Faced with a choice, sparrowhawks more often attack the more vulnerable prey group

Whether predators always attack the most vulnerable prey or simply attack prey that exceeds a minimum vulnerability level is an important question to answer in furthering our understanding of predator and antipredation behaviour. Predators may attack any reasonably vulnerable prey rather than waste time identifying the most vulnerable prey, particularly when prey can respond quickly to alter their vulnerability in response to a predator. We tested whether sparrowhawks always choose to attack the group of prey that maximises their capture probability, or whether they simply attack any group above a minimum vulnerability. We modelled sparrowhawk attack success when hunting redshanks using data from three winters and found that probability of capture increased when group size or distance to predator-concealing cover decreased. We then used this model to predict the relative vulnerability to capture of redshank groups occurring in pairs in a fourth winter and found that sparrowhawks attacked the most vulnerable prey group twice as often as not (66% n=59 pairs). When sparrowhawks attacked the less vulnerable group, there was no tendency for both groups to be particularly vulnerable or for the difference in the vulnerability between the two groups to be relatively small. This suggests that, while sparrowhawks do on average attack the most vulnerable group available, they consider other factors that affect vulnerability or that additional factors lead them to also attack opportunistically. This suggests that there will be selection for the predator to monitor a large number of prey individuals and groups and for prey to have the ability to monitor the behaviour of conspecifics in the same and different groups so that they can assess relative vulnerability.     

Using a trait‐based approach for assessing the vulnerability and resilience of hillslope seep wetland vegetation cover to disturbances in the Tsitsa River catchment,Eastern Cape,South Africa

Hill slope seep wetlands are ecologically and economically important ecosystems as they supply a variety of ecosystem services to society. In South Africa, livestock grazing is recognized as one of the most important disturbance factors changing the structure and function of hill slope seep wetlands. This study sought to investigate the potential effect of livestock grazing on the resilience and vulnerability of hillslope seep wetland vegetation cover using a trait‐based approach (TBA). Changes in vegetation cover were used as a surrogate for indicating grazing intensity. The degree of human disturbances was assessed using the Anthropogenic Activity Index. A TBA was developed using seven plant traits, resolved into 27 trait attributes. Based on the developed approach, plant species were grouped into vulnerable and resilient groups in relation to grazing pressure. It was then predicted that species belonging to the vulnerable group would be less dominant at the highly disturbed sites, as well as in the winter season when grazing pressure is at its peak. The approach developed enabled accurate predictions of the responses of hillslope plant species to grazing pressure seasonally, but spatially, only for the summer season. The predicted responses during the winter season across sites did not match the observed results, which could be attributed to the difficulty in species identification and accurate estimation of vegetation cover during winter. Overall, the approach developed here provides a general framework for applying the TBA and can thus be tested and applied elsewhere.     

Effect of fluctuating flow and temperature on cover type selection and behaviour by juvenile brown trout in artificial flumes

Brown trout Salmo trutta in a flume used cover more often and were more aggregated at low water temperatures in winter compared with summer. Cover combinations providing the most cover (overhead, visual and velocity cover) were preferred in winter whereas velocity refuges were preferred in late summer; and brown trout rarely used any of these cover structures in early summer. Flow affected cover use especially in winter, when most of the trout moved to shelters during the first high flow period. Movements by brown trout were most frequent in early summer. The much higher aggression rate in summer compared with winter decreased during the first period of high flow in both summer experiments. The results indicate seasonal changes in cover habitat and cover type preferences suggesting that habitat complexity is important, and availability of cover is particularly important during different seasons and fluctuating flow.     

Environmental vulnerability assessment of eco-development zone of Great Himalayan National Park,Himachal Pradesh,India

The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), located in western Himalaya, is a key mountainous ecosystem prone to environmental vulnerability because of anthropogenic stress and the natural disasters, viz., landslide and forest fire. We assessed the environmental vulnerability of the eco-development zone of GHNP using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies. To quantify the environmental vulnerability, a numerical model using spatial principal component analysis (SPCA) was developed. This model considered five factors: land use/land cover, forest canopy density, forest fire risk, landslide susceptibility and human population density. The environmental vulnerability integrated index (EVSI) calculated for the 1990, 2000 and 2010 periods was found to be 2.00, 2.72, and 3.40, respectively. The results showed temporal increase in the environmental vulnerability in the zone. Based on the numerical outputs, the vulnerability of the region was categorized into five classes: potential, slight, medium, high, and severe. The primary factor responsible for the increase in vulnerability overtime was land use/land cover change in the study area due to hydro-electric power projects, construction of roads, and other infrastructure developments. Forest fire and decreased forest canopy density are other major contributing factors responsible for the increase in the environmental vulnerability. Our results indicated that integration of RS, GIS and SPCA can effectively quantify and assess environmental vulnerability.     

