Nesting biology and food habits of the endangered Sakalava Rail Amaurornis olivieri in the Mandrozo Protected Area,western Madagascar§

We studied the nesting biology and food habits of the endangered and endemic Sakalava Rail Amaurornis olivieri from July to November 2015 in the Mandrozo Protected Area, western Madagascar. Three nesting pairs were observed and their nests were constructed in a dense mat of reeds Phragmites mauritianus and averaged 56.7 ± 15.3 cm above the water (n = 3 nests). Nests were built by both adults and it took 3 d on average to complete a nest (n = 2 nests). Thirteen matings were observed and lasted 4.1 s on average (n = 2 pairs). Average clutch size was three eggs (n = 2 nests). Both sexes incubated; the incubation period was 15–17 d (n = 2 nests). Both male and female participated in brooding and feeding the young, which remained for 3 d in the nest and became independent of their parents at 45 d of age. Based on 194 identified food items, the Sakalava Rail’s diet was composed of invertebrates: spiders (53.1%), insects (32%), crustaceans (10.8%) and molluscs (4.1%). The home ranges of two radio-tagged individuals were 0.95 and 1.98 ha.     

Increased soil respiration in response to experimentally reduced snow cover and increased soil freezing in a temperate deciduous forest

Winter snowpack in seasonally snow-covered regions plays an important role in moderating ecosystem processes by insulating soil from freezing air temperatures. However, climate models project a decline in snowpack at mid and high latitudes over the next century. We conducted a snow removal experiment in a temperate deciduous forest at Harvard Forest in Massachusetts, USA to quantify the effects of a reduced winter snowpack and increased soil freezing on total soil respiration and its bulk (i.e. heterotrophic) and root-rhizosphere components. Snow removal increased soil freezing severity by more than three-fold, which resulted in a 27.6% increase in annual total soil respiration (p?=?0.058). Across our plots and years of this study, we found that the severity, rather than simply the presence of soil freezing, was the primary driver of the soil respiration response to reduced winter snowpack. Bulk soil respiration made the largest contribution to total soil respiration with root-rhizosphere respiration contributing up to 26.1?±?6.5% of total soil respiration across plot types and years. Snow removal significantly increased fine root mortality (p?=?0.03), which was positively correlated with soil frost depth and duration (p?=?0.068, \({\text{R}}_{{{\text{LMM}}(m)}}^{ 2}\)?=?0.46), rates of total soil respiration (p?=?0.075; \({\text{R}}_{{{\text{LMM}}(m)}}^{ 2}\)?=?0.27) and the contribution of root-rhizosphere respiration to total soil respiration (p?=?0.004; \({\text{R}}_{{{\text{LMM}}(m)}}^{ 2}\)?=?0.58). We conclude that increased rates of soil respiration in response to soil freezing are driven by plant-mediated processes, whereby soil frost-induced root mortality stimulates respiration through decomposition of root necromass with additional enhancements possibly related to priming of soil organic matter decomposition and elevated rates of root respiration associated with growth.