Temporal dynamics of grouse populations at the southern edge of their distribution

Studies of grouse conducted at northern latitudes have shown that tetraonids frequently exhibit cyclic fluctuations in abundance but little is known about the dynamics of grouse species at the southerly edge of their range. Hunting statistics from four species of grouse based on 30 yr of data collected from 210 hunting areas were examined from the Dolomitic Alps in the province of Trentino. These data were summed to represent 18 time series from discrete mountain groups. Analyses identified cycles of ca 5 yr in the minority of rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus and hazel grouse Bonasa bonasia populations. These cycles only showed significant negative autocorrelation at half the cycle period and were classified as phase-forgetting quasi-cycles. Cycles were not found in time series of black grouse Tetrao terix or capereaillie Tetrao urogallus. Correcting time series for hunting effort or hunting restrictions tended to increase the proportion of populations that exhibited cycles but no difference in the strength of second order density dependence, A linear first order density-dependent autoregressive model described the dynamics of most of the populations with the exception of a proportion of rock ptarmigan and black grouse populations where a non linear first order model provided the best tit. We compare the findings with studies conducted in Finland and suggest possible reasons for the reduced tendency to cycle in the populations of southern Europe.     

Intertidal distribution and species composition of brachyuran crabs at two rocky shores in Central Portugal

The objectives of the present study are to describe and compare the brachyuran community of rocky shores within the Central Portuguese coast and to examine the zonation patterns of the most representative species. For this, randomly placed transects were surveyed to obtain crab counts according to microhabitat and intertidal level. Repeated sampling in two different shores during two different seasons provided spatial and temporal replication for zonation analyses. Seven species were registered: Pachygrapsus marmoratus, Eriphia verrucosa, Xantho incisus, Carcinus maenas, Necora puber, Pirimela denticulata and Pilumnus hirtellus. Species density rankings are the same at both localities, but the less exposed shore presents higher diversity. While most species are mainly confined to specific microhabitats in the lower level, P. marmoratus and E. verrucosa can exploit the whole intertidal range. Regardless of shore and season, E. verrucosa is more abundant in the lower intertidal levels, while no such zonation patterns were recorded for P. marmoratus. Initial predictions concerning the effect of wave exposure and temperature on the zonation of those species are not validated after analysing the factorial model proposed. Between-shore contrasts were found instead, with higher densities recorded in the more exposed locality for both species. Possible causes of the observed patterns are discussed.     

Predation by red-jointed fiddler crabs on congeners: interaction between body size and positive allometry of the sexually selected claw

The enlarged (major) claw of male fiddler crabs is used in contestsover breeding burrows and is waved to attract females. We recentlydiscovered that males of the red-jointed fiddler crab, Uca minax,also use the claw to kill smaller-sized fiddler crabs, U. pugnaxand U. pugilator, with which they co-occur in Atlantic coastsalt marshes. Large U. minax males use walking legs or the enlargedclaw to capture prey feeding on moist sand flats. On sand flats,small U. minax males and females are much less common than largemales, suggesting that large males move onto sand flats to seekprey. Males of prey species use the major claw against attackingpredators and, consequently, are more likely than females toescape. In laboratory experiments, large U. minax males weremore likely to attack and kill small-clawed males and femalesthan large-clawed males, consistent with a preference for morevulnerable, less threatening prey. The size of the major clawis a positive allometric function of body size. The allometricfunction varies little among species. Also, the mechanical advantageand indices of closing speed and closing force of the majorclaw, when corrected for body size, are not consistently greaterin U. minax relative to prey species. Thus, predation by U.minax males may reflect the opportunity afforded by larger bodysize and positive allometric growth, which result in a majorclaw that is more massive than the prey it is directed against.     

