白头鹎鸣唱特征的季节差异分析

许多动物的声通讯行为存在显著的季节变化,鸟类的鸣唱也是如此。雄鸟鸣唱具有宣告领域和吸引配偶的功能,在繁殖季节与非繁殖季节之间应存在一定差异,但差异如何？具体表现在哪些方面？这在很多鸟类中尚未可知。本研究以一种在秋季也有显著鸣唱行为的城市常见小型鸣禽——白头鹎（Pycnonotussinensis）为研究对象,比较其在春季（繁殖季）与秋季（非繁殖季）的鸣唱差异,并分析可能的原因。于2020至2021连续两年的春、秋季分别在武汉地区各采集了27只和30只雄性白头鹎的鸣唱录音,共测量分析春季鸣唱372个,秋季鸣唱435个。对测得的各鸣唱参数数据进行季节间比较,结果显示,白头鹎的鸣唱持续时间和鸣唱音节数存在显著季节差异,春季鸣唱的持续时间较秋季更长,鸣唱音节数更多。鸣唱的频率、能量分布等其他声学参数,以及鸣唱型出现率（反映鸣唱曲目大小）均未表现出显著季节差异。白头鹎鸣唱的时程特征相对其他鸣声特征更具季节可塑性。此外,还发现同一采样点的白头鹎春、秋两季使用相同的鸣唱型。本研究结果表明,春季白头鹎的单位时间鸣唱输出量更大,鸣唱行为更活跃,这与繁殖季节鸟类的领域性更强、为繁殖成功投入更多相一致。白头...     

两栖爬行动物发声的神经及内分泌基础

动物的鸣声可分为鸣叫和鸣唱。鸣唱为一系列连续发出的由不同音节组成的固定序列。一般而言,音节数多于两个,由雄性个体在繁殖季节发出。鸣叫多为单音节重复发音,偶尔也有两个音节。除鸣禽外,陆生脊椎动物的鸣声都归为鸣叫类型。鸣唱主要被用于宣告领域或求偶。同时,也被用于亲缘识别和刺激异性同步发情。鸣叫的功用较多,所以包括鸣禽在内的大多数陆生脊椎动物都能发出此类叫声。鸣叫也可用于宣告领域或求偶,如蛙类。鸣叫还可以恐吓竞争对手或敌害,报告敌害或食物的方位以及表达情绪等。1　两栖动物蛙类的绝大多数种类都能鸣叫,有尾类的少数…     

白头鹎繁殖期鸣声行为的研究

利用计算机鸣声分析技术对白头鹎繁殖期的求偶炫耀鸣唱、晨鸣、遇险告警惊叫等鸣声的特征进行分析，以探讨鸣声特征与行为的关系。白头鹎繁殖前期待有的求偶炫耀鸣唱婉转多变，频率一般变化在１．９－３．５ｋＨｚ之间，另一类出现在繁殖前、中期的炫耀鸣唱急促而响亮，音节变化快且频率高（变化范围约３．４－４．４ｋＨｚ）；最鸣和繁殖期特有的其它鸣声，音节清晰，响度较大，能量主要集中在２－３ｋＨｚ之间，可能具有宣告领域的     

西双版纳不同森林类型的树洞密度及其特征

树洞是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,它能为许多动物提供栖息、筑巢、繁殖和躲避天敌的场所。因而,树洞的密度和特征通常被认为是限制树洞巢居动物多样性和丰富度的主要因子,然而目前国内外对热带森林的树洞密度和洞口特征研究较少。选取西双版纳20 hm~2热带森林动态监测样地(包括热带季节雨林和热带山地常绿阔叶林)为研究对象,采用地面观测法调查了所有胸径≥5 cm的活体乔木上的树洞,分析其树洞密度和特征(高度、洞口大小、类型和洞口方位,并探讨树洞在不同森林类型间的差异)。结果表明:(1)热带季节雨林和热带山地常绿阔叶林的树洞密度不存在显著差异;(2)两种森林类型的树洞均以高度较低、洞口较小、干中部洞口为主,受盛行风的影响洞口朝向主要集中在东北方向;(3)树洞高度、类型和洞口方位在两种森林间的分布差异显著(P0.01),而洞口大小不存在明显差异。结果表明森林类型会影响树洞的特征,因而加强森林生境异质性的保护对维持树洞巢居动物的需要具有重要意义。     