云南南亚热带北缘地区稻田亩产吨粮的种植模式及其生态生理学研究

1996～ 1 999年 ,在云南省蒙自县草坝镇 (南亚热带北缘 )进行了亩产吨粮的种植模式研究。通过对春、夏、秋、冬播玉米 ,早、中、晚稻以及冬小麦的系统研究 ,以地上部分总干物重、籽粒产量、总入射辐照量、叶面积持续期 (灌浆期 )、氮肥的利用率和生产力、水生产力为指标 ,对早稻—晚稻、早稻—秋玉米、早稻—冬小麦、春玉米—晚稻、夏玉米—冬小麦、中稻—冬小麦和中稻—冬玉米 7种复种模式作了比较 ,选出中稻—冬玉米为一年两熟亩产吨粮的最佳种植模式。     

Experimental evaluation of planktonic respiration response to warming in the European Arctic Sector

The Arctic Ocean is the region on Earth supporting the steepest warming rate and is also particularly vulnerable due to the vanishing ice cover. Intense warming in the Arctic has strong implications for biological activity and the functioning of an Arctic Ocean deprived of ice cover in summer. We evaluated the impact of increasing temperature on respiration rates of surface marine planktonic communities in the European Arctic sector, a property constraining the future role of the Arctic Ocean in the CO₂ balance of the atmosphere. We performed experiments under four different temperature elevation regimes (in situ, +2, +4 and +6°C above the temperature of the sampled water) during cruises conducted in the Fram Strait region and off Svalbard during late fall–early winter, spring and summer. During late fall–early winter, where only three different temperatures were used, no response to warming was observed, whereas respiration rates increased in response to warming in spring and summer, although with variable strength.     

Assess the human and environmental vulnerability for coastal hazard by using a multi-criteria decision analysis

This study provides an integrated approach using geographical information system (GIS) based on a multi-criteria approach (MCDA) to assess coastal vulnerability, resulting from human activity, population density, erosion, and climate change-induced sea level rise. A coastal vulnerability index (CVI) for erosion and floods was calculated and mapped (～24 km in length; ～400 m in width, and 11.47 km² in surface) for the lagoon barrier of Nador located on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco. Results suggest that 54% (～13 km) of the shoreline is moderately vulnerable, while 42% (～10 km) is highly vulnerable and only 4% (1 km) present a low vulnerability. The vulnerability map of the socio-economic activities indicates that most wetlands and forest areas 83% (～31 ha) and 50% (～440 ha) respectively, present low vulnerability. 52% percent of artificial areas (～23 ha), 73% of agricultural land (～128 ha), and 41% of natural areas (～363 ha) present moderate vulnerability. However, the level of vulnerability of the remaining artificial and agricultural areas classifies from high to very high. The north-western sector was classified as the most vulnerable area, characterized by an erosion (?0.6 m/yr to ?1.20 m/yr) for 70% of this area, while the south-eastern part shows a low to moderate vulnerability marked by an erosion (?0.1 m/yr to ?1m/yr) for 40% of this area. Coastal vulnerability maps have potential as decision tools to prepare and respond to sea level rise, and identify exposed coastal zones, as such contributing to national climate action and disaster risk reduction sustainable development goals (goals 13 and 11, respectively).     

Using fuzzy logic to determine the vulnerability of marine species to climate change

