Towards a new understanding of migration timing: slower spring than autumn migration in geese reflects different decision rules for stopover use and departure

According to migration theory and several empirical studies, long‐distance migrants are more time‐limited during spring migration and should therefore migrate faster in spring than in autumn. Competition for the best breeding sites is supposed to be the main driver, but timing of migration is often also influenced by environmental factors such as food availability and wind conditions. Using GPS tags, we tracked 65 greater white‐fronted geese Anser albifrons migrating between western Europe and the Russian Arctic during spring and autumn migration over six different years. Contrary to theory, our birds took considerably longer for spring migration (83 days) than autumn migration (42 days). This difference in duration was mainly determined by time spent at stopovers. Timing and space use during migration suggest that the birds were using different strategies in the two seasons: In spring they spread out in a wide front to acquire extra energy stores in many successive stopover sites (to fuel capital breeding), which is in accordance with previous results that white‐fronted geese follow the green wave of spring growth. In autumn they filled up their stores close to the breeding grounds and waited for supportive wind conditions to quickly move to their wintering grounds. Selection for supportive winds was stronger in autumn, when general wind conditions were less favourable than in spring, leading to similar flight speeds in the two seasons. In combination with less stopover time in autumn this led to faster autumn than spring migration. White‐fronted geese thus differ from theory that spring migration is faster than autumn migration. We expect our findings of different decision rules between the two migratory seasons to apply more generally, in particular in large birds in which capital breeding is common, and in birds that meet other environmental conditions along their migration route in autumn than in spring.     

Individually tracked geese follow peaks of temperature acceleration during spring migration

Many migratory herbivores seem to follow the flush of plant growth during migration in order to acquire the most nutrient‐rich plants. This has also been hypothesized for arctic‐breeding geese, but so far no test of this so‐called green wave hypothesis has been performed at the individual level. During four years, a total of 30 greater white‐fronted geese Anser albifrons albifrons was tracked using GPS transmitters, of which 13 yielded complete spring migration tracks. From those birds we defined stopover sites and related the date of arrival at each of these stopovers to temperature sum (growing degree days, GDD), snow cover, accumulated photoperiod and latitude. We found that geese arrived at spring stopovers close to the peak in GDD jerk; the ‘jerk’ is the third derivative, or the rate of change in acceleration, and GDD jerk maxima therefore represent the highest acceleration of daily temperature per site. Day of snow melt also correlated well with the observed arrival of the geese. Factors not closely related to onset of spring, i.e. accumulated photoperiod and latitude, yielded poorer fits. A comparison with published data revealed that the GDD jerk occurs 1–2 weeks earlier than the onset of spring derived from NDVI, and probably represents the very start of spring growth. Our data therefore suggest that white‐fronted geese track the front of the green wave in spring.     

Investigating connectivity and seasonal differences in wind assistance in the migration of Common Sandpipers

Many migratory bird species have undergone recent population declines, but there is considerable variation in trends between species and between populations employing different migratory routes. Understanding species-specific migratory behaviours is therefore of critical importance for their conservation. The Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos is an Afro-Palaearctic migratory bird species whose European populations are in decline. We fitted geolocators to individuals breeding in England or wintering in Senegal to determine their migration routes and breeding or non-breeding locations. We used these geolocator data in combination with previously published data from Scottish breeding birds to determine the distributions and migratory connectivity of breeding (English and Scottish) and wintering (Senegalese) populations of the Common Sandpiper, and used simulated random migrations to investigate wind assistance during autumn and spring migration. We revealed that the Common Sandpipers tagged in England spent the winter in West Africa, and that at least some birds wintering in Senegal bred in Scandinavia; this provides insights into the links between European breeding populations and their wintering grounds. Furthermore, birds tagged in England, Scotland and Senegal overlapped considerably in their migration routes and wintering locations, meaning that local breeding populations could be buffered against habitat change, but susceptible to large-scale environmental changes. These findings also suggest that contrasting population trends in England and Scotland are unlikely to be the result of population-specific migration routes and wintering regions. Finally, we found that birds used wind to facilitate their migration in autumn, but less so in spring, when the wind costs associated with their migrations were higher than expected at random. This was despite the wind costs of simulated migrations being significantly lower in spring than in autumn. Indeed, theory suggests that individuals are under greater time pressures in spring than in autumn because of the time constraints associated with reproduction.     

