Spatial requirements of jaguars and pumas in Southern Mexico

Understanding how large felids use space is essential for the design of conservation plans that are required for their survival. Jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) are the largest felids in the Neotropics, and they are sympatric throughout the entire range of the jaguar. However, there is very little information about the spatial requirements of these two species in the tropical rainforests of Central America. Using satellite GPS collars, we compared the spatial ecology of jaguars and pumas in a tropical rainforest in southern Mexico. We found that jaguars had home ranges that were 2–6 times larger than those of pumas. The mean annual home range was 181.4 ± 4.0 km² for female jaguars and 431.6 ± 152.6 km² for males. Annual home range for the only female puma tracked was 34.3 km², and 72.0 ± 85.2 km² for males. Jaguars and pumas with overlapping home ranges showed little overlap of core areas and avoided using the same sites at the same time, which suggested that territoriality and avoidance were in play. Further evidence of avoidance was derived from our observation that pumas exhibited greater movement during the lightest periods of the day and jaguars moved most during the darkest. This temporal separation probably facilitates coexistence. Our data suggest that habitat destruction and fragmentation has more severe effects on jaguars than on pumas. According to our estimates, patches of at least 180 km² of primary forest are required to meet the annual spatial requirements of female jaguars. Thus, to conserve jaguars in this region, large tracts of primary forest should be preserved. Importantly, this population of jaguars depends on the adequate preservation of connectivity between natural reserves in Mexico and Guatemala.     

伤害性刺激和非伤害性刺激对大鼠丘脑后核神经元电活动的影响

用微电极细胞外记录的方法,观察内脏痛、躯体痛和触觉刺激对大鼠丘脑后核(PO)中770个神经元电活动的影响,其中305(38.3％)个对伤害性刺激起反应,103(13.4％)个对触觉刺激起反应。对伤害性刺激反应的神经元中多数对躯体痛和内脏痛刺激均起反应且反应形式相同,少数反应不同或相反,对触觉刺激反应的神经元中多数也对两种伤害性刺激均起反应,只对触觉刺激反应的神经元很少。     

Contrasting Effects of Wolves and Human Hunters on Elk Behavioral Responses to Predation Risk

ABSTRACT Prey behavioral responses to predation risk in wolf-ungulate-plant systems are of interest to wildlife managers. Using Global Positioning System data collected from telemetry-collared elk (Cervus elaphus) and wolves (Canis lupus), we evaluated elk behavioral responses to spatial and temporal variation in wolf- and human-predation risk on a winter range in the Greater Yellowstone Area, USA. We found elk changed grouping patterns and increased movement rates as predation risk increased and that these behavioral changes were habitat dependent. Elk behavioral responses to wolf- and human-predation risk were similar; however, responses to human-predation risk were stronger than responses to wolf-predation risk. These results suggest that predation risk from wolves or human hunters may result in elk spending more time on private rangelands away from public-land winter ranges, which may exacerbate problems of landowner tolerance of elk on livestock pastures. However, increased movement and changing grouping patterns on winter ranges may also disperse elk grazing impacts and lessen elk impacts on any one area.     

Turkey as a crossroad for Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus: evidence from population trends and ring-resightings (Aves: Phoenicopteridae)

The Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus is a waterbird commonly found in saline and brackish lagoons throughout the Mediterranean Region. We have gathered existing data on Greater Flamingos in Turkey and carried out field surveys to present the most up to date information on wintering (1999–2014) and breeding (1969– 2014). The wintering population of flamingos shows an increasing trend with 54,947±20,794 individuals mainly concentrated in the Gediz, Büyük Menderes and Çukurova deltas, respectively. Breeding attempts were recorded in at least seven wetlands in Turkey in the past, yet after 1999 most of the colonies were abandoned due to basin scale intensive water management practices in Central Anatolia. Currently, only Tuz Lake and Gediz Delta are used as regular breeding sites, while breeding has been recorded sporadically in Ac?göl and Ak?ehir Lakes. The breeding colony of Tuz Lake is of prime importance at the Mediterranean scale, with the number of young chicks in 2011, 2012 and 2013 accounting for the highest number of fledglings in the Mediterranean Region and West Africa (18,418, 20,274 and 20,292 respectively). Finally, building upon the previous findings about Turkey and the western Mediterranean metapopulation links, recent resightings of Turkish flamingos (despite the limited numbers) confirm post-fledging and natal dispersal reaching the western Mediterranean Basin and West Africa. Flamingos from Turkey were also found to disperse to Israel and to a region outside the known flyways of the western Mediterranean and West African flamingos (i.e. to Israel and UAE). Thus, Turkey, due to its geographic position, appears to be a crossroad between the western and eastern Mediterranean Region and southwest Asia.     

