TAXONOMIC STATUS OF

Association of Cattle Egrets Bubulcus ibis with large herbivores is well documented, but there are few records of their association with large birds. Here we describe the first-known records of foraging interactions between Shoebill Balaeniceps rex and Cattle Egrets. The observations were made at the Malagarasi-Muyovozi Ramsar Site in western Tanzania. Small flocks of egrets approached and foraged within 5 m of a Shoebill, which was sometimes forced to move from its hunting pool and by doing so it likely flushed more prey for egrets. Interactions occurred almost exclusively in the driest months, which suggested that prey were more difficult to locate by egrets during this period. The Shoebill inhabits inaccessible swamps and is a rare species with low density throughout its range. It is therefore possible that egret–Shoebill associations, in addition to being infrequent and highly seasonal, may have gone unnoticed.     

Change in winter snow depth and its impacts on vegetation in China

Snow on land is an important component of the global climate system, but our knowledge about the effects of its changes on vegetation are limited, particularly in temperate regions. In this study, we use daily snow depth data from 279 meteorological stations across China to investigate the distribution of winter snow depth (December–February) from 1980 to 2005 and its impact on vegetation growth, here approximated by satellite‐derived vegetation greenness index observations [Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)]. The snow depth trends show strong geographical heterogeneities. An increasing trend (>0.01 cm yr^?1) in maximum and mean winter snow depth is found north of 40°N (e.g. Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and Northwest China). A declining trend (?1) is observed south of 40°N, particularly over Central and East China. The effect of changes in snow depth on vegetation growth was examined for several ecosystem types. In deserts, mean winter snow depth is significantly and positively correlated with NDVI during both early (May and June) and mid‐growing seasons (July and August), suggesting that winter snow plays a critical role in regulating desert vegetation growth, most likely through persistent effects on soil moisture. In grasslands, there is also a significant positive correlation between winter snow depth and NDVI in the period May–June. However, in forests, shrublands, and alpine meadow and tundra, no such correlation is found. These ecosystem‐specific responses of vegetation growth to winter snow depth may be due to differences in growing environmental conditions such as temperature and rainfall.     

Does migration promote or restrict circumpolar breeding ranges of arctic birds?

Aim Migration has been suggested to promote large breeding ranges among birds because of the greater mobility of migratory compared with non‐migratory species, but migration has also been suggested to restrict breeding ranges because of evolutionary constraints imposed by the genetically based migration control programme. We aim to investigate the association between migration and the breeding ranges of both land birds and pelagic birds breeding in the Arctic region. Location The Arctic region. Methods Information on breeding and wintering ranges and migratory status of bird species breeding in the arctic tundra biome was compiled from the literature. The association between breeding range, migration distance and primary winter habitat was tested using multivariate generalized linear models and pair‐wise Mann–Whitney U‐tests. Phylogenetic effects were tested for using Mantel’s permutation tests. Results We found different relationships depending on the species’ major winter habitat. Among birds that are pelagic during winter, long‐distance migrants have the largest breeding ranges, while among terrestrial birds, residents and short‐distance migrants have the largest breeding ranges. Breeding ranges of coastal birds of all migratory distance classes are comparatively restricted. Main conclusions As a new explanation for this pattern we suggest that the possibility of colonizing large winter ranges is a key factor for the subsequent expansion of breeding ranges in arctic bird communities and possibly also in bird communities of other regions of the world. Because of the reversal in the relative extent of continents and oceans between the hemispheres, longitudinally wide winter ranges are more likely for long‐distance than short‐distance migrants among pelagic birds, while the reverse holds true for birds that use terrestrial winter habitats. For coastal birds both continents and oceans form barriers restricting colonization of extensive winter quarters and consequently also of extensive breeding ranges, regardless of the distance to the winter quarters.     