西双版纳不同森林类型的树洞密度及其特征

树洞是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,它能为许多动物提供栖息、筑巢、繁殖和躲避天敌的场所。因而,树洞的密度和特征通常被认为是限制树洞巢居动物多样性和丰富度的主要因子,然而目前国内外对热带森林的树洞密度和洞口特征研究较少。选取西双版纳20 hm2热带森林动态监测样地(包括热带季节雨林和热带山地常绿阔叶林)为研究对象,采用地面观测法调查了所有胸径≥5 cm的活体乔木上的树洞,分析其树洞密度和特征(高度、洞口大小、类型和洞口方位,并探讨树洞在不同森林类型间的差异。结果表明:(1)热带季节雨林和热带山地常绿阔叶林的树洞密度不存在显著差异;(2)两种森林类型的树洞均以高度较低、洞口较小、干中部洞口为主,受盛行风的影响洞口朝向主要集中在东北方向;(3)树洞高度、类型和洞口方位)在两种森林间的分布差异显著(P0.01),而洞口大小不存在明显差异。结果表明森林类型会影响树洞的特征,因而加强森林生境异质性的保护对维持树洞巢居动物的需要具有重要意义。     

斑背大尾莺繁殖期鸣声行为分析

2009年5-7月,在辽宁双台河口保护区录制了20只繁殖期斑背大尾莺雄性个体的鸣声.根据行为特征,该鸟鸣声定义为3种鸣声类型:求偶炫耀鸣唱、报警声和联络声.利用Wavesurfer软件对20只斑背大尾莺雄性个体543个鸣声的句子持续时间、句子音节个数、音节持续时间、音节间隔时间等4个参数进行分析测量,发现求偶炫耀鸣唱由节奏逐渐加快的前部句子和音节组成复杂的主体部两个句子组成; 报警声和联络声的句子均由单音节组成.音节类型总数为38种,其中包括前部句子的音节类型6种.采用单因素方差分析(one-way ANOVA)对求偶炫耀鸣唱的4个参数进行差异性检验发现,不同个体的各个参数均呈极显著差异(P<0.01).     

蛙类抱对的生物学意义

蛙类在繁殖季节里,雄蛙爬伏在雌蛙背上,前肢紧抱着雌蛙的胁部(腋后)。这种行为叫做拥抱配对,简称抱对。有人把青蛙的这种行为称为“交配”,这是不确切的。因为“交配”是雌雄两性生殖器官交接配合的行为动作。     

黑斑侧褶蛙肥满度及脏器重量的性别和季节差异

内脏器官的大小能反映动物的生长发育情况和生理生态状况,可作为动物对环境适应的近似指标。以黑斑侧褶蛙Pelophylax nigromaculata为研究对象,测定了2012年夏季、秋季及2013年春季其体重、体长、含水量、肥满度及脏器重量的性别和季节差异。结果显示:1)雌蛙的体重和体长均高于雄蛙,两性都在秋季最高;胴体湿重和干重无性别差异,胴体湿重夏季最高,胴体干重无季节差异。2)含水量和肥满度无性别差异,前者夏季和春季高于秋季,后者秋季高于春季;躯体肥满度和干体肥满度雄蛙均高于雌蛙,雄蛙无季节差异,雌蛙夏季最高,春季最低。体重与体长的比值(K WL)雌蛙高于雄蛙,两性都在秋季最高,春季最低。3)除肺干重雄蛙大于雌蛙,肾脏干重雌蛙大于雄蛙外,其他内脏器官的湿重和干重均无性别差异。肺湿重春季高于夏季和秋季,肾脏湿重无季节性差异;雄蛙的肺干重春季高于夏季,肾干重秋季高于夏季和春季,雌蛙均无季节差异。心脏和脾脏湿重都在夏季最高,秋季或春季最低,但干重均无季节差异。脂肪体和肝脏及卵巢和输卵管的湿重和干重均在秋季最高,春季或夏季最低。精巢的湿重及干重均无季节差异。结果表明,K WL可较好地反映成年黑斑侧褶蛙整体水平的营养和生理状况,多种器官重量有季节性的可塑性,这可能与雌、雄蛙的繁殖状态有关。     

