Effects of tidewater on the feeding ecology of hooded crane (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Grus monacha</Emphasis>) and conservation of their wintering habitats at Chongming Dongtan,China

Dongtan (or East Tideland) on Chongming Island in China is an important wintering site of Grus monacha (hooded crane). Field observations were conducted in Dongtan in the wintering season of 2000–2001 to determine how tidal fluctuation affects the habitat use and behavior of G.monacha. Scirpus mariqueter (sea-bulrush) was the dominant species in the tidal vegetation; and its corms were the major food source for G.monacha. The corms in the outer zone (far from the dyke) were buried underground shallower than those in the inner zone (near the dyke) because of erosion by tidewater. For easy access to food, G.monacha tended to select the outer zone and the edge of tidal creeks as its foraging sites for the majority of time spent on the tideland. Regression analysis revealed that distance of the foraging sites to the dyke was correlated with tidal height. The cranes did not appear to show territorial behavior, and tended to form large-sized flocks, especially at high tide, because of the effect of the tidewater and the non-uniform distribution of food. Thus, the height of the tide is an important factor responsible for the habitat selection of G.monacha, which was also the major cause of the cranes selecting only the natural tideland at Dongtan on Chongming Island. Unfortunately, the habitats of G.monacha are limited, and even threatened, at Dongtan because the tideland is frequently reclaimed. Appropriate measures should be taken to prevent the tideland being further reclaimed, otherwise the natural wintering grounds of G.monacha will soon disappear.     

黑颈鹤(Grus nigricolus)种群生态及濒危等级评估

黑颈鹤的种群总量有５０００～６０００只个体,主要分布在青藏高原和云贵高原,分布区约２２×１０５ｋｍ２,占有面积约５４００ｋｍ２。青藏高原北部和西部为其繁殖区,越冬区主要在雅鲁藏布江河谷中段、喜马拉雅山脉南坡及云贵高原部分区域,青藏高原东部为其迁徙途径之地。越冬时以家族、同种群及混合群（主要与灰鹤Ｇｒｕｓｇｒｕｓ和斑头雁Ａｎｓｅｒｉｎｄｉｃｕｓ）形式集群活动。繁殖期分化为非繁殖群和繁殖对（Ｂｒｅｄｉｎｇｐａｉｒ）两种类型。繁殖对能否成功地占有领域是繁殖成败的关键。笔者认为该物种依ＩＵＣＮ（１９９４）标准应列为易危级（Ｖｕｌｎｅｒａｂｌｅ,ＶＵ）     

云南纳帕海黑颈鹤越冬行为与生境利用初步观察

2005年10月～2006年3月在纳帕海自然保护区对黑颈鹤越冬期行为和生境利用进行了30天观察.采用扫描取样和目标取样对黑颈鹤的行为和生境利用进行了观察.将行为划分为觅食、喂食与索食、伫立、休息、运动、保养、社群等7种.整个越冬期黑颈鹤的主要行为是觅食,觅食行为在越冬中、末期在所有行为所占比例逐渐增加.黑颈鹤的觅食行为60%以上发生在沼泽,其次是沼泽畔的草地.因此,保护好湿地沼泽对黑颈鹤在纳帕海顺利越冬极为重要.     

Relative allocation to horn and body growth in bighorn rams varies with resource availability

Males may allocate a greater proportion of metabolic resourcesto maintenance than to the development of secondary sexual characterswhen food is scarce, to avoid compromising their probabilityof survival. We assessed the effects of resource availabilityon body mass and horn growth of bighorn rams (Ovis canadensis)at Ram Mountain, Alberta, Canada over 30 years. The number ofadult ewes in the population tripled during our study, and theaverage mass of yearling females decreased by 13%. We used theaverage mass of yearling females as an index of resource availability.Yearling female mass was negatively correlated with the bodymass of rams of all ages, but it affected horn growth only duringthe first three years of life. Yearly horn growth was affectedby a complex interaction of age, body mass, and resource availability.Among rams aged 2–4 years, the heaviest individuals hadsimilar horn growth at high and at low resource availability,but as ram mass decreased, horn growth for a given body massbecame progressively smaller with decreasing resource availability.For rams aged 5–9 years, horn growth was weakly but positivelycorrelated with body mass, and rams grew slightly more hornfor a given body mass as resource availability decreased. Whenfood is limited, young rams may direct more resources to bodygrowth than to horn growth, possibly trading long-term reproductivesuccess for short-term survival. Although horn growth of olderrams appeared to be greater at low than at high resource availability,we found no correlation between early and late growth in hornlength for the same ram, suggesting that compensatory horn growthdoes not occur in our study population. Young rams with longerhorns were more likely to be shot by sport hunters than thosewith shorter horns. Trophy hunting could select against ramswith fast-growing horns.     

