布氏田鼠秋季家群数量与捕食风险的关系

2004年9月25日至10月15日,在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟阿巴嘎旗白音图嘎苏木研究了布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)秋季家群数量与来自艾虎(Mustela eversmanni)的捕食风险。布氏田鼠家群数量调查采用标志重捕法和最小已知存活数估计法(即MNA法)确定,而艾虎对布氏田鼠捕食风险的衡量指标采用在研究期间布氏田鼠洞群区新出现的艾虎粪便和挖掘痕迹。研究区面积4 hm2,涉及91个布氏田鼠家群,658只布氏田鼠,其中,17个布氏田鼠家群有新出现的艾虎粪便,5个家群被艾虎掘开。运用非参数的Mann-Whitney U检验进行数据分析,从艾虎遗留的粪便痕迹来看,未出现艾虎粪便的布氏田鼠家群总秩和为1 096,出现艾虎粪便的田鼠洞群秩和为3 090,统计量U=315,校正Z=﹣3.241,校正P=0.001 2;另外,从艾虎掘开的田鼠家群来分析,没有被艾虎挖掘的布氏田鼠家群秩和为3 757,而被艾虎掘开的田鼠家群秩和为429,统计量U=16,校正Z值为﹣3.514,P=0.000 4。两组差异达到极显著水平,表明艾虎对秋季高数量的布氏田鼠家群具有显著的优先访问和攻击偏好,也意味着高数量的布氏田鼠秋季家群具有更高的被艾虎捕食的风险。     

大鵟对不同数量布氏田鼠越冬洞群的选择偏好

布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)在冬季会形成数量不同的越冬集群,不同大小的集群会面临着不同的捕食风险。2004年秋季在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟典型鼠害草场,采用鼠洞口数量多少作为布氏田鼠秋季集群大小的指标,分析了大鵟(Buteo hemilasius)对不同大小集群的布氏田鼠集群的捕食选择偏好。结果表明：大鵟优先选择集群数量高的布氏田鼠集群,这表明数量高的布氏田鼠集群更容易吸引猛禽类天敌的捕食,该结果可以解释布氏田鼠在秋季出现的分群行为。由于捕食风险的存在,布氏田鼠借助秋季的分群行为以降低冬季集群大小和被捕食风险,从而避免成为捕食性天敌首要攻击的目标,该结果验证了最优集群理论。     

内蒙古达乌尔鼠兔越冬群体大小 与捕食风险的研究

达乌尔鼠兔(Ochotona dauurica)是内蒙古草原的主要鼠种之一,分布在草地和榆树(Ulmus pumila)疏林下,在冬季会形成数量不同的越冬集群。达乌尔鼠兔在秋季和冬季常常会受到艾虎(Mustela eversmanii)的攻击。为研究达乌尔鼠兔越冬集群大小与来自艾虎的捕食风险的关系,2004年10月上旬在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟锡林浩特市白音锡勒牧场的五连榆树疏林地,以洞口计数法调查分布于林下的达乌尔鼠兔种群,采用洞口数量多少作为鼠兔秋季集群大小的指标。清除实验区达乌尔鼠兔洞群范围内的所有鼬科动物粪便。1个月之后,分别统计洞群留有艾虎粪便和洞群被艾虎挖掘过的达乌尔鼠兔家族数量,分析了艾虎对不同大小集群的达乌尔鼠兔家群的捕食选择偏好。统计结果显示,艾虎在集群大的达乌尔鼠兔家群周围更容易留下粪便(P 0.05),并且更倾向挖掘集群大的达乌尔鼠兔家群(P 0.05)。这表明达乌尔鼠兔越冬家群成员数量越多,其来自艾虎的捕食风险就越大。从本次实验结果来看,越冬期间天敌选择性的捕食风险的存在抑制了达乌尔鼠兔越冬集群的增长,从而使其越冬家族数量维持在限定的规模和水平。     

