Management plan for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Dungeness, Kent

THOMAS, G. J., GLOVER, J. & MAKEPEACE, P., 1989. Management plan for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve at Dungeness, Kent . A synopsis of a new management plan for RSPB Dungeness reserve is presented.     

Can we rely on forest reserves for primate conservation?

Tropical forests contain much of the world's biodiversity, yet their rate of decline is increasing. The strategy most frequently used to protect this biodiversity is to make parks and reserves. While there is a great deal of research on the effectiveness of parks for protecting biodiversity, there is little research on how well extractive reserves conserve biodiversity. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of four forest reserves in western Uganda at maintaining populations of primates and compare census data from the reserves to data from the neighbouring well‐protected Kibale National Park. The relative abundance of the five most common primates in the park was approximately four times that of the forest reserves. In the forest reserves, evidence of new human encroachment was seen every 500 m, while in the park it was seen every 100,000 m. Two recommendations emerge from our research: (i) for forest reserves, such as those studied here, to have conservation value for primates, extraction must be reduced and (ii) until the long‐term viability of the populations in forest reserves can be ascertained, they should not be considered in estimates of the sizes of endangered species protected ranges.     

Energy density of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Bay of Biscay

The energy density ( E _D) of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus in the Bay of Biscay was determined by direct calorimetry and its evolution with size, age and season was investigated. The water content and energy density varied seasonally following opposite trends. The E _D g⁻¹ of wet mass ( M _W) was highest at the end of the feeding season (autumn: c . 8 kJ g⁻¹ M _W) and lowest in late winter ( c . 6 kJ g⁻¹ M _W). In winter, the fish lost mass, which was partially replaced by water, and the energy density decreased. These variations in water content and organic matter content may have implications on the buoyancy of the fish. The water content was the major driver of the energy density variations for a M _W basis. A significant linear relationship was established between E _D g⁻¹ ( y ) and the per cent dry mass ( M _D; x ): y =−4·937 + 0·411 x . In the light of the current literature, this relationship seemed to be not only species specific but also ecosystem specific. Calibration and validation of fish bioenergetics models require energy content measurements on fish samples collected at sea. The present study provides a first reference for the energetics of E. encrasicolus in the Bay of Biscay.     

Lipid content and utilization of lipids in planktonic copepods in Lake Pääjärvi,southern Finland

The variation of the lipid content of a planktonic copepod species, Eudiaptomus gracilis G. O. Sars, was studied in an oligotrophic lake, Pääjärvi, southern Finland, during 1982. The variation was caused by changes in the food resources and by the use of lipids for reproduction. The lipids are partly present in the form of droplets, which provide an energy reserve for some of food shortage, or may be used in reproduction. The utilization of lipid droplets for nutrition was studied by culturing specimens of two species, Eudiaptomus gracilis and Thermocyclops oithonoides G. O. Sars, in the absence of food. It was found that about half of the energy required for the 30-hour experimental period was obtained from the lipid droplets. However, not all the animal groups could use their lipid droplets and they had to use other reserves to satisfy their energy requirement. Lipid droplets seemed to have only a minor effect on the sinking rate of Eudiaptomus gracilis.     

A new system for understanding the biodiversity in different nature reserves:capacity,connectivity and quality of biodiversity

In this paper,we propose a new system for understanding the biodiversity in different conservation areas.It includes three aspects:the capacity,the connectivity and the quality.The capacity refers to the numbers of biodiversity,including absolute and relative richness of the vegetation types Nv and Dv = (Nv-1)/lnA,species numbers S and richness of species dGI = (S- 1)/lnA,and germ plasm resources within a nature reserve,and also the potential biological living space offered by the natural resource.It comprises the total biological resources in a nature reserve.The connectivity refers to the flux of biodiversity,including similarity and connected status of the vegetation types SILi = 2z/(x + y) and species numbers SIc = 2z/(x + y) among different nature reserves.The quality refers to the stability of biodiversity,including relative species richness index RSLi = d/dmax,relative vegetation richness index RVLi =Dv/Dmaxv,fastness to invasion species fLi = 1-Si/St,weighted values,representativeness and vulnerability of special vegetations,special species,CITES species and rare species as the protected targets.     

