Natal dispersal of Whooping Cranes in the reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population

Natal dispersal is a key demographic process for evaluating the population rate of change, especially for long‐lived, highly mobile species. This process is largely unknown for reintroduced populations of endangered avian species. We evaluated natal dispersal distances (NDD) for male and female Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) introduced into two locations in central Wisconsin (Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, or NNWR, and the Eastern Rectangle, or ER) using a series of demographic, spatial, and life history‐related covariates. Data were analyzed using gamma regression models with a log‐link function and compared using Akaike information criterion corrected for small sample sizes (AIC_c). Whooping Cranes released in the ER dispersed 261% further than those released into NNWR, dispersal distance increased 4% for each additional nesting pair, decreased about 24% for males as compared to females, increased by 21% for inexperienced pairs, and decreased by 3% for each additional year of age. Natal philopatry, habitat availability or suitability, and competition for breeding territories may be influencing observed patterns of NDD. Whooping Cranes released in the ER may exhibit longer NDD due to fragmented habitat or conspecific attraction to established breeding pairs at NNWR. Additionally, sex‐biased dispersal may be increasing in this population as there are more individuals from different natal sites forming breeding pairs. As the population grows and continues to disperse, the drivers of NDD patterns may change based on individual or population behavior.     

笼养丹顶鹤成体与亚成体血液生理生化指标比较

为了揭示丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis)不同年龄和性别个体之间血液生理生化指标的差异性,对沈阳动物园42只笼养丹顶鹤(成体24只,亚成体18只)的15项血液生化指标和13项血液生理指标进行了比较。所测得的血液生理生化指标在不同性别之间不存在显著差异(P0.05)。血清肌酐成体(37.05±17.03)mmol/L、亚成体(22.57±11.68)mmol/L,血清尿酸成体(878.22±514.41)mmol/L、亚成体(426.17±207.74)mmol/L,血清甘油三酯成体(7.73±4.75)mmol/L、亚成体(3.51±4.07)mmol/L,这3项指标均为成体高于亚成体,差异性显著(P0.05)。这几项指标的变化表明,丹顶鹤在成体和亚成体时期采取了相同或不同的生态适应策略。     

哈拉海湿地丹顶鹤现状、受胁原因及保护

2000年4月至5月对哈拉海湿地丹顶鹤的数量、分布、现状进行了调查,共统计到迁徙丹顶鹤120只次,丹顶鹤夏季种群为14只;其中繁殖个体为10只,另有4只亚成体,此外对本区丹顶鹤受胁原因进行了分析并提出了保护措施。     

鄱阳湖围垦区藕塘生境小天鹅与白鹤的种间关系

鄱阳湖是小天鹅（Cygnus columbianus）和白鹤（Leucogeranus leucogeranus）极为重要的越冬地,它们均主要以沉水植物苦草（Vallisneriaspp.）冬芽为食,且通过觅食空间生态位分化减少种间竞争。近年来,鄱阳湖苦草冬芽锐减导致大量小天鹅和白鹤由自然生境转移到南昌五星白鹤保护小区的藕塘觅食。大量小天鹅和白鹤集中在小片藕塘觅食可能导致种间竞争强度增加。因此,本研究以五星白鹤保护小区藕塘为研究地点,于2021年11月10日至25日,采用瞬时扫描法和焦点动物法调查了藕塘与白鹤混群和不与白鹤混群时小天鹅的日间行为、单次取食时间和每分钟摄食成功频次,并采用单因素方差分析或Mann-WhitneyU检验对数据进行统计分析。结果表明,小天鹅日间行为主要以觅食（45.59%）、运动（17.05%）和休息（15.92%）为主。小天鹅和白鹤混群时的觅食行为比例和单次觅食时间显著高于不混群时,表明小天鹅主要通过增加觅食时间以应对种间竞争的负面影响,满足能量需求。小天鹅混群时的每分钟摄食成功频次显著高于不混群时,这可能是由于小天鹅通过摆动脚蹼或者扁平喙啄食的方式较难取食...     