青海可鲁克湖水鸟季节动态及渔鸥活动区分析

2008-2010年,对青海可鲁克湖的水鸟季节动态进行了调查。共记录到54种34828只水鸟,隶属于6目11科,雁鸭类水鸟最多,共统计到28445只,占水鸟总数的81.7%;其次是鸥类和鸻鹬类。可鲁克湖在水鸟春秋季迁徙高峰期在4月和10月,这也是水鸟多样性较高的两个月,其主要原因是由于迁徙鸭类数量和种类的增加。卫星跟踪表明,可鲁克湖是青海湖繁殖渔鸥重要的停歇地,渔鸥在可鲁克湖的停歇天数每年也有所不同,2007年和2008年秋季较2006年停歇时间短一些,初步判断与当地的人为干扰有关。当地政府对道路进行修建,其正好位于渔鸥的活动区内,这对渔鸥的日常活动造成较大影响,迫使渔鸥提前离开可鲁克湖。春季停歇天数的不同主要与青海湖面冰融的时间有关,若青海湖由于温度较高,冰融的时间早一些,渔鸥可能提前离开可鲁克湖,前往青海湖进行繁殖活动。     

Changes in nutrient dynamics of midcontinent greater white-fronted geese during spring migration

Waterfowl and other migratory birds commonly store nutrients at traditional staging areas during spring for later use during migration and reproduction. We investigated nutrient-storage dynamics in the midcontinent population of greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons; hereafter white-fronted geese) at spring staging sites in the Rainwater Basin of Nebraska during February–April and in southern Saskatchewan during April–May, 1998 and 1999. In Nebraska, lipid content of white-fronted geese did not increase, and protein content changed little over time for most age and sex categories. In Saskatchewan, lipids increased 11.4 g/day (SE = 1.7) and protein content increased 1.6 g/day (SE = 0.6) in the sample of adult geese collected over a 3-week period. A study conducted during 1979–1980 in the Rainwater Basin reported that white-fronted geese gained 8.8–17.7 g of lipids per day during spring, differing greatly from our results 2 decades later. In addition, lipid levels were less in the 1990s compared to spring 1980 for adult geese nearing departure from staging sites in Saskatchewan. This shift in where geese acquired nutrient stores from Nebraska to more northern staging sites coincided with a decrease in availability of waste corn in Nebraska, their primary food source while staging at that stopover site, and an increase in cultivation of high-energy pulse crops in Saskatchewan. White-fronted geese exhibited flexibility in nutrient dynamics during spring migration, likely in response to landscape-level variation in food availability caused by changes in agricultural trends and practices. Maintaining a wide distribution of wetlands in the Great Plains may allow spring-staging waterfowl to disperse across the region and facilitate access to high-energy foods over a larger cropland base. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Condition Bias of Decoy-Harvested Light Geese During the Conservation Order

Evidence that decoy harvest techniques primarily remove individuals of poorer body condition is well established in short-lived duck species; however, there is limited support for condition bias in longer-lived waterfowl species, such as geese, where decoy harvest is considered primarily additive because of their high natural survival rates. We evaluated support for the harvest condition bias hypothesis of 2 long-lived waterfowl species, the lesser snow goose (Anser caerulescens caerulescens) and Ross's goose (Anser rossii). We used proximate analysis to quantify lipid and protein content of lesser snow and Ross's geese collected during the Light Goose Conservation Order (LGCO) in 2015 and 2016 during spring migration in Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Dakota, USA. In each state, LGCO participants collected birds using traditional decoy techniques and we collected birds from the general population using jump-shooting tactics. Total body lipid content in both lesser snow and Ross's geese varied with age, region of harvest, and harvest type (decoy or jump-shooting). On average, adult lesser snow and Ross's geese harvested over decoys had 60 g and 41 g, respectively, fewer lipids than conspecifics collected using jump-shooting. We observed lower lipid reserves in decoy-shot geese in all 4 states sampled despite general gains in lipid reserves as migration chronology progressed. Our data support that the harvest condition bias extends to longer-lived waterfowl species and during a life-history event (spring migration) in which harvest is not normally observed. In the case of overabundant light geese, the disproportionate harvest of poorer-conditioned lesser snow and Ross's geese may serve as an additional challenge against any realized effects of harvest to reduce the population, in addition to extremely low harvest rates. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