中国自然保护区分布现状及合理布局的探讨

为了保护中国丰富的生物多样性, 我国已经建立了大量的自然保护区。评价这些保护区的布局对于生物多样性的有效保护无疑是十分重要的。本文收集了截至2007年底我国建立的2,047个保护区的有关资料, 利用地理信息系统技术, 分析了这些保护区的分布现状和生物多样性的保护状况, 包括保护的植被类型、野生保护物种以及热点地区。结果表明: 我国自然保护区的覆盖面积达到145.7万km2, 占中国陆地面积的15.2%, 超过世界平均水平(13.4%); 在我国47种自然植被类型中, 有21种植被类型的被保护面积比例低于10%, 说明这些类型可能没有得到充分的保护。应用Dobson筛除算法对216个保护区中的保护物种进行筛除分析, 发现仅西双版纳、武夷山、长白山、高黎贡山、祁连山5个保护区即包含了381个保护物种(约占总数783种的50%); 前21个保护区可包含占总数75%的保护物种(590种)。根据不同方案划分的生物多样性热点保护地区仍存在一些保护空缺地, 如新疆北部、四川与长江以南地区, 因此, 我国的保护区布局有待进一步改进。     

A new system for understanding the biodiversity in different nature reserves: capacity, connectivity and quality of biodiversity

In this paper, we propose a new system for understanding the biodiversity in different conservation areas. It includes three aspects: the capacity, the connectivity and the quality. The capacity refers to the numbers of biodiversity, including absolute and relative richness of the vegetation types N _v and D _v =(N _v −1)/lnA, species numbers S and richness of species d _Gl =(S − 1)/lnA, and germ plasm resources within a nature reserve, and also the potential biological living space offered by the natural resource. It comprises the total biological resources in a nature reserve. The connectivity refers to the flux of biodiversity, including similarity and connected status of the vegetation types SI _Li =2z/(x + y) and species numbers SI _C =2z/(x + y) among different nature reserves. The quality refers to the stability of biodiversity, including relative species richness index RS _Li =d/d _max, relative vegetation richness index RV _Li =D _v /D _maxv , fastness to invasion species ƒ _Li =1−S _i /S _t , weighted values, representativeness and vulnerability of special vegetations, special species, CITES species and rare species as the protected targets.     

Valuation and sustainable use of tropical rainforest

Studies of the extraction of non-timber forest products have shown that the standing rainforest may be more valuable than alternatives involving deforestation

Although this article is about placing a value on rainforest, it begins by stressing the importance and value of rainforest for its environmental function, particularly for the control of world climate patterns. It is then shown how rainforest peoples depend on the plants around them and in some study areas were found to have a use for every tree on the one-hectare plots. It is therefore not surprising that the rainforest can contain many non-timber forest products (NTFPs) of commercial potential, some of which such as rubber latex and Brazil nuts have been in the market economy for many years. A summary is given of various attempts to place a value on rainforest for its NTFPs. Each of the three studies showed that the extraction of these products could be more valuable than alternative land uses involving deforestation. Various rainforest countries such as Brazil, Guatemala, and Indonesia have set up extractive reserves where local people are allowed to extract NTFPs but not to clear cut the forest. Extractive reserves have slowed down deforestation in some areas, but only provide a meagre subsistence existence for their inhabitants, so while they are useful, they are not a panacea that will solve all the conservation problems of tropical rainforest.     