灰冠鹤雏鸟的生长发育

1999~2000年对哈尔滨动物园8只灰冠鹤(Balerica regulorum)雏鸟的生长发育进行了观察,并对雏鹤恒温能力的发育进行测定。发现灰冠鹤体重、嘴峰、跗跖和翼4个生长指标的增长曲线均呈“S”型。利用Logistic、Gompertz和Von Bertalanffy生长曲线分别对其进行回归分析,发现3种曲线的回归效果均较好,其中Logistic曲线的回归效果最佳。显示出雏鹤外部体征发育呈现一定的顺序,符合重要功能优先发育的原则。灰冠鹤雏鸟的体温调节能力在5~10日龄发育最快,到40日龄体温基本恒定,达到成鸟体温。根据灰冠鹤的发育规律,可将其生长分为4个阶段:(1)0~5日龄,体重下降,体温调节能力很低;(2)6~30日龄,体重开始增长,嘴峰增长速度达到顶峰,体温调节能力明显增强;(3)31~80日龄,体重、跗跖和翼快速生长,体温基本恒定;(4)81~135日龄(离巢),体重及各外部体征的生长都很缓慢,体型已接近成体,不断完善身体各部的机能。     

江苏盐城国家级珍禽自然保护区丹顶鹤的承载力

江苏盐城沿海滩涂地区是世界上最大的丹顶鹤(G rus jap onensis)越冬地。如今全球的丹顶鹤仅约2700只,而每年在此越冬的丹顶鹤接近世界野生个体总数的一半。因此,盐城滩涂的环境状况对于保护该物种的意义不言而喻。该地区能够容纳承养多少丹顶鹤?这是一个关键性的问题。此前尚无人就盐城滩涂对丹顶鹤的承载力作过详细分析。处于保护下的野生动物应按照“生态承载力”来分析其容纳量。由于滩涂上水源较充足,食物和隐蔽物就是丹顶鹤对生境的主要两方面需求,也即限制因子。根据2004~2005年越冬期统计的鹤数及其分布,运用N eu方法分析丹顶鹤对盐城8种不同栖息地的选择性,结果显示它们最偏爱的生境是稻田和草滩,可以栖息在芦苇(P hragm ites comm un is)地、淡水养殖塘或大米草滩,而回避的生境是泥滩、盐田、盐地碱蓬(Suaed a sa lsa)滩。之后,作者用“热量法”计算了射阳基地圈养丹顶鹤的饲料成分,基本符合营养定额标准;而人工投放的玉米饲料难以保障野生鹤的生存。又按“重量法”,以丹顶鹤对各生境的利用程度为权重,估算得盐城保护区可利用的食物总量远远大于鹤群一个越冬期所需量,表明食物并非生境的决定性因子。此外,作者分析了丹顶鹤对各种主要食物的选择性,发现植物在食物总量中占比例极小,但其喜爱的食物却是植物性的稻谷和人工的玉米饲料。总而言之,其种群喜爱居留在淤长型海岸带及食物量大、距道路(人类活动)远、盐度小的栖息地。核心生境丹顶鹤的分布密度约0.8~2.5只/km2,则1000km2最适宜生境的容纳量为800~2500只;实际上,近10a来80%~90%的鹤群分布收缩在核心区与缓冲区(面积共641km2),则整个保护区容纳量为570~2004只。结合这两方面考虑,作者预测盐城保护区的丹顶鹤承载力为2000~2500只,目前其数量未达饱和,种群还将增长。     

丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis)东、西种群巢址选择的分异

丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis) 大陆种群以布列亚山-小兴安岭-张广才岭为界分为东、西两部分.2004～2005年,通过实地测量丹顶鹤东、西种群主要繁殖地的31处巢址的生境因子并进行统计学分析发现:丹顶鹤东、西种群巢址的芦苇密度、苇丛面积及巢距干扰源距离的差异显著(P﹤0.05);采用系统聚类分析的方法可将位于5 个保护区的丹顶鹤巢分成两类,且两类鹤巢分属东、西种群;丹顶鹤东、西种群巢址选择的分异不仅表现在单个生境因子的数量差别,还表现为群体采取不同的隐蔽对策;丹顶鹤东、西种群营巢对水深和芦苇高度的选择稳定一致.生境丧失作为外因通过丹顶鹤的"K生活史"特征起作用,导致丹顶鹤东、西种群的巢址选择具有群体特征.     