狭颅田鼠的代谢特征及体温调节

为探究草食性小型哺乳动物狭颅田鼠的代谢及体温特征,测定了栖息于呼伦贝尔草原地区的狭颅田鼠的体重、静止代谢率、热传导等生物学指标随环境温度的变化情况。结果表明:狭颅田鼠的平均体重为(20.8±0.8)g(n=12),基础代谢率为(1.85±0.05)mLO_2/(g·h),热中性区为27.5℃～35℃,热传导值为(0.19±0.03)mLO_2/(g·h·℃),热适应能力A<0(适应冷环境),适应途径指数I=0.8(热传导对调节体温影响更大)。狭颅田鼠具有低代谢率、低热传导和较宽的热中性区,在较大的温度变化范围内保持较低的能量代谢水平,这是生活于较高纬度寒冷地区的狭颅田鼠在长期进化过程中形成的主要生存对策之一。     

捕食风险对东方田鼠功能反应格局的作用

植食性哺乳动物对食物斑块的选择和利用不仅取决于食物的可利用性,且与觅食环境潜存的各种风险紧密关联。捕食风险是否通过作用于动物觅食活动中的警觉影响其功能反应格局。在新鲜白三叶叶片构成的各类食物密集斑块上,测定东方田鼠觅食行为,建立功能反应模型,检验捕食风险对其功能反应格局的作用。结果发现,捕食风险能显著地延长东方田鼠的觅食决定时间,但其摄入率保持稳定,功能反应构型亦未发生改变,仍为Ⅱ型功能反应;除了对照组个体的采食时间随叶片大小增大无明显变动规律外,处理组个体的采食时间及对照组和处理组个体的处理时间、觅食中断时间均随叶片大小及口量的增大呈线性增高趋势,处理组个体的觅食中断时间明显大于对照组个体的;对照组和处理组个体的采食率均随叶片大小及口量呈非线性渐近递减趋势,但处理组个体的采食率较对照组个体的略有降低。结果揭示,在捕食风险压力下,虽然上述觅食参数变异能潜在地降低摄入率,但个体能通过改变觅食活动中各种警觉行为动作如降低嗅闻和静听监视动作的发生频次,增大视觉监视动作比重,以此缓冲捕食风险压力,维持摄入率。摄入率测定值与模型预测值的线性回归极显著,表明,功能反应模型具有良好的预测性。在可利用植物密集斑块,动物觅食活动中的警觉能缓冲捕食风险压力;动物摄入率是由植物大小调控的口量决定的,且受采食与处理食物竞争及觅食中断的制约;其功能反应仍属Ⅱ型功能反应。     

集群数量和采食距离对储草期布氏田鼠警戒频次的影响

警戒行为是动物对环境中潜在危险做出的反应。为探究影响警戒行为的因素,作者在内蒙古锡林郭勒典型草原区进行了集群数量和采食距离对储草期自由生活状态下布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)警戒频次影响的实验。通过标志重捕法和人工去除法设定3个集群数量梯度(11只、6只和3只),利用人工食物站设置4个采食距离梯度(5 m、10 m、20 m、30 m),共12个梯度组合,每个组合分别观察60次采食过程,共计观察720次,并记录采食过程中的警戒频次。对数据进行双因素方差分析,集群规模和采食距离对布氏田鼠警戒行为频次均有极显著影响(P0.01)。随着集群数量减小,布氏田鼠单次采食的警戒频次显著增加;采食距离越远,单次采食的警戒频次越高;集群数量和采食距离之间还存在极显著的交互作用(P0.01)。集群数量增大意味着采食距离的增加,为保证储草效率,布氏田鼠种群会在增加集群数量和减小采食距离之间权衡,最终集群数量维持在中等水平,支持了最优集群理论。     

