DIFFERENTIATION OF FORAGING NICHE AMONG TITS, PARUS SPP., IN NORWAY DURING WINTER

The winter foraging behaviour of Willow Tit Parus montanuss, Coal Tit P. ater and Crested Tit P. cristatus was studied in several spruce-dominated, coniferous forest areas in which either Willow Tit alone, Willow Tit and Coal Tit, or all three species together were present. In the areas where Crested Tits were absent, Willow Tits foraged significantly more often in the outermost parts of spruce branches and less frequently on the parts of branches closer to the trunk, than in the area in which Crested Tits were present. In the area in which all three species were present, the same change in foraging pattern of Willow Tits was found in mixed flocks in which Crested Tits were lacking. The foraging pattern of Coal Tits was unaffected by the presence of members of either or both the other two tit species. It is suggested that the expansion of the feeding niche of Willow Tit in the absence of Crested Tit is a result of ecological release, due to a reduction in the degree of interspecific competition.     

THE FORMATION, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF MIXED-SPECIES INSECTIVOROUS BIRD FLOCKS IN WEST AFRICAN SAVANNA WOODLAND

Mixed-species flocks of birds were observed during the wet season (July to September 1975) in savanna woodland in Ghana. Thirty-four flocks contained birds of 56 species in 20 families, including insectivorous, granivorous, and nectarivorous species, using a wide range of foraging methods. Only two species occurred in more than half the flocks. There was no correlation between the number of flocks joined by a species and its abundance in the community. Among insectivores, but not granivores, the species which joined most flocks were those which habitually occurred in the largest single-species groups. All stages of breeding activity were represented by the various members. Some species joined flocks only while these were passing through their territories. Of the two species which were present most frequently, there were no differences between mixed and single-species flocks for Eremomela pusilla, but Parus leucomelas foraged and called on more occasions in mixed flocks than single-species flocks, though the rates of foraging and calling were related only to the number of P. leucomelas present. Groups of P. leucomelas appeared to initiate some flocks by attraction due to their conspicuous wing-bars, active movement, and loud calls. Black-and-white species joined them first, followed by birds of other plumage patterns. The advantages of mixed flocking are thought to be connected with finding patches of the food of bark- and foliage-searching insectivores, which were the only species regularly seen foraging in the flocks. Because of dry season burning which leaves small unburnt patches of savanna, these insect species may share a common, patchy distribution. Birds may also gain protection from predators, and some species probably gain no advantages. The species composition and behaviour of flocks previously recorded elsewhere in African savannas are similar to the Ghana flocks.     

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN RELATION TO WINTER FORAGING AND TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER PICOIDES TRIDACTYLUS AND THREE DENDROCOPOS SPECIES

A comparison of morphological characters shows that Picoides tridactylus is more markedly sexually dimorphic than Dendrocopus leucotos, D. major or D. minor. This is correlated with intersexual differences in foraging behaviour in P. tridactylus, lacking in the Dendrocopus spp. Apparently as a consequence, the sexes are able to share winter territories among P. tridactylus but not among D. major or D. minor; conclusive observations of D. leucotos were not possible. It is suggested that these differences may reflect the distributional history of the species, and the extent of interspecific competition.     

PATTERNS IN THE GEOGRAPHICAL RANGES OF SPECIES

1. A growing number of studies have documented patterns in species geographic ranges relevant to the study of community structure. These include patterns in the frequency of geographic ranges of different sizes, and in the interaction of range sizes with population abundances and variabilities, body sizes, trophic characteristics and extinction probabilities.
2. Agreement between hypothesized and observed relationships is reasonably good, but we do not know how general the patterns are. Analysis of patterns has focused upon a few taxonomic groups, a bias largely resulting from a lack of information on the geographic distributions of most taxa.
3. Many of the patterns are interrelated, and although theoretical bases to all the patterns can be suggested, it is possible that some are artifacts.
4. Taylor power plots give us a means of making predictions about population behaviour as it pertains to geographic ranges. Some of these predictions suggest that previous conceptions of such interactions have been too narrow, but empirical analyses of these patterns will be hampered by the difficulty of measuring population variability.
5. In general, our knowledge of the structure, and spatial and temporal behaviour, of species geographic ranges remains poor.     