河北塞罕坝褐柳莺繁殖期鸣唱变化

2017年5至8月,在河北省塞罕坝录制了80只繁殖期雄性褐柳莺(Phylloscopusfuscatus)的鸣唱,对其鸣唱句型和句子参数以及音节类型的变化进行了定量分析。褐柳莺鸣唱的两种主要句型——S-song和V-song,前者(F_(3,75)=17.983,P 0.05)和后者(F_(3,75)=17.983,P 0.05)的使用频次在不同月份间均存在显著差异。S-song的使用频次多于V-song的使用频次,且二者在繁殖季的变化表现出相反的趋势:S-song使用频次在5月和8月较高,在6月最低;而V-song的使用频次却是在6月达到最高值,在5月和8月较低。不同月份鸣唱句子最高频率(F_(3,75)=4.841,P 0.05)、句子频宽(F_(3,75)=3.814,P 0.05)和句子峰频率(F_(3,75)=3.793,P 0.05)均存在显著差异。通过80只个体的2 400个鸣唱语句得到了65种音节类型,其中,80%以上的音节类型在每个月中均有分布,但每月音节类型数存在显著差异(F_(3,75)=5.456,P 0.05)。音节类型数量随繁殖季的变化表现为,7月褐柳莺鸣唱中具有最多的音节类型数(19.79±3.69),5月和8月音节类型数较少,8月最少。     

雄性黄山短尾猴(Macaca thibetana)攻击支持雌性以换取交配回报

生物市场理论认为动物个体之间通过某种协定交换有价值的商品,使双方均受益。该研究采用目标动物法、行为取样法和连续记录法,对浮溪黄山野生猴谷鱼鳞坑短尾猴(Macaca thibetana)A1群(YA1群)和A2群(YA2群)成年个体在非繁殖季节(2011年8月—12月)和繁殖季节(2012年2月—5月)的雄性攻击支持雌性行为和交配行为进行研究,探讨雄性攻击支持雌性与交配之间的关系。两猴群在繁殖季节和非繁殖季节雄性攻击支持雌性与交配行为均呈显著正相关;YA2群繁殖季节与非繁殖季节攻击支持后交配频次均显著高于随机交配;YA1群在繁殖季节攻击支持后交配频次与随机交配频次差异不显著,但在非繁殖季节攻击支持后交配频次显著高于随机交配,说明短尾猴成年雄性攻击支持雌性可以换取与该雌性个体的交配回报。本研究验证了生物市场理论中社会行为存在交换,首次证明了雄性攻击支持可以换取雌性的交配回报,为进一步研究雄性性竞争与雌性选择提供了实例。     

Intermittent breeding is associated with breeding group turnover in a cooperatively breeding bird

Oecologia - Intermittent breeding, in which an adult skips a breeding opportunity, can represent a non-adaptive constraint or an adaptive response to the tradeoff between current and future...     

Priority effects of the early breeding fire salamander on the late breeding banded newt

Early breeding intraguild predators may have advantages over late breeding predators via priority effects; early breeding predators may reduce shared prey resources before late breeders appear and may also prey upon the late breeders. Here we show that predatory larvae of the late-breeding predatory banded newt, Triturus vittatus vittatus, occupy the same temporary pond toward the end of the developmental period of the early-breeding predatory fire salamander, Salamandra salamandra, resulting in a large size disparity between larvae of these two species while they co-occur. We conducted outdoor artificial pool experiments to assess priority effects of large larval Salamandra at the end of their larval development period, on recently hatched larval Triturus. We also assessed how artificial vegetation may influence larval Triturus performance in the presence or absence of Salamandra Salamandra, introduced into the experimental pools two weeks prior to the newt larvae, strongly reduced invertebrate prey abundance shared by these two predatory urodeles and with only a one week period of overlap, strongly reduced abundance of Triturus larvae. The artificial vegetation had only a small ameliorating effect on Triturus survival when Salamandra was present. Triturus size at metamorphosis (snout-tail length) was significantly larger in the Salamandra pools, presumably due to a combination of a strong “thinning effect” and greater vulnerability of smaller Triturus individuals to predation by Salamandra. Time to metamorphosis was not significantly affected by Salamandra. These results have conservation implications as T. v. vittatus is listed as highly endangered and may also explain the largely negative spatial association of the two species. Handling editor: K. Martens     

Foraging behavior of Cerulean Warblers during the breeding and non‐breeding seasons: evidence for the breeding currency hypothesis