Marine species are being impacted by climate change and ocean acidification, although their level of vulnerability varies due to differences in species' sensitivity, adaptive capacity and exposure to climate hazards. Due to limited data on the biological and ecological attributes of many marine species, as well as inherent uncertainties in the assessment process, climate change vulnerability assessments in the marine environment frequently focus on a limited number of taxa or geographic ranges. As climate change is already impacting marine biodiversity and fisheries, there is an urgent need to expand vulnerability assessment to cover a large number of species and areas. Here, we develop a modelling approach to synthesize data on species‐specific estimates of exposure, and ecological and biological traits to undertake an assessment of vulnerability (sensitivity and adaptive capacity) and risk of impacts (combining exposure to hazards and vulnerability) of climate change (including ocean acidification) for global marine fishes and invertebrates. We use a fuzzy logic approach to accommodate the variability in data availability and uncertainties associated with inferring vulnerability levels from climate projections and species' traits. Applying the approach to estimate the relative vulnerability and risk of impacts of climate change in 1074 exploited marine species globally, we estimated their index of vulnerability and risk of impacts to be on average 52 ± 19 SD and 66 ± 11 SD, scaling from 1 to 100, with 100 being the most vulnerable and highest risk, respectively, under the ‘business‐as‐usual' greenhouse gas emission scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5). We identified 157 species to be highly vulnerable while 294 species are identified as being at high risk of impacts. Species that are most vulnerable tend to be large‐bodied endemic species. This study suggests that the fuzzy logic framework can help estimate climate vulnerabilities and risks of exploited marine species using publicly and readily available information.     

The effect of inoculating endophytic N2-fixing bacteria on micropropagated sugarcane plants

We investigated the effects of an autumn sowing of contrasting cover crops (oats, rye and a combination of oats and rye) on soil aggregate stability, mycorrhizal colonization, phosphorus uptake and yield of sweet corn planted the following summer. Rye is a common cover crop in the middle Atlantic region of the United States of America. It grows slowly in the autumn, survives the winter, grows rapidly in the spring and flowers in the summer. Thus, herbicide is commonly used to kill rye prior to planting spring crops. Oats, in contrast, grows rapidly in the autumn but is killed by frost during the winter. Thus, with oats, potentially less herbicide is needed to prepare the field for spring planting. When compared to fallow, oats was as effective as rye in increasing mycorrhizal colonization of sweet corn, density of mycorrhizal hyphae, and soil aggregate stability. An oats cover crop may thus be a viable alternative to rye. The combination of cover crops (rye and oats), however, was significantly better than single species of cover crops in terms of sweet corn mycorrhizal colonization, P uptake and yield of sweet corn.     

Vulnerability of wheat farmers: Toward a conceptual framework

Vulnerability is expected to differ based on climatic conditions as well as socio-economic attributes of farming households. In this regard, attention toward vulnerability assessments is increasing within policy-making processes, to assist in selecting suitable coping strategies and policies to reduce farmers’ vulnerability. Through identifying the main vulnerability indicators from a sustainability perspective (including social, economic, and environmental dimensions) among wheat farmers, this study is seeking an inclusive conceptual framework to assess their vulnerability to both socio-economic and environmental changes. Taking the main elements (i.e., sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity) of vulnerability into account, this paper tried to develop an inclusive systemic framework to understand the most important indicators of vulnerability for wheat farmers at various spatial and temporal scales. It is supposed that the framework is a useful guide for policymakers in identifying the vulnerable groups of wheat farmers and zones so that they can decide about proper coping strategies to effectively deal with adverse effects of climate and undesired socioeconomic changes in the wheat farming system.     

Vulnerability to winter mortality in elderly people in Britain: population based study

Objective To examine the determinants of vulnerability to winter mortality in elderly British people.Design Population based cohort study (119 389 person years of follow up).Setting 106 general practices from the Medical Research Council trial of assessment and management of older people in Britain.Participants People aged ≥ 75 years.Main outcome measures Mortality (10 123 deaths) determined by follow up through the Office for National Statistics.Results Month to month variation accounted for 17% of annual all cause mortality, but only 7.8% after adjustment for temperature. The overall winter:non-winter rate ratio was 1.31 (95% confidence interval 1.26 to 1.36). There was little evidence that this ratio varied by geographical region, age, or any of the personal, socioeconomic, or clinical factors examined, with two exceptions: after adjustment for all major covariates the winter:non-winter ratio in women compared with men was 1.11 (1.00 to 1.23), and those with a self reported history of respiratory illness had a winter:non-winter ratio of 1.20 (1.08 to 1.34) times that of people without a history of respiratory illness. There was no evidence that socioeconomic deprivation or self reported financial worries were predictive of winter death.Conclusion Except for female sex and pre-existing respiratory illness, there was little evidence for vulnerability to winter death associated with factors thought to lead to vulnerability. The lack of socioeconomic gradient suggests that policies aimed at relief of fuel poverty may need to be supplemented by additional measures to tackle the burden of excess winter deaths in elderly people.     