Cloning,expression and antiviral bioactivity of Red-crowned Crane interferon-α

Interferon-α (IFN-α) genes have been cloned from a variety of animals, but information regarding crane IFN-α has not been reported to date. In this study, we cloned a full-length Red-crowned Crane interferon-α (crIFN-α) gene sequence consisting of a 486 bp partial 5′ UTR, 741 bp complete ORF and 559 bp partial 3′ UTR. This gene encodes a protein of 246 amino acids and shares 60 to 80% identity with avian IFN-α and less than 45% identity with mammalian IFN-α. The expression of crIFN-α with an N-terminal His-tag was investigated in Escherichia coli, and the protein was purified on a nickel column. To obtain activated proteins, crIFN-α inclusion bodies were renatured by dialysis. In vitro cytopathic inhibition assays indicated that the recombinant crIFN-α could inhibit the replication of vesicular stomatitis virus in chicken fibroblasts. These antiviral activities were abrogated by rabbit anti-crIFN-α antibodies in vitro. In addition, an immunofluorescence assay indicated that crIFN-α could be expressed in chicken fibroblasts and was primarily located in the cytoplasm. Taken together, our results suggest that the crIFN-α gene may play an important role in inhibiting the replication of viruses.     

东昆仑-阿尔金山地区黑颈鹤种群分布与秋季数量变化

黑颈鹤(Grus nigricollis)是青藏高原特有物种,在新疆主要分布在与青海、西藏相邻的阿尔金山、东昆仑山地区。2011年9～11月,对该地区黑颈鹤的分布、种群大小、数量变化、生存状况等进行了详细调查。在乌尊硝尔、铁木里克乡、玉素甫阿勒克、鸭子泉、阿达滩、祁曼塔格乡、吐拉牧场等25个样点,都观察到有黑颈鹤分布。利用样点调查法和直接计数法,重复调查164次,共记录到黑颈鹤158只。其中,在依协克帕提湿地(N37°15'～37°23',E90°11'～90°20',海拔3 903 m)最多一次记录到126只黑颈鹤集群。结合早期的科学考察记录,推测在整个东昆仑-阿尔金山地区共有黑颈鹤220～260只左右。黑颈鹤家庭成员数量为1～4只,4种类型的家庭所占比例分别为5.9%、60.3%、29.4%和4.4%。在10月份之前,主要以家庭为单位活动;10月中旬,开始大规模集群,10月29日集群数量达到最高峰,并开始迁徙;11月6日黑颈鹤全部迁徙离开。此外,还观察到有少量的灰鹤(G.grus)和蓑羽鹤(Anthropoides virgo)与黑颈鹤混居在一起。     

Ostéologie et affinités de Trematochampsa taqueti (Crocodylia,Mesosuchia) du Sénonien inférieur d'In Beceten (République du Niger)

Among the abundant remains of Mesosuchia that have been yielded by the early Senonian locality of In Beceten (Niger), the most numerous belong to the species Trematochampsa taquetiBuffetaut, 1974. The osteology of this species is described here. This medium-sized crocodilian, with a moderately elongated skull, is characterized, among other features, by its antorbital fenestra, its surangular-quadratojugal articulation, its slightly displaced post-orbital pillar, its teeth with wrinkled enamel, and its amphicoelous vertebrae. In its general outlook, this animal is rather reminiscent of the Goniopholidae, from the Upper Jurassic and the Cretaceous of Laurasia, but it is more primitive than them, and resemblances are probably due to convergence phenomena. The family Trematochampsidae is probably essentially Gondwanian, and could persist until the Senonian thanks to a certain isolation from Laurasia, where more progressive Crocodylia became predominant much earlier than in Africa and South America.