Migratory Masked Shrikes,Lanius nubicus staging at the desert edge: phenology,and sex- and age-related differences in body mass

Migratory Masked Shrikes (Lanius nubicus) were mist-netted during the spring and autumn migrations at Eilat, Israel. Nearly four times more shrikes were trapped during spring than in autumn. This could be explained by either the species assorting to loop migration, or a higher capture rate owing to poor body condition after crossing the Sahara in spring. In spring, no differences in phenology were observed between the sex- and age-groups. In contrast, in autumn juvenile males arrived significantly later than the rest of the population. Significant differences in wing chord length were found between the four sex and age classes (adult male, adult female, juvenile male, juvenile female) both in spring and autumn. However, significant differences in body mass were found only in autumn. In spring, in both sexes, wing length and body mass changed significantly with date of arrival. Masked Shrike in spring were lighter than in autumn. The results suggest that migration over desert is energetically costly and Eilat is a very important staging place for migratory Masked Shrikes.     

Does snowmelt constrain spring migration progression in sympatric wintering Arctic-nesting geese? Results from a Far East Asia telemetry study

Telemetry data from sympatric Eastern Tundra Bean Geese Anser serrirostris captured on their winter quarters in the Yangtze River Floodplain, China, tracked to two discrete breeding areas (the Anadyr Region (AR) at 65°N and Central Russian Arctic (CRA) at 75°N) showed that, despite longer migration distance (6300 vs. 5300 km), AR geese reached their destination 23 days earlier than CRA geese as a result of increasingly delayed date of 50% snow cover along the route of CRA geese (based on satellite imagery data). Both groups arrived at breeding areas 8–9 days prior to the local date of 50% snow cover thaw, suggesting optimal timing of arrival for subsequent reproduction. Despite small sample sizes from one season of tracking, these intra-specific data are the first to suggest that, in time-limited Arctic-nesting geese, snowmelt conditions regulated the individual progress and duration of spring migration along the flyway to coincide with arrival at optimal spring conditions on breeding areas.     

Migration routes and stopover sites of Black-necked Cranes determined by satellite tracking

ABSTRACT.   Because their breeding and wintering areas are in remote locations, little is known about the biology of Black-necked Cranes ( Grus nigricollis ), including their migratory behavior. Using satellite telemetry, we monitored the migration of Black-necked Cranes ( N = 6) in China to determine migration routes and the location of stopover sites. From 2005 to 2007, four cranes were tracked during two spring migrations and one fall migration, one was tracked during one spring and one fall migration, and one was tracked during one spring migration. On average, the cranes made seven flights over a 5-d period to migrate 651 km to breeding areas in the spring. In the fall, birds averaged six flights in 5 d to migrate 694 km. The routes traveled by cranes during spring and autumn migration were similar. Both the migration distances and duration of migration are the shortest reported for any crane species to date. Most stopover sites were in areas along rivers and close to wetlands in the Daliang Mountains and the Ruoergai Plateau. Conservation measures are needed to reduce habitat loss (wetland and pasture) in the Daliang Mountains and establish a reserve for stopover sites in the Ruoergai marshes, such as Longriba and Bai River in Hongyuan County.     

