Predation risk and resource abundance mediate foraging behaviour and intraspecific resource partitioning among consumers in dominance hierarchies

Dominance hierarchies and the resulting unequal resource partitioning among individuals are key mechanisms of population regulation. The strength of dominance hierarchies can be influenced by size‐dependent tradeoffs between foraging and predator avoidance whereby competitively inferior subdominants can access a larger proportion of limiting resources by accepting higher predation risk. Foraging‐predation risk tradeoffs also depend on resource abundance. Yet, few studies have manipulated predation risk and resource abundance simultaneously; consequently, their joint effect on resource partitioning within dominance hierarchies are not well understood. We addressed this gap by measuring behavioural responses of masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae to experimental manipulations of predation risk and resource abundance in a natural temperate forest stream. Responses to predation risk depended on body size and social status such that larger fish (often social dominants) exhibited more risk‐averse behaviour (e.g. lower foraging and appearance rates) than smaller subdominants after exposure to a simulated predator. The magnitude of this effect was lower when resources were elevated, indicating that dominant fish accepted a higher predation risk to forage on abundant resources. However, the influence of resource abundance did not extend to the population level, where predation risk altered the distribution of foraging attempts (a proxy for energy intake) from being skewed towards large individuals to being skewed towards small individuals after predator exposure. Our results imply that size‐dependent foraging–predation risk tradeoffs can weaken the strength of dominance hierarchies by allowing competitively inferior subdominants to access resources that would otherwise be monopolized.     

Are personality differences in a small iteroparous mammal maintained by a life-history trade-off?

Despite increasing interest, animal personality is still a puzzling phenomenon. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain intraindividual consistency and interindividual variation in behaviour, which have been primarily supported by qualitative data and simulations. Using an empirical approach, I tested predictions of one main life-history hypothesis, which posits that consistent individual differences in behaviour are favoured by a trade-off between current and future reproduction. Data on life-history were collected for individuals of a natural population of grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Using open-field and novel-object tests, I quantified variation in activity, exploration and boldness for 117 individuals over 3 years. I found systematic variation in boldness between individuals of different residual reproductive value. Young males with low current but high expected future fitness were less bold than older males with high current fecundity, and males might increase in boldness with age. Females have low variation in assets and in boldness with age. Body condition was not related to boldness and only explained marginal variation in exploration. Overall, these data indicate that a trade-off between current and future reproduction might maintain personality variation in mouse lemurs, and thus provide empirical support of this life-history trade-off hypothesis.     

Evaluating the role of livelihood assets in suitable livelihood strategies: Protocol for anti-poverty policy in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau,China

Although numerous studies have been conducted on the relationship between livelihood assets and strategies, only a few quantitative studies exist on the topic for anti-poverty policies with regard to the Tibetan Plateau. This study investigated 357 households in the upper reaches of the Dadu River watershed in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau, China, using the participatory rural appraisal method. Then, applying a multinomial logistic regression model, we quantitatively analyzed the relationship between livelihood assets and livelihood strategies, the findings of which have implications for local agricultural policy interventions. The preliminary results indicate that of the four classifications of livelihood strategies used in this study, the main livelihood strategy is that of the non-farming-dependent household type (i.e., Type III in our study) that combines agricultural and non-farm activities or practices self-employment for wages. There are significant differences in the livelihood assets owned by households with different livelihood strategies. Human, natural, and financial assets have significant influences on livelihood strategies, and the choice of livelihood strategy varies by livelihood assets. Further, with improvements in household labor capacity and cash income per capita, the livelihood strategies of non-agricultural and non-farming households may shift away from agriculture, while an increase in farmland cultivated per capita, cash income per capita, and household labor capacity may encourage households to adopt agriculture-dependent livelihood strategies. These findings contribute to research on livelihood and related development strategies and anti-poverty policies in not only the Eastern Tibetan Plateau but also other regions with similar livelihood strategies.     

唐古拉山以北地区生态资产核算

生态系统核算可以为生态文明建设提供定量性的决策依据,包括生态资产核算和生态系统服务核算两个方面,生态资产指生产和提供生态系统产品和服务的生态系统。以唐古拉山以北地区(简称唐北地区)为研究对象对其生态资产进行了核算,建立生态资产实物量及变化核算表、损益表,提出了生态资产综合指数。2015年唐北地区草地生态资产面积为21800.01 km²,其中良级比重最高达68.46%,湿地生态资产面积为4763.01 km²,其中优级比例最高为59.72%,野生动植物共有138种,其中重点保护动物10种。2015年唐北地区生态资产综合指数为79.77,比2000年降低了3.60%。2000—2015年,湿地、草地生态资产分别增加了164.23、2.82 km²。2000—2015年湿地生态资产存量增加202.90 km²,其中由湿地恢复导致面积增加最大为200.50 km²,存量减少38.63 km²,其中湿地退化是导致存量减少的主要原因,面积为36.23 km^...     