根田鼠母体捕食应激效应与Trivers-Willard 模型的关系

本研究了根田鼠母体捕食应激对其子代出生、断乳和成体体重、窝性比及死亡率的作用,检验Trivers—Willard模型的2个前提条件、母体应激激素在母体投资中的作用,以及母体捕食应激效应与该模型的关系。将妊娠根田鼠母体暴露于其捕食艾鼬,母体应激子代的出生和断乳体重均显降低;到成体,雄性体重有此效应,而雌性体重则接近对照。出生窝性比无变化,但成体窝性比向雌性偏斜。不同年龄阶段的死亡率无显变化,但累计死亡率明显增大。处理雄性子代在断乳和成体时的皮质酮含量显增高,而雌性子代则无显变化,从而验证了Trivers-Willard模型的2个前提条件,提出应激母体激素参与母体对子代的投资观点,并认为,母体捕食应激使根田鼠子代成体窝性比向雌性偏斜的生理投资符合进化稳定对策。     

捕食风险对越冬根田鼠肠道寄生物易感性的影响

在自然生态系统中,不同营养级物种可通过特征介导间接效应对生态系统的稳定及种群产生深刻的影响。但目前有关特征介导间接效应的实验研究多见于无脊椎动物、鱼类和两爬类。本研究以根田鼠为对象,在野外围栏内建立预防捕食者和未预防捕食者两种实验处理种群,并通过采用麦克马斯特法测定两种处理种群实验个体肠道寄生物感染种类及感染率和感染强度,采用PHA（phytohemagglutinin）反应和白细胞分类计数测定不同处理种群实验个体免疫能力,以分析捕食风险对根田鼠肠道寄生物的感染效应。结果表明,未预防捕食者处理组根田鼠PHA反应、白细胞计数和淋巴细胞计数较预防捕食者处理组实验个体显著降低,而球虫 E. wenrichi 的感染率和感染强度则显著增加,但绦虫和线虫以及其他3种球虫的感染率和感染强度无显著差异。结果表明,捕食者可通过介导猎物免疫力特征而间接影响猎物肠道寄生物的感染,验证了本项提出的捕食风险可通过降低根田鼠的免疫能力而增加其肠道寄生物感染的假设。     

典型草原区布氏田鼠鼠害防治的经济阈值

采用种群动态分析方法,分析了内蒙古典型草原区布氏田鼠防治经济阈值.结果表明,1995 ～2005年间布氏田鼠(Lasiopodomys brandtii)早春化学防治的经济阈值分别为36.4、48.8、45.2、39.6、51.2、51.7、48.6、47.2、45.4、40.8、40.1只/hm2,而2010 ～ 2012年间的经济阈值则为41.8、39.8、38.7只/hm2.1995～2012年间,布氏田鼠防治的经济阈值基本稳定在45只/hm2左右.布氏田鼠鼠害的防治经济阈值主要受牧羊放牧收益、灭鼠成本和灭鼠成效的影响,牧羊年均放牧收益与布氏田鼠早春防治经济阈值呈反比关系.根据2010～2012年间的调查结果,近年来布氏田鼠早春防治经济阈值的参考数值为40只/hm2.     

球虫感染与捕食对根田鼠繁殖性能的影响

在自然界,捕食者和寄生物是两种主要的种群外部调节因子,二者的交互作用会对猎物和宿主种群波动产生深远影响。较低的球虫感染强度与捕食对根田鼠（Alexandromys oeconomus）繁殖无显著的交互作用。自然界球虫感染存在季节性变化,秋季感染强度最高。为了探究较高感染强度下,球虫与捕食对根田鼠繁殖的主效应及交互作用,本研究采用2×2析因实验设计,在野外围栏中测定了根田鼠种群肠道内寄生物的感染率和感染强度、雄性睾丸指数、睾酮水平、精子密度、精子活力以及雌性卵巢指数。结果表明,较高的感染强度下,球虫能显著抑制根田鼠的繁殖性能,但球虫感染与捕食对根田鼠的繁殖无显著的交互作用,这可能与球虫感染和捕食效应在时间上的错配有关。本研究认为,球虫感染对繁殖期小哺乳动物种群的调节作用虽有限,但其可通过与捕食者的耦合来降低宿主越冬时的存活率,进而影响宿主种群波动。     

Behaviour and resource use of two competing vole species under shared predation risk