Community Structure of Wetland Birds During Spring Migration Through the Rainwater Basin

Abstract: Staging areas and migratory stopovers of wetland birds have the potential to function as geographic bottlenecks; entire populations within a flyway may be affected by the quality and quantity of available wetland habitat at stopover sites. Although approximately 90% of playa wetlands in the Rainwater Basin (RWB) region of south-central Nebraska, USA, have been destroyed, the area still provides essential stopover habitat for >10 million waterfowl each spring. We evaluated community patterns and species associations to assess importance of assembly rules in structuring wetland bird communities during migration and to better facilitate multispecies conservation and management strategies. We surveyed 36–40 playas twice weekly in the RWB and observed approximately 2.6 million individual migratory wetland birds representing 72 species during 3 spring migrations 2002–2004. We evaluated spatial and temporal species co-occurrence patterns of geese, dabbling ducks, diving ducks, and shorebirds using null model analysis. Goose species co-occurrence scores did not differ from random in any year of the study, suggesting that goose species frequently use the same habitats during migration. Co-occurrence patterns among dabbling ducks were not different than expected by chance in any year; however, when we evaluated co-occurrence at a weekly scale, dabbling ducks co-occurred less often than expected during weeks of peak migration (high abundance), indicating that dabbling duck species spatially segregated at high densities. Diving duck co-occurrence patterns did not differ from random in any year, suggesting that diving duck species used the same habitats during migration. Shorebird species co-occurred less often than expected in 2002 and 2004, and during weeks of high shorebird abundance, indicating that shorebird communities were distinctly structured during those times. Most association values among lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens) and dabbling duck species were positive, indicating dabbling ducks did not avoid wetlands with snow geese, a concern for waterfowl managers. However, we frequently observed snow geese and dabbling ducks using different microhabitats within a wetland, which indicate species associations and co-occurrence patterns may have occurred at a finer spatial scale than we measured. This approach of co-occurrence analysis will allow wildlife managers charged with multispecies management at migration stopover sites to make informed conservation and management decisions based on community structure rather than historic single-species approaches.     

Quantifying full phenological event distributions reveals simultaneous advances,temporal stability and delays in spring and autumn migration timing in long‐distance migratory birds

Phenological changes in key seasonally expressed life‐history traits occurring across periods of climatic and environmental change can cause temporal mismatches between interacting species, and thereby impact population and community dynamics. However, studies quantifying long‐term phenological changes have commonly only measured variation occurring in spring, measured as the first or mean dates on which focal traits or events were observed. Few studies have considered seasonally paired events spanning spring and autumn or tested the key assumption that single convenient metrics accurately capture entire event distributions. We used 60 years (1955–2014) of daily bird migration census data from Fair Isle, Scotland, to comprehensively quantify the degree to which the full distributions of spring and autumn migration timing of 13 species of long‐distance migratory bird changed across a period of substantial climatic and environmental change. In most species, mean spring and autumn migration dates changed little. However, the early migration phase (≤10th percentile date) commonly got earlier, while the late migration phase (≥90th percentile date) commonly got later. Consequently, species' total migration durations typically lengthened across years. Spring and autumn migration phenologies were not consistently correlated within or between years within species and hence were not tightly coupled. Furthermore, different metrics quantifying different aspects of migration phenology within seasons were not strongly cross‐correlated, meaning that no single metric adequately described the full pattern of phenological change. These analyses therefore reveal complex patterns of simultaneous advancement, temporal stability and delay in spring and autumn migration phenologies, altering species' life‐history structures. Additionally, they demonstrate that this complexity is only revealed if multiple metrics encompassing entire seasonal event distributions, rather than single metrics, are used to quantify phenological change. Existing evidence of long‐term phenological changes detected using only one or two metrics should consequently be interpreted cautiously because divergent changes occurring simultaneously could potentially have remained undetected.     

