Sex‐related variation in migration phenology in relation to sexual dimorphism: a test of competing hypotheses for the evolution of protandry

Timing of arrival/emergence to the breeding grounds is under contrasting natural and sexual selection pressures. Because of differences in sex roles and physiology, the balance between these pressures on either sex may differ, leading to earlier male (protandry) or female (protogyny) arrival. We test several competing hypotheses for the evolution of protandry using migration data for 22 bird species, including for the first time several monochromatic ones where sexual selection is supposedly less intense. Across species, protandry positively covaried with sexual size dimorphism but not with dichromatism. Within species, there was weak evidence that males migrate earlier because, being larger, they are less susceptible to adverse conditions. Our results do not support the ‘rank advantage’ and the ‘differential susceptibility’ hypotheses, nor the ‘mate opportunity’ hypothesis, which predicts covariation of protandry with dichromatism. Conversely, they are compatible with ‘mate choice’ arguments, whereby females use condition‐dependent arrival date to assess mate quality.     

Multi-scale analysis on wintering habitat selection of Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) in Dongzhai National Nature Reserve, Henan Province, China

Reeves's Pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii), endemic to China, is an endangered species of pheasants. The wintering habitat selection by the species was investigated at three scales (10, 115 m and 250 m) in Dongzhai National Nature Reserve from 2000 to 2002. At each scale, a range of habitat variables were compared between the used and the control sites. At the smallest scale (10 m), the variables influencing wintering habitat selection were slope, tree cover, and the interaction between the cosine of slope aspect and the shrub height. At the mid-scale (115 m), the area of shrub, the area of broad-leaved forest, and the area of conifer forest were the key factors. At the largest scale (250 m), broad-leaved and conifer forest coverages and their interaction were the key factors. According to the lowest AIC and AIC_c values at the mid-scale, the characteristics at this scale were stated as the ultimate factors influencing the habitat selection of the bird. When a range of habitat variables at all scales within a multivariate regression were considerred, the most important variables were conifer forest coverage at the mid-scale, broad-leaved forest coverage, and the interaction between the conifer forest and shrub coverages at the large-scale, and the distance to beach and farmland. These results highlight the importance of multiscale analyses when habitat selection by pheasants are considerred.     

半散放丹顶鹤越冬日活动行为

2005年1月在盐城自然保护区和扎龙自然保护区观察半散放丹顶鹤(Grus japonensis)越冬行为,发现在迁徙丹顶鹤的越冬地盐城保护区,雌雄成体丹顶鹤多数日间行为(包括觅食、运动和修饰行为)无明显差异,而其行为与亚成体丹顶鹤存在一定差异。与盐城自然保护区相比,扎龙自然保护区的雄性、雌性及亚成体丹顶鹤日间的觅食、运动、修饰、静栖等行为均表现出显著差异,它们分别采用了相同或不同的行为对策来适应低温环境。     

Optimising hydrological conditions to sustain wintering waterbird populations in Poyang Lake National Natural Reserve: implications for dam operations

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Time budget and activity rhythm of wild Great Bustard in winter

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Modeling nonbreeding distributions of shorebirds and waterfowl in response to climate change

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山西平陆越冬大天鹅日间行为模式

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江西鄱阳湖流域中华秋沙鸭越冬期间的集群特征

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Behavior of early life intervals of Klamath River green sturgeon, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acipenser</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">medirostris</Emphasis>, with a note on body color

We studied ontogenetic behavior, migration, and wintering behavior of young Klamath River green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris, in the laboratory to provide insight into likely behavior of wild sturgeon. Hatchling free embryos preferred cover but were poor swimmers and could not move farther than a few centimeters to cover. The poor swimming ability and cover preference of hatchlings suggests evolution for habitat selection of females to place eggs in habitat with cover for eggs (and hatchlings), and for egg characteristics (large, dense, and weakly adhesive) to cause rapid sinking into cover without drifting. A day or so after fish developed into larvae (first life interval feeding exogenously), day-12 larvae initiated a 12-day downstream nocturnal migration. A totally nocturnal migration is unlike other Acipenser migrants yet studied. Migrant larvae had a dark-colored body typical of other Acipenser species that migrate as larvae. Tail color was a dark black (black-tail phenotype) only during the early larva period, suggesting a morphological adaptation for migration, foraging, or both. Post-migrant larvae and early juveniles to day 84 foraged diurnally with a nocturnal activity peak. Day 110–181 juveniles moved downstream at night until water temperature decreased to about 8°C, indicating wild juveniles migrate downstream to wintering habitat. Habitat preference of month 9–10 wintering juveniles suggests wild juveniles are in deep pools with low light and some rock structure. Wintering juveniles were only active at night. Initiation and cessation of daily activity was at dusk and dawn during illumination changes of <1.0lx. This sensitivity to illumination has not been found before in sturgeons. During the first 10months of life, nocturnal activity of early life intervals is a dominant feature of migration, foraging, and wintering.     

气候变化背景下中国南方地区季节性干旱特征与适应Ⅱ.基于作物水分亏缺指数的越冬粮油作物干旱时空特征

近年来中国南方地区的季节性干旱频繁发生,对当地越冬作物造成严重影响.本文基于中国南方地区268个气象站点1959-2009年的地面气象观测资料,以作物水分亏缺指数为指标,分析了中国南方地区越冬作物冬小麦和油菜的季节性干旱时空特征.结果表明:对于中国南方地区而言,西南、淮北和华南部分地区的越冬作物在生育阶段内易发生干旱.在长江中下游地区,冬小麦在生育中后期的干旱发生范围和强度增加,且随着生育期后移,其干旱越加严重;油菜在冬前生育阶段和生育后期的干旱发生范围和强度呈增加趋势.在西南地区,冬小麦和油菜在冬前生育期的干旱发生范围和强度均显著增加.20世纪90年代初以来,研究区域冬小麦和油菜在生育阶段中后期发生干旱的范围和强度都增加.