Taxonomy and biogeography of the fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae: Genus Uca) of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of eastern North America

Fifteen species of fiddler crabs are reported for eastern North America between Massachusetts and Quintana Roo, Mexico. Thirteen occur in the United States and 11 in Mexico, with eight in common to the two countries. Of 13 species in the Gulf of Mexico, five are endemic and a sixth is restricted largely to the peninsulas of Florida and Yucatan. The status of U. rapax in the northern Gulf remains to be resolved. Range limits of most species approximate one or the other of two sets of intersecting thermal and geological boundaries that subdivide the Gulf of Mexico along north-south and east-west axes. Species belonging to subgenus Minuca tend to replace one another at the thermally-controlled Carolinian-Caribbean marine biotic boundary across the Florida peninsula and northern Gulf. However, only U. minax of all the North American fiddler crabs exhibits the classical disjunct Carolinian distribution, and this appears basically to reflect the discontinuous distribution of temperate salt marshes that are the habitat of the species. Distributions of species belonging to subgenus Celuca adhere for the most part to the subdivision of the Gulf into western terrigenous and eastern carbonate sedimentary provinces. The northern transition occurs in the vicinity of Apalachee Bay and the southern at Laguna de Terminos. A third distributional pattern is shown by U. subcylindrica , a specialized endemic species of the hypersaline Laguna Madre system of the western Gulf. The level of endemism in the fiddler crabs is relatively high in comparison with that of other marine groups within the Gulf of Mexico. This may be a consequence of the adaptations of fiddler crabs as specialized deposit feeders to regional differences in climatic and edaphic characteristics of a marginally marine upper shore habitat. The distributional patterns of the endemics could prove useful in reconstructing palaeoecological events of evolutionary significance within the Gulf of Mexico.     

A conservation assessment of the freshwater crabs of southern Africa (Brachyura: Potamonautidae)

Recent taxonomic revisions of the freshwater crabs of southern Africa (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) allow accurate depictions of their diversity, distribution patterns and conservation status. The southern African region is home to nineteen species of freshwater crabs all belonging to the genus Potamonautes (family Potamonautidae). These crabs show high levels of species endemism (84%) to the southern African region and to the country of South Africa (74%). The conservation status of each species is assessed using the IUCN (2003) Red List criteria, based on detailed compilations of the majority of known specimens. The results indicate that one species should be considered vulnerable, fifteen species least concern and three species data deficient. The results have been utilized by the IUCN for Red Lists, and may prove useful when developing a conservation strategy for southern Africa’s endemic freshwater crab fauna.     

Resource assessment in hermit crabs: the worth of their own shell

Animals gather information about the quality of a resource throughits assessment and behave accordingly as a result of adaptivemotivational changes. In the hermit crab Pagurus longicarpus,we investigated whether an individual was affected in its motivationto acquire a new shell by the quality of the domicile shell(own resource value [ORV]), of the offered shell (external resourcevalue [ERV]), or of both and asked whether its motivation wasaltered by the information gathered during shell investigation.We analyzed the behavior of hermit crabs inhabiting shells ofdiffering qualities and compared their willingness to acquirean offered shell—optimal, smaller than optimal, or largerthan optimal—by measuring the latency to approach it,the number of shell investigation, and its total duration. Crabsin smaller shells (SSs) approached more quick and often theoffered shell, whereas crabs in larger shells investigated theoffered shell more thoroughly. The readiness of crabs to approachthe offered shell and the extent of its investigation were independentof the ERV but were exclusively affected by the ORV, whereasthe number and duration of shell investigation did not changewith time as investigation proceeded, except for crabs in SSs.These results suggest that P. longicarpus' motivation to acquirea new shell is exclusively influenced by the value of the shellit inhabits rather than by the quality of the shell it is offeredand that this species does not gather—or does not use—informationabout ERV during investigation.     

Behavioural adaptations of the fiddler crabs Uca vocans borealis (crane) and Uca lactea lactea (De Haan) for coexistence on an intertidal shore

The distribution and coexistence of the fiddler crabs U. vocans borealis and U. lactea lactea was investigated in the upper shore of a sandy beach with respect to particle size, water content and total organic carbon content of the sediments. A clear segregation of habitats between the two species was apparent. U. lactea lactea were only found in sediments with significantly lower total organic carbon content. U. lactea lactea had a higher ratio for the size of third maxilliped to body size than U. vocans borealis. There was no statistical difference in the median sediment particle size of the habitats where both species were found on the study shore. U. lactea lactea was larger on shores where U. vocans borealis were absent. Smaller U. vocans borealis individuals occupied sediments with higher water content and finer particles. Smaller individuals of U. vocans borealis also possessed fewer spoon-tipped setae on second maxilliped than their larger conspecifics, which were found mostly on coarser sediments. U. lactea lactea spent significantly more time on the surface than in the burrow during low tide when compared with U. vocans borealis. Both Uca species exhibited similar desiccation resistance. U. lactea lactea tends to keep its frontal region in close contact with sediments to maintain moisture when being exposed to air.     

