Heard but not seen: an acoustic survey of the African forest elephant population at Kakum Conservation Area, Ghana

This study, designed to survey forest elephants ( Loxodonta africana cyclotis ) at Kakum Conservation Area, Ghana, is the first to apply acoustic methods to elephant abundance estimation and to compare results with independent survey estimates. Nine acoustic sensors gathered sound continuously for 38 days. Low-frequency calling rates have been established as useful elephant abundance indices at a Namibian watering hole and a central African forest clearing. In this study, we estimated elephant population size by applying an abundance index model and detection function developed in central Africa to data from simultaneous sampling periods on Kakum sensors. The sensor array recorded an average of 1.81 calls per 20-min sampling period from an effective detection area averaging 10.27 km². The resulting estimate of 294 elephants (95% CI: 259–329) falls within confidence bounds of recent dung-based surveys. An extended acoustic model, estimating the frequency with which elephants are silent when present, yields an estimate of 350 elephants (95% CI: 315–384). Acoustic survey confidence intervals are at least half as wide as those from dung-based surveys. This study demonstrates that acoustic surveying is a valuable tool for estimating elephant abundance, as well as for detecting other vocal species and anthropogenic noises that may be associated with poaching.     

Long‐distance signals influence assessment of close range mating displays in the field cricket,Gryllus integer

Male sexual displays often include components detected across long distances, and those perceived only at close range. Understanding what information females gain from each component of a complex display and how they use these signals to make decisions are questions of major interest in sexual selection research. We evaluated content‐based hypotheses (‘redundant signals’ and ‘multiple messages’) for the courtship displays of field crickets (Gryllus integer) by measuring female responses to males' long‐distance calling song (calls) and close‐range chemical cues. Females' responses to a male's calls and chemical cues were uncorrelated, supporting the ‘multiple messages’ hypothesis. We also tested the ‘inter‐signal interaction’ hypothesis by investigating how long‐distance calls influence evaluation of close‐range courtship. The relationship between long‐ and close‐range signals was complex and conditional: females accepted close‐range courtship more quickly after exposure to attractive calling song than they did after exposure to either unattractive calling song or silence, and unattractive calls were no more or less effective than silence. This inter‐signal interaction could affect our understanding of mate choice in species with multiple mating signals because it implies that females may save time and energy by not assessing the close‐range signals of attractive long‐distance signalers. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 100 , 856–865.     

豚鹿血液细胞和血液化学指标测定

应用Sysmex F-820血球计数仪和Olympus AU400全自动生化分析仪,对成都动物园圈养的16只豚鹿的46个血液样本进行血液细胞及血液化学43项指标检测,并对成体、亚成体及幼体进行统计分析,建立了一个参考指标.这对豚鹿的疾病诊断和繁育研究具有重要的意义.     

Duetting in insects – does call length influence reply latency?

A meta-analysis of the duetting patterns of insect taxa that signal by bioluminescence, substrate vibration, or sound was used to test the prediction that call length by the initiating male influences the latency of reply of the female. There was a significant and positive relationship between these two measures. Although tests on the entire dataset did not consider phylogeny, when all members of one sub-family of bushcricket, the Phaneropterinae, were isolated there was a significant and positive relationship between call length and reply latency. Two explanations are suggested. First, the female must wait for the conclusion of a long and potentially variable message; there is uncertainty as to when the call has finished before she can reply. Second, is the requirement of the female to process information; a longer male call, with more information requires more processing than a brief call. The authors suggest that long reply latencies may be vulnerable to intrusion by competing mates. One defensive tactic of potential female partners is to insert a trigger pulse that indicates to the female when the long and complex call has concluded. This behaviour may be considered as acoustic mate guarding and one example is given of this behaviour.     

Seasonal ultrasonic acoustic emissions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus ilex</Emphasis> L. trees in a Mediterranean forest

Ultrasonic acoustic emissions were measured in Quercus ilex trees of a Mediterranean forest in Catalonia (NE Spain) each season from summer of 2004 to autumn of 2005. Acoustic emissions were maximum during hot and dry summer periods. Acoustic emissions started below 17% soil moisture, 0.85 RWC, and 2.5 MPa leaf water potential. They were negatively correlated with soil moisture and leaf water potential. The relationship between acoustic emissions and leaf water potential was the strongest, indicating that xylem tension is the most important factor inducing both cavitation (acoustic emissions) and a decrease in leaf water potential. Future increase of xylem cavitation derived from climate change may result in growth and survival limitations for this species in the drier southern limits of its current distribution.     

Responses of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise

• 1 Since the last thorough review of the effects of anthropogenic noise on cetaceans in 1995, a substantial number of research reports has been published and our ability to document response(s), or the lack thereof, has improved. While rigorous measurement of responses remains important, there is an increased need to interpret observed actions in the context of population‐level consequences and acceptable exposure levels. There has been little change in the sources of noise, with the notable addition of noise from wind farms and novel acoustic deterrent and harassment devices (ADDs/AHDs). Overall, the noise sources of primary concern are ships, seismic exploration, sonars of all types and some AHDs.
• 2 Responses to noise fall into three main categories: behavioural, acoustic and physiological. We reviewed reports of the first two exhaustively, reviewing all peer‐reviewed literature since 1995 with exceptions only for emerging subjects. Furthermore, we fully review only those studies for which received sound characteristics (amplitude and frequency) are reported, because interpreting what elicits responses or lack of responses is impossible without this exposure information. Behavioural responses include changes in surfacing, diving and heading patterns. Acoustic responses include changes in type or timing of vocalizations relative to the noise source. For physiological responses we address the issues of auditory threshold shifts and ‘stress’, albeit in a more limited capacity; a thorough review of physiological consequences is beyond the scope of this paper.
• 3 Overall, we found significant progress in the documentation of responses of cetaceans to various noise sources. However, we are concerned about the lack of investigation into the potential effects of prevalent noise sources such as commercial sonars, depth finders and fisheries acoustics gear. Furthermore, we were surprised at the number of experiments that failed to report any information about the sound exposure experienced by their experimental subjects. Conducting experiments with cetaceans is challenging and opportunities are limited, so use of the latter should be maximized and include rigorous measurements and or modelling of exposure.

     

菊苣提取物和菊粉降脂活性研究

以300日龄商品代尼克T粉壳蛋鸡为试验动物,研究了菊苣提取物和菊粉对血清脂质、蛋黄总脂和胆固醇的影响.结果显示,0.1%菊苣提取物组、2.0%菊苣提取物组和0.1%菊粉组血清胆固醇(TC)、甘油三脂(TG)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)均显著低于对照组(P<0.05),其中0.1%菊苣提取物组TC降低36.47%,TG降低40.71%,LDL-C降低36.09%,0.1%菊粉组LDL-C降低16.23%,差异极显著(P<0.01);2.0%菊苣提取物组高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)比对照组高23.19%,差异极显著(P<0.01);2.0%菊苣提取物组蛋黄总脂和蛋黄胆固醇显著降低(P<0.05).表明菊苣提取物和菊粉均具有降血脂活性,但菊苣提取物比菊粉活性更强;菊苣提取物还具有降低蛋黄总脂和胆固醇的作用.