Birds require additional resources for raising young, and the breeding currency hypothesis predicts that insectivorous species exploit large soft‐bodied prey during the breeding season, but shift to small, likely hard‐bodied, prey during the non‐breeding season. To test this hypothesis, we examined prey use by Cerulean Warblers (Setophaga cerulea), foliage‐gleaning Nearctic‐Neotropical migrants, during the breeding and non‐breeding seasons. We collected data on foraging behavior during the breeding season (including observations of prey items fed to young) in upland mixed‐oak forest in southeastern Ohio in 2009 and 2010 and, during the non‐breeding season, in shade coffee in the Cordillera de Merida, Venezuela, in 2008–2009. Cerulean Warblers captured 7% more large prey (visible prey extending beyond the bill) during the breeding than the non‐breeding season, but foraged at similar rates during both seasons. Large, soft‐bodied prey appeared to be especially important for feeding young. We found that adults delivered large prey on >50% of provisioning visits to nests and 69% of identifiable large prey fed to nestlings were greenish larvae (likely Lepidoptera or caterpillars) that camouflage against leaves where they would tend to be captured by foliage‐gleaning birds. Availability of specific taxa appeared to influence tree species foraging preferences. As reported by other researchers, we found that Cerulean Warblers selected trees in the genus Carya for foraging and our examination of caterpillar counts from the central Appalachian Mountains (Butler and Strazanac 2000 ) showed that caterpillars with greenish coloration, especially Baileya larvae, may be almost twice as abundant on Carya than Quercus. Our results provide evidence for the breeding currency hypothesis, and highlight the importance of caterpillars to a foliage‐gleaning migrant warbler of conservation concern.     

Estimating the annual number of breeding attempts from breeding dates using mixture models

Well-established statistical methods exist to estimate variation in a number of key demographic rates from field data, including life-history transition probabilities and reproductive success per attempt. However, our understanding of the processes underlying population change remains incomplete without knowing the number of reproductive attempts individuals make annually; this is a key demographic rate for which we have no satisfactory method of estimating. Using census data to estimate this parameter from requires disaggregating the overlying temporal distributions of first and subsequent breeding attempts. We describe a Bayesian mixture method to estimate the annual number of reproductive attempts from field data to provide a new tool for demographic inference. We validate our method using comprehensive data on individually-marked song sparrows Melospiza melodia , and then apply it to more typical nest record data collected over 45 years on yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella . We illustrate the utility of our method by testing, and rejecting, the hypothesis that declines in UK yellowhammer populations have occurred concurrently with declines in annual breeding frequency.     

Watermelon breeding

The application of breeding technique to improving watermelons has been directed toward obtaining disease-resistant varieties and not toward improving other qualities.     

Forest-tree breeding

The breeding of forest trees by means of selection and of hybridization in order to obtain increased disease resistance and improved utilitarian qualities in pulp and timber trees is still in the experimental stage, but long-range planning along these lines offers one means of balancing diminishing timber supplies.     

Age at first breeding, philopatry and breeding site-fidelity in the Lapwing Vanellus vanellus

Breeding Lapwings Vanellus vanellus were studied in the Eden Valley (Cumbria) and in Teesdale (County Durham) between 1990 and 1992. A total of 300 adult Lapwings and 801 near-fledged young were uniquely colour-ringed. Breeding adults were highly site-faithful, almost always nesting in the same or an adjacent field in successive years. Second-year birds were less site-faithful, with more birds nesting in adjacent and other fields and fewer in the same field in successive years. In Teesdale, 74% of colour-ringed young Lapwings returned in their first or second year of life to within 5 km from where they hatched. In contrast, in the Eden Valley only 37% of young birds in their first or second year of life returned to within 5 km from where they hatched. From an analysis of British ringing recoveries in April and May, 61% of Lapwings were recovered within 10 km from where they were ringed as chicks. A further 11% were recovered more than 100 km from where they were ringed. Young Lapwings were highly philopatric, with 45% of males and 52% of females breeding in the same field or a field adjacent to where they hatched. The majority of Lapwings (67%) began breeding at 1 year old. Of the remaining birds, 27% bred for the first time when 2 years old and 6% for the first time in their third year of life. There was no difference between the sexes. Chicks hatching and subsequently fledging late in the season returned less frequently to the study areas in subsequent years than did chicks hatching earlier in the season.     

Ecological factors associated with the breeding and migratory phenology of high-latitude breeding western sandpipers

Environmental conditions influence the breeding and migratory patterns of many avian species and may have particularly dramatic effects on long-distance migrants that breed at northern latitudes. Environment, however, is only one of the ecological variables affecting avian phenology, and recent work shows that migration tactics may be strongly affected by changes in predator populations. We used long-term data from 1978 to 2000 to examine the interactions between snowmelt in western Alaska in relation to the breeding or migration phenologies of small shorebirds and their raptor predators. Although the sandpipers’ time of arrival at Alaskan breeding sites corresponded with mean snowmelt, late snowmelts did delay breeding. These delays, however, did not persist to southward migration through British Columbia, likely due to the birds’ ability to compensate for variance in the length of the breeding season. Raptor phenology at an early stopover site in British Columbia was strongly related to snowmelt, so that in years of early snowmelt falcons appeared earlier during the sandpipers’ southbound migration. These differential effects indicate that earlier snowmelt due to climate change may alter the ecological dynamics of the predator–prey system.