Behavioural adaptations of the fiddler crabs Uca vocans borealis (crane) and Uca lactea lactea (De Haan) for coexistence on an intertidal shore

The distribution and coexistence of the fiddler crabs U. vocans borealis and U. lactea lactea was investigated in the upper shore of a sandy beach with respect to particle size, water content and total organic carbon content of the sediments. A clear segregation of habitats between the two species was apparent. U. lactea lactea were only found in sediments with significantly lower total organic carbon content. U. lactea lactea had a higher ratio for the size of third maxilliped to body size than U. vocans borealis. There was no statistical difference in the median sediment particle size of the habitats where both species were found on the study shore. U. lactea lactea was larger on shores where U. vocans borealis were absent. Smaller U. vocans borealis individuals occupied sediments with higher water content and finer particles. Smaller individuals of U. vocans borealis also possessed fewer spoon-tipped setae on second maxilliped than their larger conspecifics, which were found mostly on coarser sediments. U. lactea lactea spent significantly more time on the surface than in the burrow during low tide when compared with U. vocans borealis. Both Uca species exhibited similar desiccation resistance. U. lactea lactea tends to keep its frontal region in close contact with sediments to maintain moisture when being exposed to air.     

Osmoregulation by six species of fiddler crabs (Uca) from the Mississippi delta area in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Six species of fiddler crabs (Ocypodidae: Uca) were collected for osmoregulation studies from 25 locations near the delta of the Mississippi River in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Three of the species are classified as members of the Celuca subgenus, Uca spinicarpa, Uca panacea and Uca pugilator, while the remaining three are in the Minuca subgenus, Uca minax, Uca longisignalis and Uca rapax. In the field, U. minax, U. spinicarpa and, occasionally, U. longisignalis are found in freshwater habitats (FW; 0-299 mosM). Two Minuca species, U. longisignalis and U. rapax, are typically collected in brackish water habitats (BW; 300-629 mosM). On the other hand, U. panacea and U. pugilator are most abundant in eurysaline habitats (EH; >630 mosM). In the laboratory, populations of each species were challenged with media ranging from 30 to 3450 mosM (1-110‰). The FW species, U. spinicarpa and U. minax, did not tolerate osmotic concentrations >2100 mosM. The EH species, U. panacea and U. pugilator, however, tolerate concentrations >2800 mosM. The BW species, U. longisignalis and U. rapax, succumb to osmolalities between 2100 and 2800 mosM. Each species keeps its hemolymph concentration fairly constant in 30-1400 mosM solutions. The [ISO], isosmotic medium concentration (in mosM), is calculated for each taxon: U. minax, 659; U. spinicarpa, 682; U. longisignalis, 693; U. rapax, 769; U. pugilator, 816; and U. panacea, 822. In media with >1600 mosM, each species expresses different osmoregulating capabilities. The FW species, U. spinicarpa and U. minax, cannot control hemolymph osmolality above 1500 mosM while the BW-EH species, U. panacea, U. pugilator and U. rapax, regulate hemolymph values in media up to 2300 mosM. Within the FW/BW species U. longisignalis, the ability to osmoregulate corresponds with site of collection. Specimens from FW populations do not regulate as well as those from BW if challenged with hypertonic media. If adapted to a 1800 mosM in the laboratory, survivorship for U. longisignalis shifts to the right and the [ISO] increases to 832 mosM. This suggests that this species adapts to acute hypertonic conditions by tolerating elevated internal osmolality. Generally, these observations extend our knowledge about the physiological capabilities of fiddler crabs from different salinity populations across the northern Gulf of Mexico.     

