Using patterns of distribution and diversity of Kenyan birds to select and prioritize areas for conservation

Patterns and environmental correlates of species distributions and richness are identified for Kenyan birds at a quarter degree-square scale. This information is used together with iterative complementarity analyses, which employ species richness, taxonomic dispersion and range-restrictedness, to identify priority areas for possible conservation attention. Bird species apparently not conserved by existing protected areas in Kenya are identified. Six avifaunal zones (and one transitional zone) are distinguished based on distributions of suites of bird species. Variation in biotope diversity (the number of forest and aquatic systems) accounts for 79% of the observed variation in Kenyan bird species richness. Although both rainfall and altitudinal range are significantly correlated with species richness, they only explain an additional 3% of the observed variation. The priority areas identified are situated mainly within highlands and coastal lowlands. Although few priority areas are identified in northern Kenya, this region also constitutes a priority, as it contains a suite of xeric species with habitats that are not represented elsewhere in Kenya. The papyrus yellow warbler, Chloropeta gracilirostris, William's bush lark, Mirafra williamsi, white-winged dove, Streptopelia reichenowi, and Jubaland weaver, Ploceus dichrocephalus, are identified as endemics or near-endemics that are probably not adequately conserved in Kenya at present.     

Colonization and extinction dynamics of a declining migratory bird are influenced by climate and habitat degradation

Uncovering the mechanisms involved in the decline of long‐distance migrants remains one of the most pressing issues in European conservation. Since the 1980s, the British breeding population of Garden Warbler Sylvia borin has declined by more than 25%. Here we use data from repeated bird surveys of woodland sites in the 1980s and in 2003–2004 to show that, although the overall population declined between the two periods, the probability of occupancy for this species increased at high latitudes and decreased at low latitudes. Range shifts such as this arise from a change in the ratio of colonizations to extinctions at the range margins, and we therefore related colonization and local extinction at the patch level to concurrent changes in temperature and habitat. The probability of patch colonization by this species was significantly lower where the percentage cover of vegetation in the understorey had declined, reducing habitat quality for this species. The probability of local extinction was significantly correlated with increasing mean May temperature, which may reflect a change in phenology, making breeding conditions less suitable. Changed regimes of grazing and woodland management could be used to increase habitat suitability and thereby increase colonization probability at the local scale, which may in turn increase the probability of patch occupancy despite future climatic unsuitability.     

Climate-based models of spatial patterns of species richness in Egypt's butterfly and mammal fauna

Aim  Identifying areas of high species richness is an important goal of conservation biogeography. In this study we compared alternative methods for generating climate-based estimates of spatial patterns of butterfly and mammal species richness.
Location  Egypt.
Methods  Data on the occurrence of butterflies and mammals in Egypt were taken from an electronic database compiled from museum records and the literature. Using M axent , species distribution models were built with these data and with variables describing climate and habitat. Species richness predictions were made by summing distribution models for individual species and by modelling observed species richness directly using the same environmental variables.
Results  Estimates of species richness from both methods correlated positively with each other and with observed species richness. Protected areas had higher species richness (both predicted and actual) than unprotected areas.
Main conclusions  Our results suggest that climate-based models of species richness could provide a rapid method for selecting potential areas for protection and thus have important implications for biodiversity conservation.     

利用红外相机技术对九连山国家级自然保护区兽类和鸟类资源的初步调查

九连山国家级自然保护区是我国中亚热带与南亚热带常绿阔叶林的过渡地带,动植物种类丰富多样。为进一步掌握该保护区野生动物资源现状,我们于2014年11月至2015年7月在保护区布设了31个红外相机监测点,对大中型兽类和林下活动鸟类进行了初步摸底调查。相机累计工作4 692个捕获日,共获得有动物的独立有效照片3 341张,鉴定出鸟兽物种共10目16科33种（兽类12种,鸟类21种）。属于国家Ⅱ级重点保护动物有斑灵狸（Prionodon pardicolor）、白鹇（Lophura nycthemera）和灰脸鵟鹰（Butastur indicus）等。兽类以赤腹松鼠（Callosciurus erythraeus）、白腹鼠种类（Niviventer rats）、小泡巨鼠（Leopoldamys edwardsi）和倭松鼠（Tamiops maritimus）等物种的相对丰富度指数较高。相对丰富度指数较高的鸟类物种依次为白鹇、紫啸鸫（Myophonus caeruleus）和黑领噪鹛（Garrulax pectoralis）等。结合以往记录,灰头绿啄木鸟（Picus canus）、乌灰鸫（Turdus cardis）、绿翅金鸠（Chalcophaps indica）、白眉鸫（Turdus obscurus）和白冠燕尾（Enicurus leschenaulti）等为保护区的鸟类新记录种。本研究的调查结果为进一步在九连山自然保护区开展鸟兽资源的长期监测奠定了基础。     