The palatability of Arctic willow for greater snow geese: the role of nutrients and deterring factors

Temporary feeding on willow buds and leaves by nesting greater snow geese provided us with an opportunity to test the relative importance of nutrients and deterrents in affecting the palatability for geese of a food plant with a high phenol content. Protein, total phenol and fiber (neutral and acid detergent fiber, and lignin) were analyzed in closed and open buds and in rolled and open leaves. Geese feed on willows at the open-buds and rolled-leaf stages but not at the closed-bud and open-leaf stages. Protein content was higher in open buds and rolled leaves (25–27%) than in closed buds and open leaves (19–21%). Phenol content increased during leaf emergence but was already high (14%) in rolled leaves. All plant fibers were very high in closed buds but declined rapidly during leaf emergence. The increase in phenol: protein ratio appeared to be more important than phenol concentration alone in explaining the cessation of feeding by geese on willow leaves whereas the high fiber content of closed buds may explain why they were not eaten. Our results illustrate the value of a multifactorial approach in the study of the food selection process in herbivores.     

Winter Distribution,Movements, and Annual Survival of Radiomarked Vancouver Canada Geese in Southeast Alaska

ABSTRACT Management of Pacific Flyway Canada geese (Branta canadensis) requires information on winter distribution of different populations. Recoveries of tarsus bands from Vancouver Canada geese (B. canadensis fulva) marked in southeast Alaska, USA, ≥4 decades ago suggested that ≥83% of the population was non-migratory and that annual adult survival was high (Ŝ = 0.836). However, recovery distribution of tarsus bands was potentially biased due to geographic differences in harvest intensity in the Pacific Flyway. Also, winter distribution of Vancouver Canada geese could have shifted since the 1960s, as has occurred for some other populations of Canada geese. Because winter distribution and annual survival of this population had not recently been evaluated, we surgically implanted very high frequency radiotransmitters in 166 adult female Canada geese in southeast Alaska. We captured Vancouver Canada geese during molt at 2 sites where adults with goslings were present (breeding areas) and 2 sites where we observed nonbreeding birds only. During winter radiotracking flights in southeast Alaska, we detected 98% of 85 females marked at breeding areas and 83% of 70 females marked at nonbreeding sites, excluding 11 females that died prior to the onset of winter radiotracking. We detected no radiomarked females in coastal British Columbia, or western Washington and Oregon, USA. Most (70%) females moved ≤30 km between November and March. Our model-averaged estimate of annual survival (Ŝ = 0.844, SE = 0.050) was similar to the estimate of annual survival of geese marked from 1956 to 1960. Likely <2% of Vancouver Canada geese that nest in southeast Alaska migrate to winter areas in Oregon or Washington where they could intermix with Canada geese from other populations in the Pacific Flyway. Because annual survival of adult Vancouver Canada geese was high and showed evidence of long-term consistency, managers should examine how reproductive success and recruitment may affect the population.     

国人坐骨大切迹的测量与性别判别分析

本文对614件(男358件女256件)国人坐骨大切迹进行了八项测算。对坐骨大切迹在性别鉴定上的作用进行了探讨。     

Nesting habitat characteristics of Marbled Murrelets occurring in near‐shore waters of the Olympic Peninsula,Washington

Marbled Murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) are listed as threatened in the portion of their range extending from British Columbia to California due to loss of nesting habitat. Recovery of Marbled Murrelet populations requires a better understanding of the characteristics of their nesting habitat in this part of their range. Our objective, therefore, was to describe their nesting habitat in Washington State and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We captured Marbled Murrelets from 2004 to 2008, fitted them with radio transmitters, and followed them to nests (N = 20). We used Cohen's unbiased d effect size to assess differences between forest plots surrounding nest sites and nearby control sites (N = 18). Nest sites had less canopy cover of the dominant conifers and fewer, but larger, trees than control sites. Nest sites also had greater percentages of trees with platforms >10 cm diameter and >15 cm diameter, and more platforms of these sizes than control sites. The mean diameter at breast height of nest trees was 136.5 cm (range = 84–248 cm) and all but one nest was in dominant or co‐dominant tree species. At the landscape scale, we used vegetation maps derived from remotely sensed data and found greater canopy cover, higher density of mature trees, more platforms >10 cm/ha, and more old‐growth habitat at nest sites than at random sites. Our findings suggest that, at the site scale, nesting Marbled Murrelets selected the most suitable features of forest structure across expansive potentially suitable habitat. Our landscape‐scale analysis showed that habitat features in nesting stands differed from those features in available stands in the murrelet's range in Washington. We also found that stands with nests were less fragmented than available forest across murrelet range. All nest sites of radio‐tagged birds in Washington were in protected areas in mostly undisturbed forest habitat. Conservation of these areas of inland nesting habitat will be critical to the recovery of Marbled Murrelet populations.