The development of seasonal variation in gonadal hormones and body weight in the maturing squirrel monkey

Captive-born squirrel monkeys of three different subtypes (Colombian, Bolivian, Peruvian), ranging in age from 1 to 4.5 years for males and 1 to 3.5 years for females, were examined at 3-month intervals throughout the year for seasonal changes in levels of plasma testosterone and progesterone and in body weight. Cyclical activity of testosterone in males began between 2 and 3 years of age but became more defined by the time the animals were 3–4 years old. Peak values occurred in February and May and corresponded to the the time of year in which adults normally mate. Elevations of progesterone occurred initially at approximately 2.5 years of age in February and May, and mainly infernales of the Colombian subtype. However,unlike levels of testosterone in males of this age, which declined in August and November (following the typical breeding season), levels of progesterone in females continued to increase during these months. Seasonal changes in body weight were also found in males but these changes were less evident than, and did not correlate with, hormonal changes.     

The influence of tidal cycles and freshwater inflow on the distribution and movement of an estuarine resident fish Acanthopagrus butcheri

Movement patterns and habitat utilization by black bream Acanthopagrus butcheri (Sparidae), an estuarine resident species, were investigated using acoustic telemetry in a small estuary on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. Thirty‐four adult A. butcheri were tracked for periods of up to 187 days between August 2005 and January 2006. Although able to tolerate a wide range of salinities, the fish spent most of the time within the upper and middle regions of the estuary, where brackish conditions dominated. The species exhibited extensive movements linked to tidal cycles, with small‐scale upstream movements during incoming tides and downstream movements during out going tides. The extent of these movements was positively correlated with the tidal height difference between consecutive tidal peaks and troughs. Freshwater inflows and resultant changes in salinity also significantly influenced distribution and movement patterns. Fish moved downstream during the periods of heavy inflows, returning upstream as salinities increased to c. >10. During the peak of spawning period (November to December) fish moved into the upper region of the estuary, where they aggregated to spawn. Periodic increases in freshwater discharge, however, resulted in fish leaving the spawning grounds and moving downstream. Towards the end of the spawning season (January), the fish became more dispersed throughout the entire estuarine system.     

Reproductive biology of the isopod Excirolana braziliensis at the southern edge of its geographical range

A full analysis of the reproductive biology of the isopod Excirolana braziliensis Richardson 1912 was conducted in a sandy beach of Uruguay, located at the southernmost edge of its distributional range in the Atlantic Ocean. Reproductive and recruitment periods of E. braziliensis were concentrated in austral summer. Females with oostegites appeared in November, whereas total biomass, individual sizes and fecundity of ovigerous females peaked between December and January. These concurrent traits were responsible for the significant peak of juveniles in January. The size at maturity was 9.88 mm. Four embryonic developmental stages were described and identified: mean length linearly increased from stages I to III, whereas dry weight exponentially decreased from stages I to IV. The high reproductive output (0.41–0.58), reported for the first time in this isopod, exceeds the rates documented for other isopods. Reproduction of E. braziliensis at the southern edge of its range is semelparous: females produce one brood during the reproductive season, exhaust their energy reserves during incubation, and probably die at the end of the reproductive season. A macroscale comparison suggests that E. braziliensis at the southern edge of its range counteracts its narrow reproductive period by a short incubation period with larger individual mature female and embryo sizes, higher fecundity and a higher percentage of ovigerous females than in subtropical and tropical populations. These extreme reproductive indicators could be attributed to the internal retention of embryos that assures offspring survival, coupled with a high adaptation capability to environmental variations across its range.     