Quantifying the links between land use and population growth rate in a declining farmland bird

Land use is likely to be a key driver of population dynamics of species inhabiting anthropogenic landscapes, such as farmlands. Understanding the relationships between land use and variation in population growth rates is therefore critical for the management of many farmland species. Using 24 years of data of a declining farmland bird in an integrated population model, we examined how spatiotemporal variation in land use (defined as habitats with “Short” and “Tall” ground vegetation during the breeding season) and habitat‐specific demographic parameters relates to variation in population growth taking into account individual movements between habitats. We also evaluated contributions to population growth using transient life table response experiments which gives information on contribution of past variation of parameters and real‐time elasticities which suggests future scenarios to change growth rates. LTRE analyses revealed a clear contribution of Short habitats to the annual variation in population growth rate that was mostly due to fledgling recruitment, whereas there was no evidence for a contribution of Tall habitats. Only 18% of the variation in population growth was explained by the modeled local demography, the remaining variation being explained by apparent immigration (i.e., the residual variation). We discuss potential biological and methodological reasons for high contributions of apparent immigration in open populations. In line with LTRE analysis, real‐time elasticity analysis revealed that demographic parameters linked to Short habitats had a stronger potential to influence population growth rate than those of Tall habitats. Most particularly, an increase of the proportion of Short sites occupied by Old breeders could have a distinct positive impact on population growth. High‐quality Short habitats such as grazed pastures have been declining in southern Sweden. Converting low‐quality to high‐quality habitats could therefore change the present negative population trend of this, and other species with similar habitat requirements.     

How to deal with neglected tropical diseases in the light of an African ethic

Many countries in Africa, and more generally those in the Global South with tropical areas, are plagued by illnesses that the wealthier parts of the world (mainly ‘the West’) neither suffer from nor put systematic effort into preventing, treating or curing. What does an ethic with a recognizably African pedigree entail for the ways various agents ought to respond to such neglected diseases? As many readers will know, a characteristically African ethic prescribes weighty duties to aid on the part of those in a position to do so, and it therefore entails that there should have been much more contribution from the Western, ‘developed’ world. However, what else does it prescribe, say, on the part of sub‐Saharan governments and the African Union, and are they in fact doing it? I particularly seek to answer these questions here, by using the 2013‐16 Ebola crisis in West Africa to illustrate what should have happened but what by and large did not.     

Anthropogenic modifications to fire regimes in the wider Serengeti‐Mara ecosystem

Fire is a key driver in savannah systems and widely used as a land management tool. Intensifying human land uses are leading to rapid changes in the fire regimes, with consequences for ecosystem functioning and composition. We undertake a novel analysis describing spatial patterns in the fire regime of the Serengeti‐Mara ecosystem, document multidecadal temporal changes and investigate the factors underlying these patterns. We used MODIS active fire and burned area products from 2001 to 2014 to identify individual fires; summarizing four characteristics for each detected fire: size, ignition date, time since last fire and radiative power. Using satellite imagery, we estimated the rate of change in the density of livestock bomas as a proxy for livestock density. We used these metrics to model drivers of variation in the four fire characteristics, as well as total number of fires and total area burned. Fires in the Serengeti‐Mara show high spatial variability—with number of fires and ignition date mirroring mean annual precipitation. The short‐term effect of rainfall decreases fire size and intensity but cumulative rainfall over several years leads to increased standing grass biomass and fuel loads, and, therefore, in larger and hotter fires. Our study reveals dramatic changes over time, with a reduction in total number of fires and total area burned, to the point where some areas now experience virtually no fire. We suggest that increasing livestock numbers are driving this decline, presumably by inhibiting fire spread. These temporal patterns are part of a global decline in total area burned, especially in savannahs, and we caution that ecosystem functioning may have been compromised. Land managers and policy formulators need to factor in rapid fire regime modifications to achieve management objectives and maintain the ecological function of savannah ecosystems.     