Indirect interaction between two competing species via a shared predator may be an important determinant of population and community dynamics. We studied the effect of predation risk imposed by the least weasel Mustela nivalis nivalis on space use, foraging and activity of two competing vole species, the grey-sided vole Myodes rufocanus, and the bank vole Myodes glareolus. The experiment was conducted in a large indoor arena, consisting of microhabitat structures providing food, shelter, trees for refuge and separated areas with high and low predation risk. Voles were followed for 5 days: 2 days before, 1 day during and 2 days after the presence of weasel. Our results suggest an effect of weasel presence on the vole community. Voles of both species shifted their activity from risky to less risky areas, climbed trees more often and were less active. Seed consumption was not affected by weasel presence. The time spent in the risky and less risky area did not differ between species, but bank voles spent more time in trees than grey-sided voles. Males of both species were more exposed to predation risk than females, i.e. generally spent more time in the risky area. Proportion of time spent in the risky area, the use of area, trees and food stations were sex dependent. Activity and use of trees were species dependent. We found no evidence for despotic distribution between our two species, although bank voles seemed to be more affected by coexistence, since they lost weight during the experiment. Based on our results we conclude that predator response was largely similar between species, while the sex-specific responses dominated. Besides a stronger escape response in the bank vole, the strongest individual differences were sex specific, i.e. males were more prone to take risks in space use and activity.     

Threat-sensitive anti-intraguild predation behaviour: maternal strategies to reduce offspring predation risk in mites

Predation is a major selective force for the evolution of behavioural characteristics of prey. Predation among consumers competing for food is termed intraguild predation (IGP). From the perspective of individual prey, IGP differs from classical predation in the likelihood of occurrence because IG prey is usually more rarely encountered and less profitable because it is more difficult to handle than classical prey. It is not known whether IGP is a sufficiently strong force to evolve interspecific threat sensitivity in antipredation behaviours, as is known from classical predation, and if so whether such behaviours are innate or learned. We examined interspecific threat sensitivity in antipredation in a guild of predatory mite species differing in adaptation to the shared spider mite prey (i.e. Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus californicus and Amblyseius andersoni). We first ranked the players in this guild according to the IGP risk posed to each other: A. andersoni was the strongest IG predator; P. persimilis was the weakest. Then, we assessed the influence of relative IGP risk and experience on maternal strategies to reduce offspring IGP risk: A. andersoni was insensitive to IGP risk. Threat sensitivity in oviposition site selection was induced by experience in P. persimilis but occurred independently of experience in N. californicus. Irrespective of experience, P. persimilis laid fewer eggs in choice situations with the high- rather than low-risk IG predator. Our study suggests that, similar to classical predation, IGP may select for sophisticated innate and learned interspecific threat-sensitive antipredation responses. We argue that such responses may promote the coexistence of IG predators and prey.     

内蒙古荒漠草原植物遗传多样性对模拟增温处理的响应

为探究全球变暖对温带荒漠草原地上种群的遗传影响,对已经接受模拟增温处理6年的短花针茅草原4种不同生活型植物,即半灌木、多年生禾草、多年生杂类草和一年生植物,应用AFLP分子标记方法研究了其遗传多样性和遗传结构。结果显示,对照处理与增温处理下的木地肤、短花针茅、细叶葱、猪毛菜4种植物的多态位点百分率(PPB)分别为11.32%,11.32%;40.83%,39.91%;14.29%,13.10%;19.85%,19.12%。Nei's基因多样性指数(He)分别为0.0274,0.0259;0.0812,0.0899;0.0131,0.0084;0.0506,0.0456。Shannon's信息指数值(I)分别为0.0447,0.0430;0.1354,0.1466;0.0267,0.0182;0.0811,0.0733。分子方差分析(AMOVA)显示4种植物的变异主要来源于实验处理内部,木地肤为85.03%,短花针茅为66.35%,细叶葱为70.00%,猪毛菜为66.52%;增温处理间的变异分别占-2.81%,-5.47%,-3.60%,2.53%(P0.05)。4种植物增温处理与变异程度之间在统计学上并无相关性。研究表明虽然短时间的模拟增温并不足以使4种生活型植物种群遗传多样性和遗传结构发生显著变化,但相对于3种多年生植物,一年生植物猪毛菜更容易受到增温影响。多年生和一年生植物对增温具有不同的遗传响应。     

