Habitat stability and the larval mosquito community in treeholes and other containers on a temperate Island

The temporal fluctuation of water levels and the presence of mosquito larvae were investigated for four types of small container habitats (treeholes, bamboo stumps, cemetery stone vases, and cemetery stone vessels) on Kabeshima Island in Kyushu, southwestern Japan. The probability that containers held water was positively correlated with the quantity of the preceding rainfall and with the depth and volume of the containers. It was estimated that dehydration occurred more regularly in autumn and winter than in summer. The probability that mosquito larvae were present in each type of container was positively correlated with habitat stability in terms of the probability of the existence of standing water and the coefficient of variation of the water level. Twelve species of mosquito larvae, including two rare predators, were found. Species composition differed between the different types of container. Although 4 to 10 species used each type of container, the median number of species per container was two for treeholes and bamboo stumps, and one for the others. The dominant species wasTripteroides bambusa in treeholes and bamboo stumps,Aedes albopictus in stone vases, andA. japonicus in stone vessels. The larval mosquito community, which lacked major predators, possessed the following features that may facilitate the coexistence of many species: (1) niche segregation amongst species in terms of their selection of container types; (2) an aggregated distribution of the individual species among containers of the same type; (3) high intraspecific mean crowding (and hence probably intense intraspecific competition) in the dominant species in each type of container; (4) independent species associations within the same type of container; and (5) low interspecific mean crowding (and hence probablynot intense interspecific competition) between species in the same type of container.     

Ants (Formicidae) as food for birds in southern Africa: opportunism or survival?

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are eaten by a number of bird species in southern Africa. Our database contained 545 species (excluding waterbirds and raptors), of which 179 species have been observed feeding on ants, or had ants in their stomachs. Ants are eaten by birds in all ecosystems, but the consumption of ants is disproportionately high in species that occur in arid ecosystems. The number of bird species eating ants increases in proportion to the number of bird species in any ecosystem, but it increases disproportionately with decreasing mean annual rainfall. There was a small, but not significant, difference in the proportion of ant-eating bird species between 502 resident species, of which 154 (30.6%) eat ants, and 47 nomadic species, of which 18 (38.2%) eat ants. Foraging behaviour and substrate, i.e. whether foraging in the air, from a perch or on the ground, significantly influenced the probability that ants would be included in the diet.     

Predicting the distribution of a suitable habitat for the white stork in Southern Sweden: identifying priority areas for reintroduction and habitat restoration

The loss of wetlands and semi-natural grasslands throughout much of Europe has led to a historic decline of species associated with these habitats. The reinstatement of these habitats, however, requires spatially explicit predictions of the most suitable sites for restoration, to maximize the ecological benefit per unit effort. One species that demonstrates such declines is the white stork Ciconia ciconia , and the restoration of habitat for this flagship species is likely to benefit a suite of other wetland and grassland biota. Storks are also being reintroduced into southern Sweden and elsewhere, and the a priori identification of suitable sites for reintroduction will greatly improve the success of such programmes. Here a simple predictive habitat-use model was developed, where only a small but reliable presence-only dataset was available. The model is based on the extent and relative soil moisture of semi-natural pastures, the extent of wetlands and the extent of hayfields in southern Sweden. Here the model was used to predict the current extent of stork habitat that is suitable for successful breeding, and the extent of habitat that would become suitable with moderate habitat restoration. The habitat model identifies all 10 occupied nesting sites where breeding is currently successful. It also identifies ∼300 km² of habitat that is predicted to be suitable stork habitat, but that is presently unused; these sites were identified as potential areas for stork reintroduction. The model also identifies over 100 areas where moderate habitat restoration is predicted to have a disproportionate effect (relative to the restoration effort) on the area of suitable habitat for storks; these sites were identified as priorities for habitat restoration. By identifying areas for reintroduction and restoration, such habitat suitability models have the potential to maximize the effectiveness of such conservation programmes.     

Enhanced niche opportunities: can they explain the success of New Zealand's introduced bird species?