渗透胁迫对化感作用生物测定的影响

以加拿大蓬水提液为供体,白菜种子为受体,设计了梯度渗透、等渗溶液以及高渗透压、低化感物质浓度3组实验;通过梯度渗透试验确定受体植物可耐受的渗透势阈值,用等渗溶液排除渗透势的干扰确定植物浸提液的化感作用及其作用强度,以高渗透压、低化感物质浓度试验初步模拟自然条件下渗透势与化感物质之间的主次关系,探讨化感作用研究中培养液渗透势对试验结果的影响。结果显示,处理液渗透势在≥-0.25 MPa范围内对白菜种子萌发和幼苗生长没有显著影响;加拿大蓬水溶性物质具有化感作用,且其化感作用主要影响小白菜幼苗的生长,而对其种子萌发影响相对较小;在渗透势相同的溶液中,只要溶质中含有部分加拿大蓬水溶性物质即可对受体植物产生化感作用。研究发现,与渗透胁迫相比,化感物质是加拿大蓬水提液中影响受体植物生长发育的主要因素。     

Effect of environmental factors and precursors on oxalic acid production,mycelial biomass and virulence of a potential bioherbicide isolate of Sclerotium rolfsii SC64 produced in liquid culture

The fungus Sclerotium rolfsii is presently under development as a bioherbicide for broadleaf weed species using fungus-infested substrates as application material in this laboratory. The effect of environmental factors and three precursors (citric acid, ascorbic acid, and sodium succinate) on mycelial growth, oxalic acid production, and virulence by SC64 in liquid culture were investigated. The results showed that for mycelia growth the optimum liquid medium was Modified Richard's solution (MRS) among the five tested media, but potato dextrose broth (PDB) produced the maximum oxalic acid production and virulence on detached Solidago canadensis leaves. When PDB was used as the basic medium, the oxalic acid/mycelial dry weight (mg g^–1) ratio reached the peak 4 days after inoculation. The optimum temperature for oxalic acid production was at 27°C, but increased mycelial dry weight and virulence were observed at 30°C. The optimum range of initial pH value for oxalic acid accumulation was 4.0–6.0, with the optimal pH 5.0; highest mycelial growth was with an initial pH 3.5–6.0 (optimum pH 5.0) and subsequently pH 3.5–5.5 (maximum at pH 3.5). Both mycelial dry weight and oxalic acid production showed a decreasing trend as a result of the precursor of oxalic acid being added to PDB. Among the three precursors, the greatest decrease in mycelial dry weight, and oxalic acid production was caused by sodium succinate. This clarification of optimal conditions for production of mycelial biomass while insuring high concentrations of oxalic acid and high virulence should be useful for further development of this fungus as biocontrol agent.     

Winter Habitat Selection by Canada Lynx in Maine: Prey Abundance or Accessibility?

Abstract: We related winter habitat selection by Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), relative abundance of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), and understory stem densities to evaluate whether lynx select stands with the greatest snowshoe hare densities or the greatest prey accessibility. Lynx (3 F, 3 M) selected tall (4.4-7.3 m) regenerating clear-cuts (11-26 yr postharvest) and established partially harvested stands (11-21 yr postharvest) and selected against short (3.4-4.3 m) regenerating clear-cuts, recent partially harvested stands (1-10 yr), mature second-growth stands (>40 yr), and roads and their edges (30 m on either side of roads). Lynx selected stands that provided intermediate to high hare density and intermediate cover for hares (i.e., prey access) but exhibited lower relative preference for stand types with highest hare densities where coniferous saplings exceeded 14,000 stems/ha.     

Herbivory by Resident Geese: The Loss and Recovery of Wild Rice Along the Tidal Patuxent River

Abstract: Well known for a fall spectacle of maturing wild rice (Zizania aquatica) and migrant waterbirds, the tidal freshwater marshes of the Patuxent River, Maryland, USA, experienced a major decline in wild rice during the 1990s. We conducted experiments in 1999 and 2000 with fenced exclosures and discovered herbivory by resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis). Grazing by geese eliminated rice outside exclosures, whereas protected plants achieved greater size, density, and produced more panicles than rice occurring in natural stands. The observed loss of rice on the Patuxent River reflects both the sensitivity of this annual plant to herbivory and the destructive nature of an overabundance of resident geese on natural marsh vegetation. Recovery of rice followed 2 management actions: hunting removal of approximately 1,700 geese during a 4-year period and reestablishment of rice through a large-scale fencing and planting program.     

Diurnal regulation of photosynthesis in understory saplings

Photosynthetic rates of plants grown in natural systems exhibit diurnal patterns often characterized by an afternoon decline, even when measured under constant light and temperature conditions. Since we thought changes in the carbohydrate status could cause this pattern through feedback from starch and sucrose synthesis, we studied the natural fluctuations in photosynthesis rates of plants grown at 36 and 56 Pa CO₂ at a FACE (free-air-CO₂-enrichment) research site. Light-saturated photosynthesis varied by 40% during the day and was independent of the light-limited quantum yield of photosynthesis, which varied little through the day. Photosynthesis did not correspond with xylem water potential or leaf carbohydrate build-up, but rather with diurnal changes in air vapor-pressure deficit and light. The afternoon decline in photosynthesis also corresponded with decreased stomatal conductance and decreased Rubisco carboxylation efficiency which in turn allowed leaf-airspace CO₂ partial pressure to remain constant. Growth at elevated CO₂ did not affect the afternoon decline in photosynthesis, but did stimulate early-morning photosynthesis rates relative to the rest of the day. Plants grown at 56 Pa CO₂ had higher light-limited quantum yields than those at 36 Pa CO₂ but, there was no growth–CO₂ effect on quantum yield when measured at 2 kPa O₂. Therefore, understory plants have a high light-limited quantum yield that does not vary through the day. Thus, the major diurnal changes in photosynthesis occur under light-saturated conditions which may help understory saplings maximize their sunfleck-use-efficiency.