Climate change,phenology, and habitat degradation: drivers of gosling body condition and juvenile survival in lesser snow geese

Nesting migratory geese are among the dominant herbivores in (sub) arctic environments, which have undergone unprecedented increases in temperatures and plant growing days over the last three decades. Within these regions, the Hudson Bay Lowlands are home to an overabundant breeding population of lesser snow geese that has dramatically damaged the ecosystem, with cascading effects at multiple trophic levels. In some areas the overabundance of geese has led to a drastic reduction in available forage. In addition, warming of this region has widened the gap between goose migration timing and plant green‐up, and this ‘mismatch’ between goose and plant phenologies could in turn affect gosling development. The dual effects of climate change and habitat quality on gosling body condition and juvenile survival are not known, but are critical for predicting population growth and related degradation of (sub) arctic ecosystems. To address these issues, we used information on female goslings marked and measured between 1978 and 2005 (4125 individuals). Goslings that developed within and near the traditional center of the breeding colony experienced the effects of long‐term habitat degradation: body condition and juvenile survival declined over time. In newly colonized areas, however, we observed the opposite pattern (increase in body condition and juvenile survival). In addition, warmer than average winters and summers resulted in lower gosling body condition and first‐year survival. Too few plant ‘growing days’ in the spring relative to hatch led to similar results. Our assessment indicates that geese are recovering from habitat degradation by moving to newly colonized locales. However, a warmer climate could negatively affect snow goose populations in the long‐run, but it will depend on which seasons warm the fastest. These antagonistic mechanisms will require further study to help predict snow goose population dynamics and manage the trophic cascade they induce.     

Variable shifts in spring and autumn migration phenology in North American songbirds associated with climate change

Monitoring studies find that the timing of spring bird migration has advanced in recent decades, especially in Europe. Results for autumn migration have been mixed. Using data from Powdermill Nature Reserve, a banding station in western Pennsylvania, USA, we report an analysis of migratory timing in 78 songbird species from 1961 to 2006. Spring migration became significantly earlier over the 46-year period, and autumn migration showed no overall change. There was much variation among species in phenological change, especially in autumn. Change in timing was unrelated to summer range (local vs. northern breeders) or the number of broods per year, but autumn migration became earlier in neotropical migrants and later in short-distance migrants. The migratory period for many species lengthened because late phases of migration remained unchanged or grew later as early phases became earlier. There was a negative correlation between spring and autumn in long-term change, and this caused dramatic adjustments in the amount of time between migrations: the intermigratory periods of 10 species increased or decreased by > 15 days. Year-to-year changes in timing were correlated with local temperature (detrended) and, in autumn, with a regional climate index (detrended North Atlantic Oscillation). These results illustrate a complex and dynamic annual cycle in songbirds, with responses to climate change differing among species and migration seasons.     

Longer is fatter: body mass changes of migrant Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) staging at Eilat,Israel

Ecological barriers are the riskiest phases of the annual migrations for migratory birds. Comparatively little field data exists pertaining to the ability of migratory birds to prepare for the challenges of crossing ecological barriers, or their ability to recuperate afterward. Migrating Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) were captured in Eilat, Israel, during their spring and autumn migrations. Data on spring and autumn body masses, their inter-annual variation, and the pattern of body mass increase were analysed. The birds show a significant inter-annual variation in their body mass and body condition index in both seasons, which is consistent with the data from other sites and for other passerine species. During stopovers, mass gain occurred in both seasons. Birds in poor initial condition, and those that stop over for a longer period of time, gained more body mass faster. In spring, but not in autumn, the progress of the season was also an important factor; late-arriving birds gained more fuel faster. The average rate of fuel gain was 0,157g·day^?1 ± 0.018 SE.     

Spatial and temporal feeding segregation of two Icelandic goose species during the spring pre-nesting period