Aim  The niche hypothesis could explain why some species introduced to new locations reach higher densities than in their native range: it posits that the new environment provides more abundant or higher quality resources or habitat, a more suitable physical environment or both. We investigate whether 11 bird species occur at higher densities in their introduced range than in their native range and whether the differences can be explained by the availability of preferred habitat or the suitability of climatic conditions in their introduced range relative to their native range.
Location  South Island, New Zealand (the introduced range); UK (the native range).
Methods  We first develop a series of models that accurately predict the density of 11 bird species at 54 UK farmland sites, which are closely matched to our New Zealand sites, from habitat and climatic variables. We then use these models to predict the density of the 11 species at 54 New Zealand farmland sites and compare the predicted and observed values.
Results  Actual densities at New Zealand sites were on average (median) 22 times (range: 1–6361) higher than predicted from the UK models and similarly higher than actually observed at comparable UK sites. Habitat and climatic variables can accurately predict bird densities in the UK but grossly underestimate densities for all species except Turdus merula in New Zealand.
Main conclusions  These findings indicate that factors other than the measured habitat and climatic variables must differ between the two regions and explain the much higher densities of New Zealand birds. We suggest that introduced birds, other than T. merula , in New Zealand may still experience enhanced niche opportunities due to greater availability of higher quality resources within habitats, release from natural enemy regulation, less exposure to extreme weather events, particularly during winter, or some combination of these processes.     

Pattern in the distribution of Britain's upland breeding birds

We use a quantitative approach to identify fifty-eight species of birds which breed in association with the British uplands. Similarities and differences between this list of 'upland birds' and previous more subjective lists are discussed. We then study pattern in the distribution of these species throughout the uplands. A high degree of regionalization is found, and interpreted in terms of the habitat composition of different regions, and known bird–habitat associations. Different regions differ widely, not only with respect to their bird species composition, but also in the number and conservation importance of their upland bird assemblages. In particular, we contrast the uplands of Wales and England with those of Scotland. The Welsh and English uplands contain a relatively low number of upland bird assemblages and are divided into a few large regions, each dominated by a single assemblage type. In comparison, the Scottish uplands are more varied, both in terms of the total number of assemblages, and the range of assemblages found at a small scale. The study provides a means of viewing any upland region within the national context.     

暖温带-北亚热带生态过渡区物种生境相关性分析

物种生境相关性分析有利于更好的理解群落构建机制。以暖温带-北亚热带过渡区的宝天曼自然保护区1 ha固定监测样地调查数据为依托,选择胸径（DBH）≥1 cm、个体数≥5的43种木本植物作为分析对象,选择4个地形因子和15个土壤因子作为两类环境因子,用典范对应分析（CCA）研究了地形因子和土壤因子对物种分布的影响,用Torus-translation检验来分析物种与不同生境的关联。结果如下：（1）CCA分析表明地形因子对物种分布的解释量为7.3%,土壤因子对物种分布的解释量为16.2%。（2）Torus-translation检验结果表明,被检验的43个物种中,23.3%的物种与地形4个生境关联,其中正相关物种数最多的是山脊,占正相关数的57%;46.5%的物种与土壤6个生境关联,正相关物种数最多的是两个主分量中的高浓度区,占正相关数的52.6%,明显高于中浓度区和低浓度区正相关的物种数,负相关物种数最多的仍是高浓度区,占负相关数的42.8%,其次为低浓度区,占26.3%。结果表明,土壤生境分化对暖温带-北亚热带过渡区物种的空间分布有着重要作用;样地内大部分物种存在生境分化,这不仅是对地形生境分化的利用,而且更多的是对土壤生境分化的利用;研究结果支持物种共存机制中的生态位理论,地形和土壤生境分化是宝天曼暖温带-北亚热带过渡区物种共存的重要机制之一,在一定程度上解释了该区物种多样性的维持机制。     

Animal Preferences and Acceptability of Wildlife Management Actions around Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Wildlife management policies are often based on expert perceptions of the ecological importance of certain species and poorly informed perceptions of how public attitudes toward management are formed. Little is known about why preferences vary greatly and how this affects support for management actions. This paper explores preferences for a range of wildlife species among a sample of the rural population adjacent to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. We also examine the degree of acceptance for alternative management interventions when potentially dangerous animals pose different levels of problems to human beings, and the extent to which these attitudes are related to species preferences. Gender has a significant effect on species preferences. Men like most species better than women. Age has no significant effect, but level of education affects preference level for some species. Species preferences have a positive effect on support for management intervention when dangerous animals cause small or moderate problems to humans, i.e. there is a higher degree of acceptance of problems caused by animals that are well liked. In situations where human life is threatened, species preferences have no effect on preferred management actions. Appreciation of animals is a combination of functional, consumptive and cultural dimensions, and there is no simple link between species preferences and attitudes toward management actions. The local context and concrete experience with wildlife encounters is more important for shaping normative beliefs like attitudes towards management actions than global wildlife attitudes.     