Wind conditions experienced during the day predict nocturnal restlessness in a migratory songbird

A variety of methods have been used to study the relationship between wind conditions and departure decisions of migrant birds at stopover sites. These methods are either costly or suffer from inaccuracy in determining whether or not an individual has resumed migration. Here we present a novel and simple approach to studying the relationship between wind conditions and departure likelihood. Northern Wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe caught during stopover were temporarily caged to measure their nocturnal migratory restlessness, which is an accurate proxy for their individual departure likelihood. We then related the degree of nocturnal restlessness to wind conditions prevailing at the time of capture. Confirming the general pattern from previous studies of departure, the intensity of nocturnal migratory restlessness, and hence departure likelihood, increased with increasing wind support towards the migratory goal. This suggests that approximating the propensity to depart by measuring nocturnal migratory restlessness is a reliable way to study the effect that wind conditions experienced during stopover has on the departure decision of migrants. Our study also shows that nocturnal migrants possess the ability to use information gathered during the day for their departure decisions at night. Because measuring migratory restlessness is straightforward and inexpensive, our approach is ideally suited to test hypotheses regarding spatio‐temporal variation in wind selectivity in migrating birds.     

The importance of Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve for Fish

Loch Lomond NNR with 19 fish species is ranked top in fish conservation value of 235 NNRs in Great Britain due to species diversity, presence of rare species and unusual forms and combinations.     

广东古兜山自然保护区森林生态系统服务价值评估

森林生态系统对维持自然生态系统格局、功能和过程具有特殊的生态意义。该文以广东省古兜山自然保护区为例,探讨了自然保护区森林生态系统服务功能的价值。采用市场价值法、影子工程法、替代花费法等对古兜山自然保护区森林生态系统服务功能价值进行评估,得出古兜山自然保护区每年森林生态系统服务功能总价值为57887615元。其中生产功能价值为6937700元,每年森林景观与游憩的平均价值为4050000元,森林生态系统改善大气环境的年总价值约32212700元,涵养水源与净化水质的年总价值为5809000元,森林保育土壤的年总价值为8878215元。该研究的目的在于以数值来显示自然保护区森林生态系统所提供的生态服务功能价值是巨大的,从而加深全社会对生态服务价值的认识,加强对森林生态系统服务功能的管理与保护。     

The cost of ad hoc reservation: A case study in western New South Wales

Abstract We reviewed the literature on the practice of reservation in Australia over the past few decades. We found that reserves have generally been dedicated for expedient or opportunistic reasons and that they tend to protect the environments with least potential for commercial land uses. Ad hoc reservation has two main disadvantages: the environments most in need of strict reservation are not effectively protected; and natural diversity is represented inefficiently in terms of features per unit reserve area. We demonstrate the second disadvantage with quantitative comparisons of alternative reservation scenarios in the Western Division of New South Wales. These show that a continuation of ad hoc acquisition of reserves will continue to increase the land area needed to represent all natural environments and so reduce the likelihood of achieving a representative reserve system.     

The effect of adult feeding on lipid and protein reserves in African armyworm, Spodoptera exempta, moths before and during reproduction

ABSTRACT. Newly-emerged Spodoptera exempta (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) moths contain high levels of lipid held largely in the abdominal fat body, the quantity depending on the larval feeding conditions. There is a positive relationship between weight-related lipid content and moth weight, which is consistent for female but not for male moths, suggesting that larval feeding conditions producing large individuals allow the accumulation of quantitatively disproportionate lipid reserves. Male and female moths have comparable levels of abdominal protein.
Changes in the water content in starved moths or ones provided with distilled water or sucrose solution show that while starved individuals die rapidly from desiccation, water-fed moths regulate their water contents between narrow limits which are higher for females than for males. Sucrose-fed moths maintain higher, more variable water contents probably due to the phagostimulatory effect of the sugar.
Reproducing and unmated moths are able to supplement their lipid and, to a lesser extent, their protein reserves following carbohydrate uptake.
During both larval and early adult stages, the capacity to accumulate lipid reserves in excess of those apparently required for reproduction, suggests that these reserves also provide the main fuel for the prolonged flights of which migratory individuals are known to be capable.     