The pre-nesting feeding behaviour of greylag Anser anser and pink-footed geese A brachyrhynchus was studied on agricultural land at low altitude in southern Iceland from 10 April to 8 May 1990 Greylag geese were already present on 12 April increased to 4580 birds by 24 April, but declined to 1300 by 3 May Pink-footed geese arrived around 20 April and numbers continued to increase to a peak count of 11340 on 3 May Over 60% of greylag geese initially used stubble fields on the coast where this habitat was most frequent, but increasingly resorted to grassland and wetland habitats during late April Later-arriving pink-feet predominantly used managed grassland, away from coastal areas At inland grassland sites, greylag numbers peaked on 20 April, pink-feet m early May The early exploitation by greylags was associated with grass growth initiated under protective snow-patches Greylags spent 90 times more time feeding within 1 m of snow patches with enhanced grass growth than expected by chance and their feeding rates near snow patches were faster and their step rates slower than further away By early May, grass growth was uniform and, although snow-patches persisted, no difference in forage quality, goose feeding rates or step rates could be detected It is concluded that, in spring 1990 at least, habitat segregation during spring migration in southern Iceland minimised competition between these two closely related goose species within the same geographical area In areas where both species exploit the same habitat, a two week difference m timing of breeding (and hence phenology of migration) further assures minimal overlap in feeding exploitation     

An empirical comparison of models for the phenology of bird migration

Bird migration phenology shows strong responses to climate change. Studies of trends and patterns in phenology are typically based on annual summarizing metrics, such as means and quantiles calculated from raw daily count data. However, with irregularly sampled data and large day‐to‐day variation, such metrics can be biased and noisy, and may be analysed using phenological functions fitted to the data. Here we use count data of migration passage from a Finnish bird observatory to compare different models for the phenological distributions of spring migration (27 species) and autumn migration (57 species). We assess parsimony and goodness‐of‐fit in a set of models, with phenological functions of different complexity, optionally with covariates accounting for day‐to‐day variability. The covariates describe migration intensities of related species or relative migration intensities the previous day (autocovariates). We found that parametric models are often preferred over the more flexible generalized additive models with constrained degrees of freedom. Models corresponding to a mixture of two distinct passing populations were frequently preferred over simpler ones, but usually no more complex models are needed. Slightly more complex models were favoured in spring compared to autumn. Related species’ migration activity effectively improves the model by accounting for the large day‐to‐day variation. Autocovariates were usually not that relevant, implying that autocorrelation is generally not a major concern if phenology is modelled properly. We suggest that parametric models are relatively good for studying single‐population migration phenology, or a mix of two groups with distinct phenologies, especially if daily variation in migration intensity can be controlled for. Generalized additive models may be useful when the migrating population composition is unknown. Despite these guidelines, choosing an appropriate model involves case‐by‐case assessment or the biological relevance and rationale for modelling phenology.     

Comparative survival and recovery of Ross's and lesser snow geese from Canada's central arctic

Large increases in several populations of North American arctic geese have resulted in ecosystem-level effects from associated herbivory. Consequently, some breeding populations have shown density dependence in recruitment through declines in food availability. Differences in population trajectories of lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens caerulescens; hereafter snow geese) and Ross's geese (C. rossii) breeding in mixed-species colonies south of Queen Maud Gulf (QMG), in Canada's central arctic, suggest that density dependence may be limiting snow goose populations. Specifically, long-term declines in age ratios (immature:adult) of harvested snow geese may have resulted from declines in juvenile survival. Thus, we focused on juvenile (first-year) survival of snow and Ross's geese in relation to timing of reproduction (annual mean nest initiation date) and late summer weather. We banded Ross's and snow geese from 1991 to 2008 in the QMG Migratory Bird Sanctuary. We used age-structured mark-recapture models to estimate annual survival rates for adults and juveniles from recoveries of dead birds. Consistent with life history differences, juvenile snow geese survived at rates higher than juvenile Ross's geese. Juvenile survival of both species also was lower in late seasons, but was unrelated to arctic weather measured during a 17-day period after banding. We found no evidence of density dependence (i.e., a decline in juvenile survival over time) in either species. We also found no interspecific differences in age-specific hunting vulnerability, though juveniles were more vulnerable than adults in both species, as expected. Thus, interspecific differences in survival were unrelated to harvest. Lower survival of juvenile Ross's geese may result from natural migration mortality related to smaller body size (e.g., greater susceptibility to inclement weather or predation) compared to juvenile snow geese. Despite lower first-year survival, recruitment by Ross's geese may still be greater than that by snow geese because of earlier sexual maturity, greater breeding propensity, and higher nest success by Ross's geese. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