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND DIVERGENCE IN WINTER FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF THREE-TOED WOODPECKERS PICOIDES TRIDACTYLUS

Measurements of 48 males and 45 females of Three-toed Woodpeckers shot in Norway revealed that the mean lengths of wing, tail, bill and tarsus of males were significantly greater than those of females. Sexual dimorphism was most marked for the bill and tarsus.
Feeding observations of the species from spruce-dominated mixed forests during the October-March period indicated an intersexual partitioning of the foraging niche. The males exhibited a stereotyped foraging pattern of bark scaling low down on the main trunks of dead spruce, whilst females used a more differentiated feeding technique and utilized a greater variety of trunk and branch sizes of dead, decaying and living trees of several different species. Significant intersexual differences were found in tree height preference and in the diameter of trunks and branches. The males foraged almost exclusively on the trunks of trees over 10 m high and over 15 cm in diameter, whilst females often frequented dead spruce, under 5 m high, and foraged on thinner trunks and branches. Foraging height was significantly lower for males than for females.
The relationship between the sexual dimorphism, the intersexual partitioning of the feeding niche and their biological significance, is briefly discussed.     

REGENERATION OF THE SHRUB GAYLUSSACIA BACCATA AND ASSOCIATED SPECIES AFTER LOW-INTENSITY FIRE IN AN ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN FOREST

The upland shrub community of the New Jersey Pine Barrens maintains strong compositional and structural stability despite frequent low-intensity fires. To determine the mechanisms by which individual species respond to fire, regrowth of vegetation was monitored for 3 years after fire at a burned site, and at a nearby site that had not been burned. At both sites, experimental treatments simulated various physical aspects of fire, including clipping of stems, removal of leaf litter, and application of fertilizer. Both fire and clipping were followed by multiple resprouting and enhanced growth of the dominant shrub, Gaylussacia baccata, suggesting that sprout growth is controlled by correlative inhibition of adventitious buds. By contrast, neither fertilizer nor litter removal had a significant impact on G. baccata. Other species were only observed at very low numbers, and appeared to act independently of either fire or experimental treatments. Recruitment from seed was not observed in any treatment at either site, despite reports of a large soil seed bank. Thus, compositional stability is maintained through a large reserve of dormant buds on the dominant species, and through a lack of opportunities for associate species. This stability is precarious, however, depending strongly on fire frequency and intensity.     

THE HISTOCHEMISTRY AND ULTRASTRUCTURE OF JACK PINE MICROSPORANGIA DURING THE WINTER

The development of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) microsporangia from October to April was investigated with a microdensitometer and a transmission electron microscope. DNA, RNA, and protein content of sporogenous cells was measured at monthly intervals. DNA was unreplicated (2C) until March when DNA synthesis was first noted, coinciding with a loss of heterochromatin. Protein content doubled in April. RNA staining increased in December and then decreased. Numerous whorls and stacks of rough endoplasmic reticulum and ribonucleoprotein-like granules appeared in December and may be related to the RNA increase. A fibrillar, light-staining region was found in the cytoplasm of the sporogenous cells from November to March. It was hydrolyzed in the presence of protease and may be a winter morphology of microfilament bundles or dictyosomes. Lipid bodies and vacuoles were abundant in the tapetum and sporangial wall cells during the winter. Observations substantiate reports that winter is not a time for cessation of development.     

武汉沙湖冬季和春季浮游植物群落结构的变化

富营养化是指水体中由于营养盐的增加而导致藻类或水生植物生产力的增加、水质下降等一系列的变化,从而使水的用途受到影响。湖泊富营养化是我国目前以及今后相当长一段时期内面临的重大水环境问题。浮     

FACTORS GOVERNING PATTERNS OF FORAGING ACTIVITY IN LITTORAL MARINE HERBIVOROUS MOLLUSCS

Relationships of feeding activity to tidal and day/night cyclesin a variety of littoral herbivorous molluscs are reviewed.Most species are active while submerged by the tide, both byday and night. There are also many that are active only whileemersed, with variation in relation to day/night cycles dependentupon micro-habitat. The third pattern is for activity to occurwhile awash by the tide, often with continued feeding whilethe rocks remain damp. Most species in these three groups haveendogenous rhythms. The fourth type is one with no relationto tidal activity, and is confined to supra-littoral and sub-littoralspecies. Major proposed causes of the evolution of these patterns are:desiccation, together with osmotic and thermal stress whichmay have selected for nocturnal activity; dislodgement by waves;and predation by aquatic carnivores, which is often avoidedby feeding at low tide. Of these desiccation and predation arewidely regarded as most important. A study of Patella vulgata suggests that while predation anddesiccation are major factors controlling activity patterns,they do not fully explain observed activity. A discussion ofthe importance of food supply is given, and it is proposed thatwhere competition for food is low, night-time feeding shouldpredominate; where competition is high, day-time feeding shouldpredominate. This pattern fits observations on limpets at LoughHyne, but needs testing in other field situations.     