黄河流域植被时空变化及其对气候要素的响应

在气候变化和人类活动的双重作用下,黄河流域生态环境不断发生变化。探讨植被生长动态对于实施生态保护政策至关重要。利用Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer(AVHRR) Leaf Area Index(LAI)遥感资料,结合气候要素数据,分析1981—2017年黄河流域植被覆盖的时空分布特征,探讨气候要素对其变化的影响及贡献率。研究结果表明：(1)时序上,黄河流域植被覆盖呈显著增长趋势,夏季植被覆盖的增长幅度和年际波动最大,冬季植被覆盖呈缓慢平稳增长,波动最小。(2)空间上,植被覆盖显著提高的区域占整个区域的52.1%,主要分布在中东部平原;显著降低的区域占4%,主要分布在北部和西部高原山地;生态脆弱的区域植被覆盖率大多有不同程度的提高,但生态环境良好的部分区域植被覆盖率降低。(3)时序上,黄河流域植被覆盖与气温具有显著的正相关关系。春夏冬三季的植被覆盖与气温呈显著正相关,与降水呈不显著关系;秋季的植被覆盖与气温和降水量均呈显著正相关;春秋冬三季的植被覆盖与太阳辐射呈不显著负相关,夏季的植被覆盖与太阳辐射呈不显著正相关。春夏秋冬四季的气温对植被覆...     

Grazing impacts on the diversity and composition of alpine rangelands in Northwest Yunnan

Aims The eastern Himalayan region of Southwest China represents the world's most biodiverse temperate region as well as a cultural hotspot undergoing rapid cultural and ecological change. This area represents the center of origin for many plant groups including horticulturally valuable species of Pedicularis, Rhododendron and Primula. Alpine meadows here also provide summer pastures for Tibetan yak herders and the source for important medicinal plants. Stocking levels for livestock here have quadrupled over the last five decades and shrubs are encroaching into many historical rangelands. Yak herders voice concerns over both shrub encroachment and shrinking grasslands. In this study, we sought to determine: (i) Are alpine rangelands in Deqin County overgrazed and degraded? (ii) What are the local impacts of grazing on plant diversity and community composition? And (iii) which environmental variables covary with these differences in species composition across the grazing gradient?Methods To examine the ecological impacts of grazing in Deqin County, northwest Yunnan and assess its long-term sustainability, we used county records to determine historical population and livestock numbers, confirmed the results of interviews by Haynes (2011) and surveyed plant species richness and cover along a grazing gradient extending away from herder huts. Along these transects, we sampled 1?m 2 quadrats at 5 m intervals, noting species present and percent cover for vascular plants, grasses, sedges, rushes, moss, lichen, exposed rock, bare ground and feces. We also measured the average and maximum plant height within each quadrat. We then computed species richness for each of the 38 transects, calculating alpha and beta diversities. We used one-way ANOVAs to compare mean species richness values and average and maximum plant height across grazing intensities. To chart changes in composition along the 100m gradient, we also plotted the percent cover of graminoid, forb, shrub and bare ground versus distance from the hut. We applied NMS ordination to relate community patterns to environmental variables and grazing intensity using distances to determine species groupings.Important findings Livestock impacts are clearly evident with proportions of grass and bare ground decreasing, shrubs increasing and forbs maintaining even cover with increasing distance from the huts. In comparison with earlier surveys of sites farther from huts, we found reduced plant cover and diversity. Plant species richness almost doubles with increasing distance from herder huts from 9.9 to 19.3 species per 1 m 2 quadrat. An ordination of species and environmental variables demonstrates that grazing strongly affects plant community com position across these plots with strong impacts on palatable plants. If herd sizes remain large and suitable areas for grazing continue to decline, the cumulative impacts of grazing appear likely to degrade the rich diversity of the region and reduce rangeland quality, threatening its ability to sustain current grazing levels.     

