄河三角洲的湿地景观连通性进行评估,并对比分析了两种模型的基本原理、工作性能、分析尺度等。结果表明：最小耗费距离模型能够识别最优生态廊道,为景观连通性评估提供基本模式。电路理论则能扩展到潜在生态廊道和关键生态点的量化识别,能确定具有生态功能的“夹点”和障碍区的空间位置。综合两种模型,可以量化评估黄河三角洲湿地景观连通性,空间化三角洲湿地保护恢复的管理目标,即潜在廊道和关键生态节点,为区域生态系统功能评估和管理提供精准的数据支持。     

Fire mediated patterns of population densities in mountain big sagebrush bird communities

We employed a chronosequence approach to evaluate patterns of bird abundance in relation to post-fire vegetation recovery in mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana). We estimated population density for 12 species of birds within the perimeters of 4 fires that had undergone 8–20 years of vegetation recovery and on adjacent unburned areas in the northwestern Great Basin, USA. Six species showed negative responses to fire persisting up to 20 years. Two species showed positive responses with effects persisting for <20 years. Understory vegetation was similar between burned and unburned areas irrespective of recovery time, and shrub canopy cover was similar between burned and unburned sites after 20 years of recovery. Persistent reductions in bird densities lead us to conclude that shrub canopy cover alone is not a sufficient metric for predicting recovery of songbird abundances following disturbance in mountain big sagebrush. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.     

山水资源型城市景观生态风险评价及生态安全格局构建——以张家界市为例

区域生态安全是现代城市健康发展的重要内容,科学认识与评价区域生态风险与构建生态安全格局,有利于综合提升区域生态安全水平。以张家界市2019年高分二号遥感解译数据为基础,使用GIS空间分析与Fragstats软件构建景观生态风险指数,对景观生态风险空间分布特征进行分析;利用最小累积阻力模型(MCR),以9个自然保护地为生态源地,以景观生态风险指数、植被覆盖度、高程、坡度、与道路距离、与水域距离构建阻力面,识别生态廊道与生态节点,构建生态安全格局并提出生态安全保护策略。结果表明：(1)研究区景观生态风险空间差异明显,生态风险呈现“中部、四周低,高值区总体沿澧水水系呈条带状延伸”的空间分布规律;(2)低、较低、中、较高、高生态风险分别占比21.59%、41.79%、22.57%、12.08%、1.98%,其中较低生态风险占比最高,高生态风险占比最低,各区县高生态风险压力排序为：永定区>慈利县>桑植县>武陵源区;(3)研究共识别出生态廊道24条,生态节点47个,生态廊道累积长达872.35km,生态廊道与生态节点分别呈现“三横四纵”、“中多西少,南多北少”的空间分布特征;(4...     

Sub-sampling data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey for application to the Bird Community Index,an indicator of ecological condition

We examined the use of data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) for assessments of ecological condition using an avian community-based indicator, the Bird Community Index (BCI). In previous research, the BCI was developed and applied to a random sample of sites in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands. The goal of providing national scale assessments with bird community indicators hinges on a demonstration that existing monitoring programs, like the BBS, can be tapped as source data for the indicators. Our goal was to compare a BBS-based assessment of the Mid-Atlantic Highlands to our original assessment based on random sampling locations. We subsampled three iterations of BBS route data from the study area to account for spatial and temporal scale differences between 40 km BBS routes and the original 1 km transects sampled to develop the BCI. All three iterations of BBS subsamples provided lower overall assessments of ecological condition for the Mid-Atlantic Highlands relative to our original research. Land cover analysis, however, revealed that BBS routes sampled land cover types in proportion to their actual prevalence in the region. Thus, we conclude that BBS data are appropriate as source data for broad scale ecological assessments with indicators such as the BCI. For numerous analytical and logistical reasons, we recommend 10-stop subsamples of BBS data as the preferred scale at which to apply bird community indicators of ecological condition.     

