水坝运行对山下水库中苍鹭的食物组成、采食区内种群数量及采食区域变化的影响

与水库水位低、繁殖群已经形成的2000-2001年相比, 苍鹭(Ardea cinerea) 的种群数量在水位正常、尚未繁殖的1990-1991年相对较低。该种鸟类在水库的3个地点取食。1990-1991年的8 月或9 月, 其数量达到最高值, 并有较高比例的个体出现在水库深水区的平坦的岸边。2000-2001 年的数量高峰在6 月份, 有大量的觅食个体出现在回水区, 在那里形成了新的生境(水塘、浅水区和沙洲)。苍鹭迁离或飞往繁殖地的活动在早晨或中午之前强于中午或下午。在其食物中共鉴别出17种鱼类, 其中数量最多的是圆鳍雅罗鱼和拟鲤。在苍鹭食物中, 游动性鱼类比例较高(2001年占32%, 2003年占25%), 表明它是在河流和水库之间的生态交错区取食的。所捕食鱼类的全长为4 cm到33 cm, 生物量在2-406 g之间。在2001 年和2003 年苍鹭食物中鱼类的全长未见明显差异。     

What drives long‐distance movements in the nomadic Grey Teal Anas gracilis in Australia?

In contrast to northern temperate environments, where day length and temperature changes are obvious proximate cues for movement to resource-rich breeding habitats, the cues for movement used by birds in an often resource-poor, stochastic environment are less obvious. We recorded long-distance movements of 23 Grey Teal Anas gracilis using satellite telemetry for up to 879 days and examined the relationship between those movements and environmental factors, such as heavy rainfall and flooding, at the destination site. We identified 32 long-distance (> 150 km) movements that met our criterion for minimally interrupted flight between origin and destination. Thirteen of these flights coincided with rainfall and/or flooding events up to 1050 km from the origin. However, some ducks moved without any clear beneficial conditions at the destination onto small wetlands in regions with little surface water. The data suggest that there are two types of long-distance movement – ranging and directed. These flights occurred over distances up to 1200 km across the arid inland. The rates and distances of movement suggest that long-distance movements of Grey Teal entail high energy costs as in waterfowl elsewhere. We conclude that the proximate controls of directed movements need not be very different from those of their temperate counterparts.     

Regulation of isoprene synthase promoter by environmental and internal factors

Isoprene synthase (ISPS) catalyzes the formation of isoprene, an important volatile terpenoid with strong effects on global atmospheric chemistry and protective physiological functions in plant leaves. Many terpene synthase genes including isoprene synthase, a member of the TPS-b cluster of this numerous gene family, were already functionally analysed but much less is known about regulation of their promoters. To study regulation of the PcISPS gene in detail we developed transgenic Grey poplar (Populus × canescens) and Arabidopsis thaliana plants in which the PcISPS promoter is fused to enhanced green fluorescent protein (E-GFP) and β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter genes. We analysed these reporters during plant development, for organ specificity and in plants subjected to different light and temperature regimes. We observed low promoter activity in non-isoprene emitting tissue like roots where ISPS gene is transcribed but no active enzyme is detectable. In leaves we demonstrate that light and temperature directly modulate ISPS promoter activity. Moreover, with confocal laser scanning microscopy we show a cell specific gradient of ISPS promoter activity within the leaf parenchyma depending on light direction. Our results indicate that ISPS promoter activity, which correlates with basal isoprene emission capacity, is not uniformly distributed within leaf tissue and that it can adapt rapidly towards internal as well as external environmental stimuli.     

The permeability of highway in Gorski kotar (Croatia) for large mammals

The highway from Zagreb to Rijeka stretches 68.5 km through a wildlife core area in Gorski kotar (Croatia). It has 43 viaducts and tunnels, and one specifically constructed (100 m wide) green bridge (Dedin). One quarter of the total highway length consists of possible crossing structures. At Dedin green bridge, a total of 12,519 crossings have been recorded during 793 different days of active infrared monitors being in operation, or 15.8 crossings per day. Two monitored tunnel overpasses had 11.2 and 37.0 crossings per day, respectively, whilst 4.3 crossings occurred per day under one monitored viaduct. Of those crossings, 83.2% were by ungulates and 14.6% by large carnivores. Radio-tracked large carnivores, brown bear (Ursus arctos), grey wolf (Canis lupus) and Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), expressed strong positive selection for tunnels and viaducts, whilst avoiding small underpasses or bridges. Selection for the use of Dedin green bridge was equal to its availability. We conclude that this green bridge, constructed as a measure to mitigate the negative effects of the studied highway, served its purpose acceptably. Territorial and dispersing radio-tracked large carnivores crossed the highway 41 times, using both sides of the highway as parts of their home ranges. Overall, the highway in Gorski kotar does not seem to be a barrier. This demonstrates that it is possible to maintain habitat connectivity during the process of planning the highway route.     