不同频率氮添加对内蒙古典型草原植物叶绿素的影响

大气氮沉降会影响植物功能性状的变异和进化,进而作用于植物个体和生态系统功能。研究草地生态系统植物功能性状在不同氮添加模式下的响应差异,对更准确地评估植物对环境变化的适应性至关重要。基于内蒙古草原野外长期氮沉降模拟实验平台,研究氮添加频率对优势物种羊草和冰草叶绿素含量的影响,结果表明每年一次氮添加使羊草叶绿素含量增加最多(15.21%),而每月一次氮添加对冰草叶绿素含量影响最大(增加了14.74%)。氮添加尤其是每年一次氮添加显著增加了土壤铵态氮、硝态氮和无机氮含量,并使土壤pH显著降低。这些结果表明:羊草叶绿素含量对低频率氮添加响应更明显,而高频率氮添加对冰草叶绿素含量的影响更显著,这两类物种间养分吸收策略存在明显差异。启示低频率氮添加可能高估了氮沉降对羊草叶绿素含量的影响,而低估了对冰草叶绿素含量的影响,这对准确预测植物叶片功能性状对大气氮沉降的变异具有重要意义,并将有助于应用到植物功能性状预测生态系统功能和过程响应未来全球变化的模型中。     

内蒙古典型草原区芨芨草群落适生生境

芨芨草群落是干旱与半干旱地区重要的植被资源,内蒙古典型草原区常在地形稍低的部位镶嵌有芨芨草群落,且芨芨草群落常与低洼湿草甸群落相连。为了探究芨芨草群落的适生生境,在锡林郭勒盟典型草原区选取了4个代表性调查区,从芨芨草群落及其相邻群落分布的地形特征、调查区的地下水埋深、1 m深土层的土壤电导率、土壤pH值和土壤质地等指标上对芨芨草适生生境进行探究,结果表明,芨芨草群落在内蒙古典型草原区常分布在河漫滩和丘间蝶形洼地地区,呈现出由高程梯度导致的与地带性针茅群落、湿草甸群落带状分布的特点,导致这种成带分布的原因与地下水埋深及地表径流有关,芨芨草群落生境的地下水埋深一般在1-3 m且有地表径流的补充;芨芨草群落耐盐碱性强,其生境也与反映土壤盐分含量的土壤电导率和土壤pH值有关;但芨芨草群落生境的形成不是由土壤机械组成所致。     

Impact of increased predation risk on vigilance behaviour in a gregarious waterfowl,the Egyptian goose Alopochen aegyptiaca

Vigilance is amongst the most universal of anti‐predator strategies and commonly declines with increasing group size. We experimentally manipulated predation risk in a system with a known relationship between group size and vigilance levels to explore whether this relationship changes in response to elevated predation risk. We investigated the vigilance levels of Egyptian geese Alopochen aegyptiaca at eight golf courses in the western Cape, South Africa, to assess the perception of and reaction to predation risk. We manipulated predation risk by introducing trained Harris's hawks Parabuteo unicintus where avian predation was otherwise low or absent. The study confirmed the typical reduction in vigilance with group size on control sites, where the risk of predation is low. However, at experimental sites with elevated predation risk, a positive relationship between vigilance and group size was observed. We hypothesize that the mechanism for this relationship might be linked to social information transfer via copying behaviour and manipulation to induce vigilance. Thus, larger groups will have a higher probability of containing individuals with experience of elevated predation risk and their increased vigilance behaviour is copied by naïve individuals. This prediction is based on the intended outcome of introducing avian predation to make the geese feel less safe and to eventually leave the site as a management tool for controlling nuisance geese.