Effect of tower base painting on willow ptarmigan collision rates with wind turbines

1. Birds colliding with turbine rotor blades is a well‐known negative consequence of wind‐power plants. However, there has been far less attention to the risk of birds colliding with the turbine towers, and how to mitigate this risk.
2. Based on data from the Smøla wind‐power plant in Central Norway, it seems highly likely that willow ptarmigan (the only gallinaceous species found on the island) is prone to collide with turbine towers. By employing a BACI‐approach, we tested if painting the lower parts of turbine towers black would reduce the collision risk.
3. Overall, there was a 48% reduction in the number of recorded ptarmigan carcasses per search at painted turbines relative to neighboring control (unpainted) ones, with significant variation both within and between years.
4. Using contrast painting to the turbine towers resulted in significantly reduced number of ptarmigan carcasses found, emphasizing the effectiveness of such a relatively simple mitigation measure.

     

Novel methoxy-carotenoids from the burgundy-colored plumage of the Pompadour Cotinga Xipholena punicea

Recent advances in the fields of chromatography, mass spectrometry, and chemical analysis have greatly improved the efficiency with which carotenoids can be extracted and analyzed from avian plumage. Prior to these technological developments, Brush (1968) [1] concluded that the burgundy-colored plumage of the male pompadour Cotinga Xipholena punicea is produced by a combination of blue structural color and red carotenoids, including astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, isozeaxanthin, and a fourth unidentified, polar carotenoid. However, X. punicea does not in fact exhibit any structural coloration. This work aims to elucidate the carotenoid pigments of the burgundy color of X. punicea plumage using advanced analytical methodology. Feathers were collected from two burgundy male specimens and from a third aberrant orange-colored specimen. Pigments were extracted using a previously published technique (McGraw et al. (2005) [2]), separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and analyzed by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, chemical analysis, mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and comparison with direct synthetic products. Our investigation revealed the presence of eight ketocarotenoids, including astaxanthin and canthaxanthin as reported previously by Brush (1968) [1]. Six of the ketocarotenoids contained methoxyl groups, which is rare for naturally-occurring carotenoids and a novel finding in birds. Interestingly, the carotenoid composition was the same in both the burgundy and orange feathers, indicating that feather coloration in X. punicea is determined not only by the presence of carotenoids, but also by interactions between the bound carotenoid pigments and their protein environment in the barb rami and barbules. This paper presents the first evidence of metabolically-derived methoxy-carotenoids in birds.     

Bird sensitivity to disturbance as an indicator of forest patch conditions: An issue in environmental assessments

An Environmental Assessment (EA) is one of the steps within the Environmental Impact Assessment process. Birds are often used in EA to help decision makers evaluate potential human impacts from proposed development activities. A “sensitivity to human disturbance” index, created by Parker III et al. (1996) for all Neotropical species, is commonly considered an ecological indicator. However, this parameter was created subjectively and, for most species, there have been no rigorous field test to validate its effectiveness as such. Therefore, in this study, we aim to: (1) evaluate if, at the local scale, birds from forest patches in a human-modified landscape (HML) may differ in sensitivity from Parker's sensitivity classification; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the species richness value at each sensitivity level as an ecological indicator; (3) gather information on how often and in which manner Parker's classification has been used in EA. To do so, bird sampling was performed in eight forest patches in a HML over one year. Then, we created a local sensitivity to disturbance using information about threat, endemism, spatial distribution and relative abundance of all species in the study area. We found that 37% of the forest birds showed different local sensitivity levels when compared with Parker's classification. Our results show that only the richness of high-sensitivity species from our local classification fitted the ecological indicator assumptions helping the environmental conditions evaluation of the studied patches. We conclude that species richness of each Parker's bird sensitivity levels do not necessarily perform as an ecological indicator at the local scale, and particularly in HML. Nevertheless, Parker's Neotropical bird sensitivity classification was used in 50% of EA we reviewed. In these, 76% assumed that it was an accurate ecological indicator of the local forest conditions for birds. The lack of clear criteria used in Parker's classification allows diverse interpretations by ornithologists, and there is no agreement about the ecological meaning of each sensitivity level and what environmental conditions each level may indicate of. Therefore, the use of Parker's classification in EA may jeopardize accurate interpretations of proposed anthropogenic impacts. Furthermore, because a bird species’ sensitivity often varies between locations, we argue that Parker's generalized classification of bird sensitivity should not be used as an indicator of forest environmental conditions in EA throughout HMLs in Neotropics. Rather, local bird ecological indices should be explored, otherwise, erroneous predictions of the anthropogenic impacts will continue to be common.     