模拟雪被变化对水曲柳和兴安落叶松凋落叶分解的影响

气候变化引起的雪被变化会深刻地影响森林凋落物的分解过程.本研究采用人工控雪处理(对照、增雪、除雪)模拟研究雪被变化对两种温带树种——水曲柳和兴安落叶松凋落叶分解动态的影响. 为期一年的分解试验表明: 不同控雪处理下水曲柳和落叶松的凋落叶年分解率的变化范围分别为51.3%～57.4%和21.7%～31.4%;两者的分解系数(k)变化范围分别为0.048～0.057和0.022～0.030,其中增雪处理的k值最大、除雪处理的k值最小.与对照相比,增雪处理下水曲柳凋落叶50%和95%分解的时间分别缩短了1.1月和4.2月,落叶松则分别缩短了3.7月和15.5月;相反,除雪处理下相应的分解时间分别延长了1.8月和6.4月(水曲柳)及5.0月和21.1月(落叶松).此外,凋落叶分解率与树种、雪深、分解时间、土壤温度等密切相关,但其主要影响因子随分解阶段而异,表现为雪被期主要受土壤温度影响,而随后的无雪期主要受凋落叶初始质量的影响.本研究突显了雪被变化对凋落叶分解有显著的瞬时效应和延迟效应.     

Bird species of black water inundation forests in the Jaú National Park (Amazonas state, Brazil): their contribution to regional species richness

We compared the relative contribution of blackwater inundation forest (igapó) and unflooded (terra firme) forest for regional bird species diversity in the lower Rio Negro region. For analyses of habitat preference we used mist-net samples and an unpublished bird species check-list. The igapó forest had lower bird species diversity than the terra firme forest. However, some 14% of the forest bird species in the region are restricted to igapó forest. Species composition was found to be distinct between the understories of the two forest types. Common forest bird guilds in the Neotropics such as ant-following birds avoid igapó forest. The differential habitat selection among birds in the inundated and unflooded forest is likely to result from vegetation structure and biological interactions such as aggressive behaviour. Since the inundated forest has a typical biota, conservation efforts needs to be directed to protect these habitats. Unfortunately, inundation forests are threatened by several human actions, especially dam construction. The extent of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon is insufficient for the adequate protection of the inundated habitats, because it includes only 3% of the total area.     

江西武夷山-黄岗山西北坡森林繁殖鸟类多样性调查

研究区属于江西武夷山国家级自然保护区范围,为中国亚热带东部最高的山地,森林原生性保存较为完好。2004—2012年,在研究区海拔300—2160 m范围,布设了穿越所有代表性生境的1条主样线和6条辅助样线,共记录有森林繁殖鸟188种,占中国东部丘陵平原亚区繁殖鸟种数的71.76%。在这些繁殖鸟中,物种数在10种及以上的优势科有鸫科(Turdidae)13种、鹟科(Muscicapidae)10种、画眉科(Timaliidae)21种、莺科(Sylviidae)22种,占研究区森林繁殖鸟种数的35.1%、雀形目(PASSERIFORMES)的51.2%。将研究区按海拔高度、植被类型和人类干扰程度分为4类生境进行分析,结果显示:物种数以次生林恢复区最多(138种)原生性森林区(127种)农林营作干扰区(119种)中山灌丛草甸区(51种),其中中山灌丛草甸区由于生境条件因素各项指标数值均最小,其余3类生境分区,无论是总鸟种数、雀形目鸟种数,还是优势科鸟种数,均支持中间膨胀效应(Mid-domain effect)。G-F指数由低海拔向高海拔依次降低,即:农林营作干扰区(DG-F=0.775)次生林恢复区(DG-F=0.772)原生性森林区(DG-F=0.760)中山灌丛草甸区(DG-F=0.603);雀形目鸟种G-F指数分析,原生性森林区(DG-F=0.650)则略大于次生林恢复区(DG-F=0.633),提示顶级植物群落更大的森林内部空间和多样的内部层次结构,对雀形目鸟种多样性具有积极意义。分析显示次生林恢复区与原生性森林区相似性系数最高,表明经过30a左右自然演替恢复的次生林,对于森林繁殖鸟来说其生态功能已接近顶级群落,而农林营作干扰区和中山灌丛草甸区相似性系数最低。同时,研究区鸡形目(GALLIFORMES)鸟类生态位分异表现最为典型。