Microsatellite and mtDNA analysis of the population structure of grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) from three breeding areas in the Baltic Sea

The growing number of grey seals in the Baltic Sea has led to a dramatic increase in interactions between seals and fisheries. The conflict has become such a problem that hunting was introduced in Finland in 1998 and the Swedish Environment Protection Agency recommended a cull of grey seals starting in 2001. Culling has been implemented despite the lack of data on population structure. Low levels of migration between regions would mean that intensive culling in specific geographic areas would have disproportionate effects on local population structure and genetic diversity. We used eight microsatellite loci and a 489 bp section of the mtDNA control region to examine the genetic variability and differentiation between three breeding sites in the Baltic Sea and two in the UK. We found high levels of genetic variability in all sampled Baltic groups for both the microsatellites and the control region. There were highly significant differences in microsatellite allele frequencies between all three Baltic breeding sites and between the Baltic sites and the UK sites. However, there were no significant differences in mtDNA control region haplotypes between the Baltic sites. This genetic substructure of the Baltic grey seal populations should be taken into consideration when managing the seal population to prevent the hunting regime from having an adverse effect on genetic diversity by setting hunting quotas separately for the different subpopulations. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The Impact of Animal Welfare Advertising on Opposition to the Canadian Seal Hunt and Willingness to Boycott the Canadian Seafood Industry

The purpose of this research was to measure and compare the initial and carryover effects of a video advertisement developed by an animal welfare organization, namely Harpseals. org. The ad was designed to educate the public about an egregious act against wildlife (i.e., the Canadian seal hunt), increase opposition to this act, and recruit participation to boycott the industry (i.e., the Canadian seafood industry). After initial opposition to the egregious act had been measured, respondents were exposed to the ad, and subsequently asked again about their opposition to the seal hunt as well as their willingness to join the Canadian Seafood Boycott. About two months later, a follow-up study investigated whether the respondents' opposition to the seal hunt and their participation in the Canadian Seafood Boycott were still affected by the advertisement to which they had been exposed during the first contact. The results show that respondents' level of opposition to the seal hunt—even though it had somewhat leveled off in two months—was still significantly higher (42% higher) than before respondents had been exposed to the advertisement. The results further show that the single exposure to the ad increased boycott participation from 3.1% (as measured in December 2010) to 13.8% (as reported in February/March 2011), an increase of 350%.     

Field evidence for apparent competition mediated via the shared parasites of two gamebird species

Although apparent competition mediated via shared parasites is potentially an important force influencing community structure, there is limited evidence to demonstrate its occurrence in the field. Here we show that the intensity of infection by the caecal nematode Heterakis gallinarum picked up by naive grey partridges, both maintained in pens and released on six gamebird estates in the UK, is significantly correlated with the intensity of infection recorded in the previous year from pheasants on those estates. Furthermore, the worm burdens picked up appeared to be sufficient to negatively influence host condition. These results provide evidence that infection from pheasants determines the worm burdens of partridges in the field, supporting the hypothesis that parasite-mediated apparent competition with the pheasant may be a factor influencing the decline and subsequent recovery of wild grey partridges.     

基于PSR模型的凌河口湿地生态系统健康评价与预警研究

凌河口湿地自然保护区是辽河流域主要的湿地保护区域。选取1995年、2000年、2005年、2009年和2014年TM影像作为研究的数据源,在3S技术平台支撑下构建了凌河口湿地空间信息数据库,获取了5个时期的景观格局指数。运用PSR数学模型,从压力、状态、响应3个方面选取10个评价指数,构建了凌河口湿地生态系统健康评价指标体系;采用AHP方法确定各项指标权重指数,应用逻辑斯蒂增长模型(Logistic growth model)对各个单项指标进行单因子评价,最后用计算CEI的综合评价法对5个时期湿地的生态健康情况进行综合评价。结果表明:1995年、2000年生态系统健康指数为0.642、0.617,凌河口湿地生态系统状态为比较健康;2005年、2009年和2014年生态健康指数为0.524、0.436和0.405,凌河口湿地生态系统处于亚健康的状态,应及时采取措施对该研究区进行生态系统保护。最后通过选取基于灰色系统理论的预测模型,构建凌河口湿地生态健康预测模型GM(1,1),对模型进行精度检验,发现灰色绝对关联度、后验差比值和小误差概率的精度检验等级均为一级,预测模型精度较为理想,因此采用GM(1,1)模型对凌河口湿地进行生态系统健康预测研究。预测结果表明:未来20年的湿地生态健康值分别为:0.357、0.321、0.291、0.267,研究区处于一般病态,并有向病态发展的趋势,生态健康面临愈来愈严重的威胁,对湿地进行保护和管理刻不容缓。     

天敌对麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜种群数量影响程度的分析

通过对１９９３～１９９６年两种麦蚜种群数量及其天敌数量的系统调查,并采用灰色关联分析法,研究各种天敌对两种麦蚜种群数量的影响程度,得出对麦长管蚜种群数量影响最大的是龟纹瓢虫、蚜茧蜂和食蚜蝇;对麦二叉蚜种群数量影响最大的是草间小黑蛛,其次是龟纹瓢虫．