The Drosophila simulans Y chromosome interacts with the autosomes to influence male fitness

The Y chromosome should degenerate because it cannot recombine. However, male‐limited transmission increases selection efficiency for male‐benefit alleles on the Y, and therefore, Y chromosomes should contribute significantly to variation in male fitness. This means that although the Drosophila Y chromosome is small and gene‐poor, Y‐linked genes are vital for male fertility in Drosophila melanogaster and the Y chromosome has large male fitness effects. It is unclear whether the same pattern is seen in the closely related Drosophila simulans. We backcrossed Y chromosomes from three geographic locations into five genetic backgrounds and found strong Y and genetic background effects on male fertility. There was a significant Y‐background interaction, indicating substantial epistasis between the Y and autosomal genes affecting male fertility. This supports accumulating evidence that interactions between the Y chromosome and the autosomes are key determinants of male fitness.     

Five species of passerine bird differ in their ability to detect Batesian mimics

Multiple predators affect the evolution of aposematic signals in nature and these predators may substantially differ in terms of ecological and cognitive parameters. However, most experimental studies testing the evolution of Batesian mimics use only a single species of predator (usually the great tit or a domestic chick). Therefore, in the present study, we experimentally tested the responses of five passerine predators to an artificially made Batesian mimic (a cockroach equipped with the warning pattern of the red firebug) with respect to their dietary ecology. Half of the individuals of each species were fed on unmodified roaches before the experiment, whereas the other half were fed with mealworms and thus had no previous experience with roaches. We found that Batesian mimics were better protected than inconspicuous prey against inexperienced great tits and robins alone. The other three bird species showed high level of neophobia; therefore, the effect of warning coloration could not be assessed. We also found that experienced birds attacked a greater number of Batesian mimics compared to inexperienced individuals of all tested species, with the exception of blackcaps. In the great tits, robins, and blue tits, a significant number of experienced birds attacked the Batesian mimic, which was possibly the result of a learned search image for a roach. Our results suggest that using a limited array of predators to describe evolutionary processes forming the diversity of antipredatory strategies of the prey may be biased and need not describe the situation occurring in nature.     

基于Dobson算法的中国受威胁陆栖哺乳类优先保护识别与保护现状分析

优先保护区识别对受威胁物种的多样性保护具有重要价值。基于GIS空间分析、管理及预测能力,以中国受威胁陆栖哺乳动物为对象,建立受威胁物种的分布二值网格系统;利用Dobson算法对研究区3810个网格单元进行筛除,确定全国范围下受威胁物种的优先保护区域;结合中国主要的自然保护地分布数据（国家公园和自然保护区）,采用保护空缺方法分析优先保护区内受威胁动物的保护现状。研究发现,29个50km×50km的网格单元就包含了全部的受威胁陆栖哺乳物种,其中位于喜马拉雅山东南区等地的10个网格区域覆盖有80%以上的物种,其所处的10组县级行政区内被主要自然保护地保护的土地面积占25.9%,物种数占83.6%,存在一定的保护空缺。本文采用Dobson排除算法,以小面积规则网格为基本单元,顾及到了实验结果的客观性,有助于提高优先保护区的识别效率。     

Fire frequency and biodiversity conservation in Australian tropical savannas: implications from the Kapalga fire experiment