禽流感发生后青海湖水鸟的种群现状

于2006年和2007年4~9月,在青海湖对水鸟的资源状况进行了调查。结果表明,青海湖地区迁徙水鸟的多样性呈季节性变化。春季迁徙期水鸟多样性较高,水鸟的种类和数量都较为丰富;进入繁殖期以后,各地点的水鸟多样性趋于下降;随着秋季迁徙期的来临,水鸟多样性又再度升高,水鸟的种类和数量接近或超过春季迁徙期。在春季迁徙期,布哈河口、铁卜恰河口、泉湾和尕日拉的斑头雁(Anser indicus)、棕头鸥(Larus brunnicephalus)、渔鸥(L.ichthyaetus)、普通鸬鹚(Phalacro coraxcarbo)和赤麻鸭(Tadorna ferruginea)5种水鸟的数量都较多,致使种间相遇几率也较高;进入繁殖期以后,尕日拉的种间相遇率降低,而蛋岛和黑马河的种间相遇率有所增加,其余如布哈河口、铁卜恰河口和泉湾仍维持较高的水平;秋季迁徙期5种水鸟大多以集群的方式进行活动,主要集中在少数几个地点,如布哈河口、泉湾和黑马河,因此这三处的种间相遇率随之增加。最后,有针对性地提出了禽流感监测和保护管理建议。     

Spring snow goose hunting influences body composition of waterfowl staging in Nebraska

A spring hunt was instituted in North America to reduce abundance of snow geese (Chen caerulescens) by increasing mortality of adults directly, yet disturbance from hunting activities can indirectly influence body condition and ultimately, reproductive success. We estimated effects of hunting disturbance by comparing body composition of snow geese and non-target species, greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons) and northern pintails (Anas acuta) collected in portions of south-central Nebraska that were open (eastern Rainwater Basin, ERB) and closed (western Rainwater Basin, WRB; and central Platte River Valley, CPRV) to snow goose hunting during springs 1998 and 1999. Lipid content of 170 snow geese was 25% (57 g) less in areas open to hunting compared to areas closed during hunting season but similar in all areas after hunting was concluded in the ERB. Protein content of snow geese was 3% (14 g) less in the region open to hunting. Greater white-fronted geese had 24% (76 g; n = 129) less lipids in the hunted portion of the study area during hunting season, and this difference persisted after conclusion of hunting season. We found little difference in lipid or protein content of northern pintails in relation to spring hunting. Indirect effects of spring hunting may be considered a collateral benefit regarding efforts to reduce overabundant snow goose populations. Disrupted nutrient storage observed in greater white-fronted geese represents an unintended consequence of spring hunting that has potential to adversely affect reproduction for this and other species of waterbirds staging in the region. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.     

Forecasting phenology under global warming

As a consequence of warming temperatures around the world, spring and autumn phenologies have been shifting, with corresponding changes in the length of the growing season. Our understanding of the spatial and interspecific variation of these changes, however, is limited. Not all species are responding similarly, and there is significant spatial variation in responses even within species. This spatial and interspecific variation complicates efforts to predict phenological responses to ongoing climate change, but must be incorporated in order to build reliable forecasts. Here, we use a long-term dataset (1953–2005) of plant phenological events in spring (flowering and leaf out) and autumn (leaf colouring and leaf fall) throughout Japan and South Korea to build forecasts that account for these sources of variability. Specifically, we used hierarchical models to incorporate the spatial variability in phenological responses to temperature to then forecast species'' overall and site-specific responses to global warming. We found that for most species, spring phenology is advancing and autumn phenology is getting later, with the timing of events changing more quickly in autumn compared with the spring. Temporal trends and phenological responses to temperature in East Asia contrasted with results from comparable studies in Europe, where spring events are changing more rapidly than are autumn events. Our results emphasize the need to study multiple species at many sites to understand and forecast regional changes in phenology.