Reproductive biology and larval development of the terapontid Amniataba caudavittata, including comparisons with the reproductive strategies of other estuarine teleosts in temperate Western Australia

Samples collected monthly from the Swan Estuary between March 1978 and May 1979, together with environmental data for 1977 to 1980, have been used to elucidate various aspects of the reproductive biology of Amniataba caudavittata in this estuary. The gonads of A. caudavittala started to develop rapidly in the spring, when day length, water temperatures and salinities were increasing markedly. Spawning, which occurred mainly towards the top end of the upper estuary, was initiated in November, when water temperatures and salinities in that region were c. 24° C and 9‰, and it peaked in December/January when they were c. IT C and 17%○, Maturity is attained by at least the majority offish at the end of the second and each subsequent year of life. Although some of the larger 1-year-old fish attained maturity, this occurred in only one of the two tributary rivers, possibly reflecting differences in the salinity regimes in these rivers. Fecundities ranged from 50 000 in a 150-mm fish to 705 000 in a 254-mm fish, with a mean of 310 000. The mature, unfertilized eggs are small and spherical and have a diameter of 560 μm. The larvae are pelagic and characterized by an elongate body, which becomes moderately deep and laterally compressed during development, a short to moderate, tightly-coiled gut, a distinct gap between the anus and the origin of the anal fin and 25 or 26 myomeres. The development of fins and settlement of A. caudavittata larvae occurs at a smaller size than in the larvae of other terapontid species previously described. The success of A. caudavittata in the Swan Estuary can be attributed in part to its production of very large numbers of eggs at a time when, due to low fresh water discharge and a smait tidal range, conditions in the estuary are relatively stable. Comparisons between the biology of A. caudavittata and that of other abundant teleosts that spawn in south-western Australian estuaries show that these species exhibit a wide range of reproductive strategies.     

Feeding activity and dietary composition of roe deer at the southern edge of their range

We studied feeding activity and dietary components of hand-reared European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in Israel. Our ultimate goal was to assess habitat suitability for future reintroduction of the species, which has been locally extinct for nearly a century. Activity patterns, diet composition, and body mass of four does were monitored in two (fenced) typical east Mediterranean habitats: mature forest and scrubland recovering from fire. Food supplements were provided between trials. Throughout the year, the deer exhibited diurnal and nocturnal activity, mostly at dawn and dusk. Diet composition varied considerably between seasons and habitats, demonstrating the opportunistic flexibility of the deer. In both habitats, the deer fed on over 85% of the plant species but preferred a particular plant species or parts. In summer and early autumn, fruits and seeds became the dominant portion of their diet. In our semi-natural experimental setup, deer maintained body mass through the winter and spring. Weight loss occurred as the dry season advanced, but the animals rapidly regained mass when annuals and grasses became available following the first rains. In the east Mediterranean habitats, water availability seems more problematic for deer survival than food availability.     

长江口芦苇和互花米草盐沼湿地蟹类洞穴分布特征及主要影响因子

蟹类洞穴是蟹类在潮间带盐沼生存、繁衍的特征性结构,具有重要的生态功能。洞穴分布特征及其影响因子的分析,是深入探讨蟹类及其洞穴的生态系统功能的重要基础。2015年10月,在崇明北滩单一芦苇(Phragmites australis)群落,单一互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)群落和芦苇-互花米草混合群落3种典型生境中,对蟹类洞穴的分布特征及其相关的大型底栖动物、植被、沉积物等的特征参数进行了调研与分析。结果表明,生境类型差异对蟹类洞穴分布特征及相关生境因子具有重要影响。蟹类洞穴的分布密度和开口直径在不同生境间存在显著差异(P0.05),且单一芦苇群落生境内洞穴密度要显著高于单一互花米草群落生境(P0.05),洞穴开口直径在单一互花米草生境要显著高于单一芦苇生境(P0.05);大型底栖动物生物量、密度、植物地下部分生物量在不同生境间差异不显著(P0.05),而植株密度、活植株高度、植物地上部分生物量以及沉积物含水率、p H、氧化还原电位在不同生境间存在显著差异(P0.05)。沉积物中值粒径,总氮含量和总碳含量在不同生境间的差异随深度不同会发生变化。不同生境主要生境因子的差异是导致蟹类洞穴分布特征不同的根本原因;蟹类洞穴分布特征受多个生境因子的综合作用。筛选的生境因子的组合虽然与洞穴分布特征具有显著相关性,但相关系数较小。未来研究中需要拓展生境因子涵盖范围,加强多因子综合作用分析。     