Abstract Every year large proportions of northern Australia's tropical savanna landscapes are burnt, resulting in high fire frequencies and short intervals between fires. The dominant fire management paradigm in these regions is the use of low‐intensity prescribed fire early in the dry season, to reduce the incidence of higher‐intensity, more extensive wildfire later in the year. This use of frequent prescribed fire to mitigate against high‐intensity wildfire has parallels with fire management in temperate forests of southern Australia. However, unlike in southern Australia, the ecological implications of high fire frequency have received little attention in the north. CSIRO and collaborators recently completed a landscape‐scale fire experiment at Kapalga in Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, and here we provide a synthesis of the effects of experimental fire regimes on biodiversity, with particular consideration of fire frequency and, more specifically, time‐since‐fire. Two recurring themes emerged from Kapalga. First, much of the savanna biota is remarkably resilient to fire, even of high intensity. Over the 5‐year experimental period, the abundance of most invertebrate groups remained unaffected by fire treatment, as did the abundance of most vertebrate species, and we were unable to detect any effect of fire on floristic composition of the grass‐layer. Riparian vegetation and associated stream biota, as well as small mammals, were notable exceptions to this general resilience. Second, the occurrence of fire, independent of its intensity, was often the major factor influencing fire‐sensitive species. This was especially the case for extinction‐prone small mammals, which have suffered serious population declines across northern Australia in recent decades. Results from Kapalga indicate that key components of the savanna biota of northern Australia favour habitat that has remained unburnt for at least several years. This raises a serious conservation concern, given that very little relatively long unburnt habitat currently occurs in conservation reserves, with most sites being burnt at least once every 2 years. We propose a conservation objective of increasing the area that remains relatively long unburnt. This could be achieved either by reducing the proportion of the landscape burnt each year, or by setting prescribed fires more strategically. The provision of appropriately long unburnt habitat is a conservation challenge for Australia's tropical savanna landscapes, just as it is for its temperate forests.     

The response of mammals to forest fire and timber harvest in the North American boreal forest

1. This paper reviews and compares the effects of forest fire and timber harvest on mammalian abundance and diversity, throughout successional time in the boreal forest of North America. 2. Temporal trends in mammal abundance and diversity are generally similar for both harvested and burned stands, with some differences occurring in the initiation stage (0–10 years post disturbance). 3. Small mammals and ungulates are most abundant immediately post disturbance, and decrease as stands age. Lynxes and hares utilize mid-successional stands, but are rare in young and old stands. Bats, arboreal sciurids and mustelids increase in abundance with stand age, and are most abundant in old growth. 4. Substantial gaps in the data exist for carnivores; the response of these species to fire and harvest requires research, as predator–prey interactions can affect mammal community structure in both early and late successional stages. 5. The lack of explicit treatment of in-stand forest structure post disturbance, in the reviewed literature made comparisons difficult. Where forest structure was considered, the presence of downed woody material, live residual trees and standing dead wood were shown to facilitate convergence of mammal communities to a pre-disturbance state for both disturbance types. 6. Mammalian assemblages differed considerably between successional stages, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stands of each successional stage on the landscape when implementing forest management strategies.     

利用红外相机监测甘肃安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区鸟兽物种多样性

为了系统掌握甘肃安西极旱荒漠国家级自然保护区野生动物的种类、数量、分布以及种群动态变化趋势, 我们于2017年8月至2019年9月, 在保护区选取3个样地布设60台红外相机, 对保护区兽类和鸟类多样性进行调查。红外相机累计观测29,147个工作日, 采集独立有效照片11,134张。共观测到兽类6目10科18种, 鸟类7目16科31种。国家I级重点保护野生动物有5种, 国家Ⅱ级重点保护野生动物有11种。兽类中相对多度较高的物种有蒙古兔(Lepus tolai, RAI = 12.749)、岩羊(Pseudois nayaur, RAI = 4.690)、北山羊(Capra sibirica, RAI = 4.333)、蒙古野驴(Equus hemionus, RAI = 3.163)、赤狐(Vulpes vulpes, RAI = 2.601), 分布最普遍的是赤狐和蒙古兔; 鸟类中相对多度较高的物种有石鸡(Alectoris chukar, RAI = 1.678)、岩鸽(Columba rupestris, RAI = 1.142)、漠䳭(Oenanthe deserti, RAI = 0.865)、赭红尾鸲(Phoenicurus ochruros, RAI = 0.374)和沙䳭(Oenanthe isabellina, RAI = 0.196), 其中漠䳭和石鸡的分布最广。豺(Cuon alpinus)、石貂(Martes foina)、黄鼬(Mustela sibirica)和白唇鹿(Cervus albirostris)为保护区新记录物种, 雪豹(Panthera uncia)也是保护区建立以来首次观测到。保护区人为干扰减少是造成物种新分布、数量增多的主要原因。