Methods for detecting non-randomness in species co-occurrences: a contribution

Summary Comparison of co-occurrences between species on a group of islands with those expected from a randombased null model could provide evidence on community structure. However, it is difficult to decide on the appropriate null model. Gilpin and Diamond proposed a model and a test for departure from it, but this test is shown to indicate significant structure even when applied to a matrix of random numbers. An alternative method is suggested, using the distribution of Gilpin and Diamond's deviation as test statistic, but determining the expected distribution by Monto Carlo simulation, and using many such simulations as a randomisation test of significance. The null model used accepts the observed totals of occurrences for islands and species; it therefore offers a somewhat conservative test. Applied to the Vanuatu bird data that Gilpin and Diamond used, significant departure from a null model is seen, but with an excess of extreme negative associations, the opposite result from that given by Gilpin and Diamond's method. It is not possible to tell whether the negative associations are due to autecology, biogeography, or to interactions between species.     

Application of a directed conformational search for generating 3-D coordinates for protein structures from alpha-carbon coordinates.

A directed conformational search algorithm using the program CONGEN (ref. 3), which samples backbone conformers, is described. The search technique uses information from the partially built structures to direct the search process and is tested on the problem of generating a full set of backbone Cartesian coordinates given only alpha-carbon coordinates. The method has been tested on six proteins of known structure, varying in size and classification, and was able to generate the original backbone coordinates with RMSs ranging from 0.30-0.87A for the alpha-carbons and 0.5-0.99A RMSs for the backbone atoms. Cis peptide linkages were also correctly identified. The procedure was also applied to two proteins available with only alpha-carbon coordinates in the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank; thioredoxin (SRX) and triacylglycerol acylhydrolase (TGL). All-atom models are proposed for the backbone of both these proteins. In addition, the technique was applied to randomized coordinates of flavodoxin to assess the effects of irregularities in the data on the final RMS. This study represents the first time a deterministic conformational search was used on such a large scale.     

Neural coding of speech sound in the telencephalic auditory area of the mynah bird

Summary The responses of neurons in field L in the auditory neostriatum of the mynah bird, Gracula religiosa, were recorded during presentation of intact or manipulated mimic voices. A typical mimic voice konnichiwa elicited responses in most of the neurons. Neurons in the input layer (L2) of field L showed many peaks on peristimulus time histograms while those in other layers (L1 and L3) exhibited only one or two peaks. Several neurons in L1 and L3 responded only to the affricative consonant /t/ in the intact mimic voices. They did not respond to the affricative consonant in the isolated segment or to the one in the playbacked voice in reverse. Forty-five percent of the neurons (33/ 73) decreased in firing rates at the affricative consonant in the isolated segment compared with in the intact voice. Some of these neurons, in which neither the affricative consonant in the isolated segment nor bursts of noise alone elicited responses, exhibited clear phasic responses to /t/ in the case when bursts of noise with particular central frequencies preceded the affricative consonant. The responsiveness of these neurons appears to receive temporal facilitation. These results suggest that these neurons code the temporal relationship of speech sound.Abbreviations HVc hyperstriatum ventrale, pars caudale - TFN temporally facilitated neuron - TSN temporally suppressed neuron     

青海省海北地区高寒草甸鸟类群落结构的季节变化

本研究地区,高寒草甸鸟类群落由22种鸟组成,它们隶属于2目9科,其中留鸟11种,迁徙鸟8种。在当地繁殖的鸟19种,冬候鸟2种。各项鸟类群落指标呈现明显季节变化,一般从早春开始上升,到夏季达到高峰,然后逐渐下降至隆冬的最低点。     

图们江流域林区居民点鸟类群落的研究

居民点鸟类与人类关系极为密切,在居民点生态系统中起着不可忽视的作用,因此对其生态学的研究具有一定意义。杜恒勤(1958、1959)、周昌乔等(1959)、钱国桢(1964)、郑光美(1965、1982),赵正阶(1981)等,对麻雀、家燕、金腰燕等居民点鸟类进行过大量种群生态学研究。居民点鸟类群落研究和数量统计,尚未见有报道。     

Lack of association of bovine MHC class I alleles with carcass and reproductive traits

The present study was carried out to examine whether a relationship between bovine major histocompatibility complex (BoLA) class I alleles and carcass traits or reproductive performance exists in Braunvieh and Fleckvieh A1 (artificial insemination) bulls. The influence of BoLA class I (BOLA-A) alleles on deregressed breeding values for net growth rate, carcass index and thigh volume was assessed in Braunvieh crosses and Fleckvieh bulls with a gene substitution model. The reproductive traits: non-return rate and interval between first and last insemination of daughters (female fertility), as well as non-return rate of inseminated cows (male fertility), were only investigated in Fleckvieh animals. No influence of the BOLA-A region on the traits evaluated could be demonstrated. An improper, i.e. less restrictive analysis would have led to spurious results.