县域生态环境脆弱性评价及其动态分析——以黄河三角洲垦利县为例

县域是中国同时具备地域、空间和行政独立性的最基本区域单元,科学评价该尺度生态环境脆弱性状况及变化具有积极的理论和现实意义.以典型生态环境脆弱区黄河三角洲垦利县为例,在对生态环境脆弱性主要属性重新界定基础上,分别从稳定性、敏感性和区域适应性3个方面选取评价指标构建指标体系,建立了评价模型,并对该县1986～2003年的生态环境脆弱性发展变化进行了动态分析.研究结果显示:垦利县生态环境不稳定;1986～2003年期间,垦利县生态环境敏感性总体呈下降趋势,区域适应性总体呈上升趋势.偏相关分析方法对垦利县生态环境自然因子的敏感性排序结果为地下水埋深>蒸降比>地下水矿化度>气温,确定地下水埋深、蒸降比和地下水矿化度为该区生态环境自然敏感因子.垦利县区域适应性的 "障碍度"计算结果表明:盐碱地治理比例始终是第一障碍因素;农田防护林密度的限制集中出现在1995～1998年之间;化肥农药增长率自2000年以后成为主要障碍因素;有效灌溉面积比率和排涝体系面积比例的限制在1990年之前出现.研究结论认为,垦利县生态环境脆弱度呈现降低趋势,但仍处于脆弱状态,需重点关注敏感因素和障碍因素的发展变化.研究表明,该评价方法可体现出县域生态环境脆弱性的根本原因及其发展变化过程,是对目前国内生态环境脆弱性研究领域的有益补充.     

Local and cross‐seasonal associations of climate and land use with abundance of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus

Quantifying how climate and land use factors drive population dynamics at regional scales is complex because it depends on the extent of spatial and temporal synchrony among local populations, and the integration of population processes throughout a species’ annual cycle. We modeled weekly, site‐specific summer abundance (1994–2013) of monarch butterflies Danaus plexippus at sites across Illinois, USA to assess relative associations of monarch abundance with climate and land use variables during the winter, spring, and summer stages of their annual cycle. We developed negative binomial regression models to estimate monarch abundance during recruitment in Illinois as a function of local climate, site‐specific crop cover, and county‐level herbicide (glyphosate) application. We also incorporated cross‐seasonal covariates, including annual abundance of wintering monarchs in Mexico and climate conditions during spring migration and breeding in Texas, USA. We provide the first empirical evidence of a negative association between county‐level glyphosate application and local abundance of adult monarchs, particularly in areas of concentrated agriculture. However, this association was only evident during the initial years of the adoption of herbicide‐resistant crops (1994–2003). We also found that wetter and, to a lesser degree, cooler springs in Texas were associated with higher summer abundances in Illinois, as were relatively cool local summer temperatures in Illinois. Site‐specific abundance of monarchs averaged approximately one fewer per site from 2004–2013 than during the previous decade, suggesting a recent decline in local abundance of monarch butterflies on their summer breeding grounds in Illinois. Our results demonstrate that seasonal climate and land use are associated with trends in adult monarch abundance, and our approach highlights the value of considering fine‐resolution temporal fluctuations in population‐level responses to environmental conditions when inferring the dynamics of migratory species.     

Annual variation in the distribution of summer snowdrifts in the Kosciuszko alpine area,Australia, and its effect on the composition and structure of alpine vegetation

Abstract Australian alpine ecosystems are expected to diminish in extent as global warming intensifies. Alpine vegetation patterns are influenced by the duration of snow cover including the presence of snowdrifts in summer, but there is little quantitative information on landscape‐scale relationships between vegetation patterns and the frequency of occurrence of persistent summer snowdrifts in the Australian alps. We mapped annual changes in summer snowdrifts in the Kosciuszko alpine region, Australia, from Landsat TM images and modelled the frequency of occurrence of persistent summer snowdrifts from long‐term records (1954–2003) of winter snow depth. We then compared vegetation composition and structure among four classes that differed in the frequency of occurrence of persistent summer snowdrifts. We found a curvilinear relationship between annual winter snow depth and the area occupied by persistent snowdrifts in the following summer (r² = 0.9756). Only 21 ha (0.42% of study area) was predicted to have supported summer snowdrifts in 80% of the past 50 years, while 440 ha supported persistent summer snow in 10% of years. Mean cover and species richness of vascular plants declined significantly, and species composition varied significantly, as the frequency of summer snow persistence increased. Cushion plants and rushes were most abundant where summer snowdrifts occurred most frequently, and shrubs, grasses and sedges were most abundant in areas that did not support snowdrifts in summer. The results demonstrate strong regional relationships between vegetation composition and structure and the frequency of occurrence of persistent summer snowdrifts. Reductions in winter snow depth due to global warming are expected to lead to substantial reductions in the extent of persistent summer snowdrifts. As a consequence, shrubs, grasses and sedges are predicted to expand at the expense of cushion plants and rushes, reducing landscape vegetation diversity. Fortunately, few vascular plant species (e.g. Ranunculus niphophilus) appear to be totally restricted to areas where summer snow occurs most frequently. The results from this study highlight potential indicator species that could be monitored to assess the effects of global warming on Australian alpine environments.     