The effect of energy reserves and food availability on optimal immune defence

In order to avoid both starvation and disease, animals must allocate resources between energy reserves and immune defence. We investigate the optimal allocation. We find that animals with low reserves choose to allocate less to defence than animals with higher reserves because when reserves are low it is more important to increase reserves to reduce the risk of starvation in the future. In general, investment in immune defence increases monotonically with energy reserves. An exception is when the animal can reduce its probability of death from disease by reducing its foraging rate. In this case, allocation to immune defence can peak at intermediate reserves. When food changes over time, the optimal response depends on the frequency of changes. If the environment is relatively stable, animals forage most intensively when the food is scarce and invest more in immune defence when the food is abundant than when it is scarce. If the environment changes quickly, animals forage at low intensity when the food is scarce, but at high intensity when the food is abundant. As the rate of environmental change increases, immune defence becomes less dependent on food availability. We show that the strength of selection on reserve-dependent immune defence depends on how foraging intensity and immune defence determine the probability of death from disease.     

中国部分自然保护区物种多样性与环境因子的关系

采用典范对应分析 CCA 对全国73个自然保护区的种子植物多样性的分析表明:在纬度低于25°N的自然保护区中,物种多样性主要受热量因子和水分因子的影响,并具有较高的种子植物科数和属数值;纬度范围介于25°N和30°N之间的自然保护区,其物种多样性主要受海拔的影响,并且种子植物种数较多,同时有较高的种子植物种属比;在更高纬度范围内,地理及地形因子对物种多样性影响显著,并且随着纬度的增高,纬度因子的作用有增强趋势.     

Seasonality,aestivation and the life history of the salamanderfish Lepidogalaxias salamandroides (Pisces: Lepidogalaxiidae)

Synopsis Changes in the age/length structure of Lepidogalaxias salamandroides populations in temporary waters of south-western Australia were monitored over a 51 month period by regular field sampling. Each year the study area experienced a summer drought of approximately five months duration. During the drought period Lepidogalaxias burrows into the mud and aestivates and substantial mortality occurs during this period. Body lipid reserves decrease during this period suggesting that they are the main energy source used during aestivation. The amount of lipid remaining after aestivation appears to be important in determining when female fish reproduce. Males die after reproduction and achieve a maximum age of only about 12 months. Some females also reproduce and die at this age while others defer reproduction for another year. Fecundity is much higher in these older, larger fish: they must however, survive two drought periods before they reproduce. The evolution of the life history style shown by Lepidogalaxias salamandroides is discussed with respect to the well defined seasonality of the region and it is suggested that selection for reproduction at an early age is balanced by the constraints of offspring survival during the aestivation period.     

Effects of habitat fragmentation and isolation on species richness: evidence from biogeographic patterns

Summary Habitat subdivision by geography or human activity may be an important determinant of regional species richness. Cumulative species-area relationships for vertebrates, land plants, and insects on island archipelagoes show that collections of small islands generally harbor more species than comparable areas composed of one or a few large islands. The effect of the degree of habitat subdivision in increasing species richness appears to increase with the distance from potential sources of colonists. Mountaintop biotas show no clear differences between species richness on large alpine areas and collections of smaller peaks. National park faunas generally have more species in collections of small parks than in the larger parks. In all cases where a consistent effect of subdivision is observed, the more subdivided collection of islands or isolates contains more species. To the degree that these data provide guidance for establishing nature reserves, they suggest that increasing the numbers of reserves may be an important component of conservation strategies.     

Winter survival of age-0 smallmouth bass, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Micropterus dolomieu</Emphasis>, in north eastern lakes

We examined the winter survival of age-0 smallmouth bass,Micropterus dolomieu, in lakes at their northern limit of distribution in New Brunswick, Canada. Pre- and post-winter collections over a 3 year period suggested the smallest individuals, <50 mm total length, died during winter under ice. Experiments with wild, age-0 smallmouth bass held in lakes demonstrated a size-dependent survival where smaller individuals had greater survival with an increasing temperature of exposure, but the largest individuals had reduced survival at warmer temperatures. Survivors lost 22–54% of pre-winter energy reserves measured as ash-free dry weight, which was similar to wild individuals captured in spring. Body size at the onset of winter affects survival, but it also appears that temperature interacting with a suite of environmental and biological factors affect changes in energy use and therefore survival of age-0 smallmouth bass under ice in winter.