基于生态系统服务供需的雄安新区生态网络构建与优化

城市生态网络构建是城市生态系统服务有效发挥作用的保障,构建完善的生态网络对于城市生态格局的优化具有重要的意义。结合雄安新区总体规划,通过雄安新区生态系统服务供给、需求两个层面识别生态源地。基于源地-缓冲区-廊道-节点框架,构建新区生态网络。其中,基于生态源地与城镇用地驱动因子,运用最小累积阻力方法得到累积阻力差,构建新区三生空间布局。根据成本距离分析和路径分析,结合雄安新区规划绿带分布,生成生态廊道,并在廊道与廊道交汇点、重要生态功能与脆弱的关键点以及道路轨道交汇点识别生态节点。得出：（1）新区生态源地主要位于白洋淀、公园绿地与其他绿地,分为水域生态源和林地生态源两类生态源地,面积总共728 km²。城镇源地主要位于新区东部容城县与雄县城区以及一些零星的农村居民点区域,面积为166 km²。（2）在新区三生空间布局下,加强生态廊道的构建,提升生态源地之间、生态源地与城镇源地之间的连通性,新区生态廊道主要依赖河流廊道和林地廊道两种类型。（3）在新区未来生态网络的建设中,需要重点关注河流廊道交汇点、河流廊道与城区的交汇处、交通道路与生态用地交汇处等的生态节点的建设及其生态功能的提升。     

Relationships between patterns of habitat cover and the historical distribution of the Marsh Tit,Willow Tit and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in Britain

Spatial analysis of remotely-sensed land cover data in conjunction with species distribution atlases can reveal large-scale relationships between animal taxa and their habitats. We investigated the historical distribution patterns of three declining woodland birds, the Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris), Willow Tit (Poecile montana) and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor), in relation to a parsimonious landscape metric for describing habitat availability in Britain. Bird distributions were derived from two field-based atlas surveys, conducted in 1968–1972 and 1988–1991, and used to classify areas of the landscape for each species as retained, lost or gained between atlas periods, or unoccupied in both. We used remotely-sensed land cover data from 1990 to compare percentage habitat cover between landscape areas classified by bird occupation, and regional summary data from national woodland inventories to investigate changes in habitat cover and bird distributions. Percentage habitat cover was a sufficient landscape metric to explain the distribution pattern of all three bird species; habitat cover was greatest in areas where each species was retained between atlas surveys, significantly less in areas from which species were lost, and least in areas that remained unoccupied. Reductions in Marsh Tit distribution were less in regions that showed greater increases in habitat cover, but there was no such relationship for other species. Results indicated that spatial studies could be used to infer aspects of the spatial ecology of species where field data is lacking: by comparing distribution patterns with the relatively well-studied Marsh Tit, we found support for the assumption that the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker occupies very large territories in Britain, and provided evidence that the spatial habitat requirements of the Marsh Tit could be used as a proxy for the data-poor Willow Tit. The results showed that the habitat cover required to retain each species in the landscape had increased over time, illustrating how spatial studies can be used to identify priorities for further research and suggest conservation measures for declining species, and these are discussed.     

Performance of ground-based and aerial survey methods for monitoring wildlife assemblages in a conservation area of northern Tanzania

Validating and improving field-sampling techniques for estimating wildlife community composition and population size is essential for wildlife management and conservation. We conducted ground distance sampling surveys along line transects and block counts from a small aircraft in Manyara Ranch in Northern Tanzania and contrasted estimates of species richness and species-specific densities from both sampling techniques. We used regression analyses (logistic regression and generalized linear mixed models) and model selection to investigate whether a species’ body size, group size, body color, as well as vegetation cover explained the variation in species presence/absence and relative density differences in aerial vs. ground-based sampling. Ground surveys detected significantly more species than aerial surveys. However, aerial surveys detected three species that were missed by ground surveys (African lions, African buffalo, and spotted hyena). Model selection suggested that species with smaller body mass and small group sizes were more likely to be missed in aerial surveys. Densities estimated from the aerial surveys were generally but non-significantly lower than the densities estimated from the ground surveys, with the exception of density estimates for African elephants which were slightly higher from aerial surveys. Density differences between the two methods were greater for species with small group size, light body color, and in areas with denser vegetation cover; these variables explained 75% of the variation in density differences between the two survey methods. Albeit being similar in operational costs in our relatively small study area, ground surveys yielded (1) more complete information with respect to wildlife community composition and (2) density estimates were mostly higher and (3) more precise and (4) appear more feasible to be implemented in community-based conservation schemes.