锡林郭勒盟生态脆弱性

以锡林郭勒盟为研究区,分析植被覆盖变化,辨析出影响暴露敏感性的主要因素,结合社会经济统计资料,构筑起以暴露敏感性和适应性能力为基础的生态脆弱性评价体系,分别借助空间主成分分析方法和主成分分析方法构建了暴露敏感性指数和适应性能力指数,获得生态脆弱性及其空间格局。结果显示:锡林郭勒盟暴露敏感性指数以西北部为中心,向四周辐射状递增,各旗县市的适应性能力指数从东北向西南递减,二者呈负相关关系。锡林郭勒盟生态脆弱性自东北向西南递增,东北部地区由于草地资源状况较好,经济发展水平相对较高,暴露敏感性较低而适应性能力较高;西南部地区因环境相对恶劣,经济发展落后,暴露敏感性较高而适应性能力较低。通过叠加分析,将研究区划分为8个生态脆弱性区域。     

Habitat structure and predators: choices and consequences for rodent habitat specialists and generalists

Summary Both habitat structure and risk of predation are thought to influence rodent community composition in different habitats, but experiments on the degree to which these factors determine the use of habitat by rodents are lacking. I sought to discover (1) if cover density altered habitat choice and (2) if cover density affected the vulnerability to predators of two rodents, a habitat specialist and a habitat generalist. In laboratory experiments, the habitat specialist, the red-backed vole (Clethrionomys gapperi), preferred greater densities of both vertical (wall) and horizontal (ceiling) cover. The habitat generalist, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), also preferred greater densities of vertical and horizontal cover, but its preferences were weaker and more inconsistent than those of C. gapperi In tests of vulnerability to domestic ferrets, C. gapperi were more vulnerable in arenas with less vertical cover, while P. maniculatus did not differ in vulnerability between the two vertical cover densities used. Vulnerability to predators in differing densities of horizontal cover was not tested because of the reduced differences in preference for this cover type between the rodent species. Risk of predation is one explanation for C. gapper's inherent preference for denser cover.     

Plant species richness and shrub cover attenuate drought effects on ecosystem functioning across Patagonian rangelands

Drought is an increasingly common phenomenon in drylands as a consequence of climate change. We used 311 sites across a broad range of environmental conditions in Patagonian rangelands to evaluate how drought severity and temperature (abiotic factors) and vegetation structure (biotic factors) modulate the impact of a drought event on the annual integral of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI-I), our surrogate of ecosystem functioning. We found that NDVI-I decreases were larger with both increasing drought severity and temperature. Plant species richness (SR) and shrub cover (SC) attenuated the effects of drought on NDVI-I. Grass cover did not affect the impacts of drought on NDVI-I. Our results suggest that warming and species loss, two important imprints of global environmental change, could increase the vulnerability of Patagonian ecosystems to drought. Therefore, maintaining SR through appropriate grazing management can attenuate the adverse effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning.     

Trade-offs and seasonal variation in territorial defence and predator evasion in the European Robin Erithacus rubecula

The low incidence of intraspecific combat in territorial systems has traditionally been accounted for by theories that emphasize the bio-energetic advantages or the diminished risk of injury of threat display posture when compared with combat. Recently, however, it has been suggested that territory-holding passerines engaging in highly aggressive defensive behaviour are likely to pay a cost in terms of reduced vigilance for avian predators. To examine this further, two defensive options (combat and threat display) were evoked and observed in territorial European Robins Erithacus rubecula , in both winter and summer. It was found that Robins that engaged in combat during simulated territorial intrusion were significantly slower to react to a stuffed Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus , than those eliciting threat display. Therefore, the decreased vigilance in escalated fighting may result in higher vulnerability to predation, and this might help, in part, to explain why threat display is favoured over direct combat. Moreover, the mean time to evade the predator was significantly longer in summer than in winter in threat-displaying Robins. In addition to this finding, a clear difference in the type of behaviour adopted between the seasons was observed, with lower incidence of combatative response during the winter months. This difference in response to the appearance of a predator is discussed in relation to reduced levels of safe cover, a reduction in the availability of alternative prey during the winter months and to seasonal fluctuations in plasma androgen levels.