THE STRUCTURE AND FORMATION OF PROTEIN GRANULES IN THE FAT BODY OF AN INSECT

In the larva of the butterfly Calpodes ethlius, the fat body begins to store protein in the form of granules at about 30 to 35 hours before pupation, at a time when the endocuticle is being resorbed. At least two sorts of granule can be distinguished. The first granules to arise are those within vesicles of the Golgi complex. These may increase in size by incorporating material from microvesicles at their surface and by coalescence with one another. Later, at about 10 hours before pupation, another sort of granule arises by the isolation of regions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within paired membranes derived from Golgi vesicles. Several of these ER isolation bodies coalesce, with fusion of their outer isolating membranes. The ribosomes and membranes may then disappear and the granules become indistinguishable from the protein granules formed from Golgi vesicles, or the ribosomes may remain and be embedded in dense crystalline protein, forming a storage body for both protein and RNA. Mitochondria are isolated within paired membranes in the same way as regions of the ER. The isolated mitochondria also coalesce in a similar manner. When the inner membranes are lost, the structure of a group of isolation bodies is indistinguishable from that of a cytolysome. Isolation within paired membranes, as described here, may be of general importance in segregating regions of massive lysis or massive sequestration.     

THE COMPOSITION AND BEHAVIOUR OF SOME MIXED-SPECIES BIRD FLOCKS IN SARAWAK

Mixed-species flocks of birds feeding on insects were observed mainly in forest in Sarawak at a time of year when insect availability is known to be near its annual minimum. The approximate individual and specific composition of most flocks were noted. Twenty-six species occurring in 25% of flocks were regarded as occasional members, 15 species occurring in 40% of flocks being classed as regular members. Recording species' feeding behaviour was the main priority and few observations of inter- and intra-specific interactions within the flock, horizontal distribution or vertical stratification were made, although the last proved to be of potential significance. From the analysis of feeding behaviour two groups of species were distinguished. The larger group contained those usually having an exclusive common feeding pattern and showing very little overlap with the other such species. Fewer species used a wide range of feeding methods, all of which were shared with other species, but the least overlap was with other members of the same category. The observed composition of these flocks, in terms of regular members, might be interpreted as ensuring a low level of inter-specific competition and it is suggested that the less specialized foragers may occur in the flocks by utilizing the ‘gaps’ between, and absences of, specialists. The possible advantages of membership of mixed-species flocks are briefly considered and the likelihood of the selective advantage in any situation being the result of a balance of factors emphasized. In the apparent absence of regular potential predators the existence of these flocks is interpreted primarily as an adaptation for augmenting available insect food, particularly perhaps at critical times of year, by flushing insects as a result of the foraging activities of flock members. It is suggested that the varied responses of insects on being disturbed coupled with the different and fairly specialized feeding techniques of the birds could ensure benefit for all members of the flock.     

七种啮齿动物视觉器官形态结构的比较研究

用光镜和扫描电镜观察褐家鼠,黑线姬鼠、大仓鼠、棕色田鼠、甘肃Ｆｅｎ鼠、达乌尔黄鼠和岩松鼠的视沉器官形态与构造,对其视网膜的厚度、各核层胸核的层数及大小进行了比较,在扫描电镜下统计了褐家鼠和达乌尔黄鼠和视细胞密度,结果表明,鼠类视觉器官的形态结构与其生活习性相关,即生活习性相似的种类,视器的形态结构也相似;即生活习性差异较大的种类,视器的形态结构差异也较大,同时还发现夜行性鼠视网膜上的核层局部增厚,     

ASPECTS OF THE BEHAVIOUR AND ECOLOGY OF MIXED-SPECIES BIRD FLOCKS IN KASHMIR

Mixed-species flocks of birds were observed between the end of July and late August, principally at Daksum, Kashmir, 2250 m. The species composition and the numbers of individuals in flocks changed during this period; these changes are attributed to resident territory holders and migrant birds joining the flocks. Within the flock different species showed some differences in foraging stations, but nevertheless often appeared to be taking the same type of food. Participant species had different roles in the flock organization. Behaviours involving the entire mixed-flock acting as a unit included path reversal after encounters with avian predators and a tendency to follow set routes. The mixed- species flock exerted an attractive influence on aggregations of species not normally participant.
Similarities between the flocks described in this study and those recorded by other workers are discussed. While different species may derive different benefits from joining these flocks, advantages that could benefit some or all participants include the receipt of information on good feeding areas in an unfamiliar locality, the avoidance of time wasted on feeding on substrates which have been very recently harvested, the beating effect to increase prey availability, and enhanced safety from predators, perhaps through differential alertness of different species and specialized anti-predator behaviour.