Demographic and ecogeographic factors limit wild grapevine spread at the southern edge of its distribution range

The spatial distribution of plants is constrained by demographic and ecogeographic factors that determine the range and abundance of the species. Wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) is distributed from Switzerland in the north to Israel in the south. However, little is known about the ecogeographic constraints of this species and its genetic and phenotypic characteristics, especially at the southern edge of its distribution range in the Levant region. In this study, we explore the population structure of southern Levantine wild grapevines and the correlation between demographic and ecogeographic characteristics. Based on our genetic analysis, the wild grapevine populations in this region can be divided into two major subgroups in accordance with a multivariate spatial and ecogeographical clustering model. The identified subpopulations also differ in morphological traits, mainly leaf hairiness which may imply adaptation to environmental stress. The findings suggest that the Upper Jordan River population was spread to the Sea of Galilee area and that a third smaller subpopulation at the south of the Golan Heights may represent a distinguished gene pool or a recent establishment of a new population. A spatial distribution model indicated that distance to water sources, Normalized difference vegetation index, and precipitation are the main environmental factors constraining V. v. sylvestris distribution at its southern distribution range. These factors in addition to limited gene flow between populations prevent further spread of wild grapevines southwards to semi‐arid regions.     

Eurosiberian meadows at their southern edge: patterns and phytogeography in the NW Tien Shan

Question: What are the community types, underlying gradients and phytogeographical affinities of montane meadows in the western Tien Shan? Location: Aksu‐Jabagly Nature Reserve, South Kazakhstan, Middle Asia. Methods: Species composition, structural and environmental variables were studied in 98 plots. Species composition was classified by cluster analysis and gradients explored using NMDS. Relationships between species richness, environmental and structural variables were investigated with regression analysis. Phytogeographic patterns were assessed by examining species distribution types. Results: Seven community types were distinguished by cluster analysis. Three axes of the NMDS explained 77% of the variation, showing different overlap of communities with environmental and structural properties. Species richness showed linear relationships with pH, altitude, heat load, soil skeletal content and structural variables. Middle Asian and Eurosiberian species constituted the majority of the species pool and cover. Conclusion: The studied communities represent a unique mixture of Middle Asian and Eurosiberian species that exhibit structural and environmental similarities to Eurosiberian meadows. The Tien Shan mountain meadows can thus be considered an endemic‐rich southern outlier of the broader Eurosiberian meadow formation. Shifts in land‐use patterns pose a potential threat that deserves more attention from conservationists.     

Factors influencing red deer occurrence at the southern edge of their range: A Mediterranean ecosystem

The red deer is in the Iberian Peninsula at the southwestern edge of its European range and although widespread, red deer ecology in Portugal remains poorly understood. By using pellet group counts, we investigate how habitat structure, vegetation composition and human disturbance affect red deer occurrence. Red deer distribution was positively associated with areas with high density of heather, Leguminosae plants and patches with high cover of shrubs, ground cover and tree cover. Red deer occupied areas further away from roads and from villages. Red deer distribution was negatively associated with agricultural fields and areas with high canopy cover.In the perspective of the current climatic changes, continue research on red deer in these so-called edge populations represents an opportunity to assess the ecological responses within an evolutionary perspective and to provide important conservation suggestions for other countries located on the edge of its distribution range. The present results have implications for the conservation of red deer, emphasizing the need for wide range ecological studies. Red deer variation seems to be related to local factors rather than proximity to the edge of its range.     

中国热带静风区林缘水平热力特征的初步分析

利用我国热静风区－西双版纳橡胶林西南向边缘１月的温度观测资料,探讨了昼间林缘区域热力特征及时空变化规律,结果表明,在林缘存在着明显的热力效应;对地面温度的影响深度可至林内约１３ｍ处,地面温度在林处４．５ｍ处达最高,气温则在林缘（０ｍ）出现最大;林缘附近热量的输送在数值和方向上存在较大差异,即林外热量从地面向空中输送;林内在午后与林外相反,热量由上（林冠）向下（地面）输送;林缘附近则在不同地点、不同