中国阿勒泰地区鸟类物种编目、丰富度格局和区系组成

中国阿勒泰地区位于新疆北部, 与哈萨克斯坦、俄罗斯、蒙古国交界, 该区包含阿尔泰山及山前荒漠和绿洲, 属于全球200个生物多样性最丰富和最具代表性生态区之一的阿尔泰-萨彦岭生物热点地区。阿勒泰地区生境多样, 鸟类物种资源丰富。尽管以往曾在阿勒泰地区进行过一些鸟类调查, 但对于该地区不同景观和生境类型中鸟类物种丰富度和分布尚无详尽报道。本文通过2013-2016年在中国境内阿尔泰山及山前平原地区对不同生境类型中的鸟类进行实地调查, 并总结文献资料及观鸟爱好者的记录数据, 重新整理了阿勒泰地区鸟类名录及地理分布, 分析了鸟类的物种组成、区系成分; 通过鸟类分布位点数据, 选取气候、土地覆被类型、人类足迹指数及地形共4类环境因子作为自变量建立MaxEnt生态位模型, 通过模拟77种鸟类的适宜分布区并叠加分布图层, 获得了阿勒泰地区的鸟类物种丰富度分布格局。结果表明: 阿勒泰共记录鸟类344种, 隶属19目55科149属, 其中雀形目163种。在垂直海拔带上, 鸟类物种数分别为高山裸岩带24种, 高山草甸带35种, 山地森林草原带172种, 低山灌木带130种, 荒漠草原带84种, 平原绿洲带173种, 以及各海拔带的湿地与水域生境中水鸟92种; 在区系成分上, 以北方型鸟类为主(170种, 占49.4%), 其次为广布种(93种, 占27.0%)。阿尔泰山地的鸟类区系呈现出西伯利亚动物区系特征, 山前平原地区呈现蒙新区分布特征, 因此, 阿勒泰地区动物地理区系属于古北界欧洲-西伯利亚亚界阿尔泰-萨彦岭区阿尔泰亚区; 山前平原地区属于古北界中亚亚界蒙新区西部荒漠亚区。MaxEnt模型推测阿勒泰地区山前平原绿洲地区、山地森林草原带和低山灌木带具有较高的鸟类物种丰富度, 尤其是额尔齐斯河流域下游的绿洲带宽阔, 鸟类物种丰富, 而高山区和荒漠生境中鸟类物种相对较少。模型预测的结果与实际调查情况相符。阿勒泰地区应采用生态友好的经济发展策略, 加强对乔木和灌木的保护, 这有助于维持较高的鸟类物种多样性。此外, 降低生境破碎化不仅对该地区物种保护有重要作用, 也对维持阿尔泰-萨彦岭生物热点地区的山地鸟类多样性有重要意义。     

On the occurrence of Mytilaster marioni (Locard, 1889) (Mollusca; Bivalvia; Mytilidae) in Bafa Lake (Turkey), with a redescription of the species

The reservoirs studied are located on a very important migratory flyway in the Mexican Central Plateau. The survey included the waterfowl, macrophytes and physico-chemical parameters of three localities visited on ten occasions during a 1-year period. A total of 23 waterfowl species were observed: 6 transients, 10 winter visitants, and 7 residents. A period of increased richness was detected in winter, when migratory species arrive at the reservoirs. A canonical correspondence analysis showed segregation patterns of the species for the use of the space. Migratory ducks occurred in Umécuaro, where there is a larger variety of macrophytes and eutrophication occurs. Loma Caliente was the area with less eutrophication and was not preferred by ducks. Gallinago gallinago and Ardea herodias were the species with the highest frequency of occurrence, while the Effluent was the preferred site of resident species. Although the reservoirs studied are small, they are suitable for a significative number of species to be considered as a waterfowl protection and conservation zone.