北京小龙门自然保护区四种苔藓鸟巢的观察

2004年8月20～22日在北京小龙门自然保护区,分别对宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）、黄眉姬鹪（Ficedula narcissina）、白腹蓝鸫（Cyanoptila cyanomelana）和北红尾鸲（Phoenicurusauroreus）4种鸟的鸟巢的结构和巢材进行了观察,发现他们均用藓类植物作为巢材。经过鉴定,这些藓类植物共7种,分属于4科,其中最多是小牛舌藓（Anomodon minor）。该文还对巢材中藓类植物的分布、生物学特性和鸟类取材的行为等进行了初步分析。     

CULTURAL INHERITANCE AS A MECHANISM FOR POPULATION SEX-RATIO BIAS IN REPTILES

Abstract.— Although natural populations of most species exhibit a 1:1 sex ratio, biased sex ratios are known to be associated with non‐Mendelian inheritance, as in sex‐linked meiotic drive and cytoplasmic inheritance (Charnov 1982; Hurst 1993). We show how cultural inheritance, another type of non‐Mendelian inheritance, can favor skewed primary sex ratios and propose that it may explain the female‐biased sex ratios commonly observed in reptiles with environmental sex determination (ESD). Like cytoplasmic elements, cultural traits can be inherited through one sex. This, in turn, favors skewing the primary sex allocation in favor of the transmitting sex. Female nest‐site philopatry is a sex‐specific, culturally inherited trait in many reptiles with ESD and highly female‐biased sex ratios. We propose that the association of nest‐site selection with ESD facilitates the maternal manipulation of offspring sex ratios toward females.     

Botanical and Topographical Factors Influencing Nesting-Site Selection by Chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest,Uganda

We examined the relative importance of various botanical and topographical factors that influence nesting-site selection by chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Kalinzu Forest of Uganda. All of them—vegetation type; topographical features; frequency of preferred tree species; frequency of preferred tree size; fruit abundance—significantly influenced nesting-site selection. Fruit abundance and vegetation type had much stronger influences on site selection than the other factors did. In a dense forest environment like the Kalinzu Forest, the local and seasonal distributions of chimpanzee nests seem to reflect the pattern of home range use for feeding.     

浙江五峙山列岛黄嘴白鹭的巢位选择研究

黄嘴白鹭(Egretta eulophotes)是全球性受威胁鸟类。2005年7月, 我们在浙江五峙山列岛对黄嘴白鹭的巢位选择进行了研究, 共测量了74个巢。研究发现, 在0.99 hm2的馒头山小岛上, 黄嘴白鹭的巢呈聚集性分布, 平均巢间距为119.6 cm, 最小巢间距为15 cm。黄嘴白鹭对巢位具有明显的选择性, 优先选择在灌丛, 尤其是那些相对较高的灌丛(高于50 cm)下营巢, 其次是较低的灌木(低于64 cm)内部和草丛上。多数巢存在遮蔽物。避风和遮荫是黄嘴白鹭巢位选择的主要要求。台风是决定五峙山列岛黄嘴白鹭巢位选择的最主要因素, 而高灌木的数量直接影响五峙山列岛黄嘴白鹭的繁殖成功和今后的资源状况。     

Conformity to Bergmann's rule in birds depends on nest design and migration

Ecogeographical rules attempt to explain large‐scale spatial patterns in biological traits. One of the most enduring examples is Bergmann''s rule, which states that species should be larger in colder climates due to the thermoregulatory advantages of larger body size. Support for Bergmann''s rule, however, is not consistent across taxonomic groups, raising questions about what factors may moderate its effect. Behavior may play a crucial, yet so far underexplored, role in mediating the extent to which species are subject to environmental selection pressures in colder climates. Here, we tested the hypothesis that nest design and migration influence conformity to Bergmann''s rule in a phylogenetic comparative analysis of the birds of the Western Palearctic, a group encompassing dramatic variation in both climate and body mass. We predicted that migratory species and those with more protected nest designs would conform less to the rule than sedentary species and those with more exposed nests. We find that sedentary, but not short‐ or long‐distance migrating, species are larger in colder climates. Among sedentary species, conformity to Bergmann''s rule depends, further, on nest design: Species with open nests, in which parents and offspring are most exposed to adverse climatic conditions during breeding, conform most strongly to the rule. Our findings suggest that enclosed nests and migration enable small birds to breed in colder environments than their body size would otherwise allow. Therefore, we conclude that behavior can substantially modify species’ responses to environmental selection pressures.     

Benefits of communal breeding in burying beetles: a field experiment

1. The ultimate causes of communal breeding and joint parental care in various species of Nicrophorus burying beetles have not been resolved satisfactorily. One hypothesis suggests that females remain on the carcass for extended periods of time because joint defence affords them improved probabilities of retaining the carcass successfully in the face of intense competition from intra‐generic competitors. 2. In a field experiment designed to test this hypothesis in N. defodiens (Mannerheim), breeding associations of two females and a male were no more successful at retaining their carcass than were monogamous pairs, lending no support to the hypothesis. 3. Intra‐generic intruders that usurped already‐buried carcasses were typically much larger than the original residents. 4. The body size of original residents affected both the burial depth and the probability of a takeover. Larger beetles buried the carcass deeper and were more likely to retain possession of the carcass. Group composition also did not affect the depth at which carcasses were buried. 5. Severe and even fatal injuries incurred by some residents indicated the occurrence of violent and damaging fights between competitors over carcasses in the field.     

Seedling recruitment in a semi‐arid Patagonian steppe: Facilitative effects of refuse dumps of leaf‐cutting ants

Question: What is the influence of refuse dumps of leaf‐cutting ants on seedling recruitment under contrasting moisture conditions in a semi‐arid steppe? Location: Northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Methods: In a greenhouse experiment, we monitored seedling recruitment in soil samples from refuse dumps of nests of the leaf‐cutting ant Acromyrmex lobicornis and non‐nest sites, under contrasting moisture conditions simulating wet and dry growing seasons. Results: The mean number of seedling species and individuals were higher in wet than in dry plots, and higher in refuse dump plots than in non‐nest soil plots. The positive effect of refuse dumps on seedling recruitment was greater under low moisture conditions. Both the accumulation of discarded seeds by leaf‐cutting ants and the passive trapping of blowing‐seeds seems not explain the increased number of seeds in refuse dumps. Conversely, refuse dumps have higher water retention capacity and nutrient content than adjacent non‐nest soils, allowing the recruitment of a greater number of species and individual seedlings. Conclusions: Nests of A. lobicornis may play an important role in plant recruitment in the study area, allowing a greater number of seedlings and species to be present, hence resulting in a more diverse community. Moreover, leaf‐cutting ant nests may function as nurse elements, generating safe sites that enhance the performance of neighbouring seedlings mainly during the driest, stressful periods.