生态资产核算与生态系统服务评估:概念交汇与重点方向

面向“山水林田湖草”统一管理的现实目标,对生态资产的准确刻画加深了资源管理者和使用者对生态系统服务的认识,是生态系统服务理论从学术研讨向决策实践过渡的重要桥梁。然而,当前的生态资产核算结果仍存在着较大的不确定性,使其决策支持作用受到质疑。基于对生态资产研究近今进展的总结,生态资产实际核算一般取自然资本与生态系统服务的交集分别作为存量和流量。如若将生态资产作为干部离任审计依据,则须把握先实物量后价值量的原则。在当前国际研究中,生态资产已经成为区域景观管理和农户生计决策的重要绩效评估与情景优选工具。完善生态系统服务评估模型、明晰生态系统服务供需关系、规范生态资产价值核算方法、提升生态资产决策支持能力4项内容应引起未来生态资产研究的重点关注。     

中国森林生态资产价值评估

森林资源是支撑人类社会发展的重要生态资产,探索森林生态资产价值的评估方法,对合理利用和有效保护森林资源具有重要意义。运用净现值法计算了中国森林生态资产总价值为698.5万亿元,其中直接价值为7.5万亿元,包括林木价值4.5万亿元和林下产品价值3.0万亿元;间接价值为691万亿元,其中,气候调节价值量最高,占间接价值的48%;水源涵养价值量次之,占间接价值的27%。从森林生态资产总价值的分布来看,广西省、广东省和云南省位于全国前列,分别占森林生态资产总价值的10%、9%和9%。单位面积森林生态资产价值表现为海南省、浙江省和广东省较高,分别为954万元/hm2,915万元/hm2和888万元/hm2。森林生态资产价值研究为我国编制自然资源资产负债表提供理论依据,因此全面的估算中国森林生态资产价值很有意义。     

量化气候和土地利用变化对生态资产变化的相对贡献——以房山区为例

生态资产与人类福祉密切相关,开展生态资产评估并定量区分气候和人类活动对生态资产变化的相对贡献,对于评估区域生态文明建设成效、生态补偿、干部离任的自然资产审计等均具有重要意义。在单位面积价值当量因子方法的基础上,重新定义了标准生态服务价值当量因子,并构建了一个能够定量区分气候变化和土地利用变化对生态资产变化相对贡献的方法,以北京市房山区为例,分析了2000年至2019年房山区生态资产的变化,以及气候变化和土地利用变化对生态资产变化的相对贡献,结果表明:(1)房山区2019年生态资产总价值177.14亿元。森林、草地、农田和湿地的生态资产分别占生态资产总价值的82.33%、11.76%、5.25%和0.095%。(2)房山在2000-2019年期间,生态资产总价值增加了2.275亿元,气候变化使得房山区的生态资产总价值增加了2.689亿元,而土地利用变化使得生态资产总价值减少了0.414亿元。(3)房山区生态资产西高东低,其中霞云岭乡生态资产总价值最高;琉璃河镇的生态资产增加最多,而拱辰街道下降最显著。过去20年是房山区社会经济快速发展的时期,由于气候变化和生态保护与修复使得生态资产增加,抵消了由于建设用地扩张所带来的生态资产损失。     

Assessment of sustainable livelihoods of different farmers in hilly red soil erosion areas of southern China

Livelihood vulnerability in environmentally fragile areas is emerging as a key issue due to its positive feedback to environmental degradation. Assessment of sustainable livelihoods is a crucial prerequisite for targeting interventions. However, aggregated analysis usually obtained ambiguous conclusions because they ignored the heterogeneity of rural households. Here, we evaluated the livelihood sustainability of different rural households by constructing an improved Livelihood Sustainability Index (LSI) in hilly red soil erosion areas of southern China. Changting County was selected as the study case by virtue of its unique representativeness in soil erosion and poverty. The results showed that livelihood sustainability among rural households was far from equivalent. Different from previous studies, higher nonfarm income share was not always consistent with higher extent of livelihood sustainability. Besides nonfarm employment, agricultural specialization could be another viable pathway to attain sustainable livelihoods. We also found that intergenerational sustainability was one primary cause for long-term livelihood differentiation of rural households. The poor education in rural areas would aggravate livelihood vulnerability of the poor and threaten the sustainable livelihoods of specialized agricultural households. Policy implications include further investment in rural infrastructure, irrigation and drainage, and stimulus for land transfer and concentration to facilitate agrarian specialization; enhancing investment in rural education to improve intergenerational sustainability; as well as targeting of the most vulnerable households, for example, promoting development of social insurance, social relief, and medical services for orphans and widows.     

Swidden Transformations and Rural Livelihoods in Southeast Asia

This paper explores the major interactions between the transformation of swidden farming and the pursuit of rural livelihoods in the uplands of Southeast Asia. The paper draws on selected literature, workshop reflections, and six case studies to describe the causal processes and livelihood consequences of swidden change. Household-level livelihood responses have included both the intensification and ‘dis-intensification’ of swidden land-use, the insertion of cash crops, the redeployment of household labour, and the taking on of broader (often non-rural) livelihood aspirations and strategies. At the community level there have been emerging institutional arrangements for management of land and forests, and varying degrees of participation in or resistance to government schemes and programs. Swidden change has led to the loss and also the reassertion, realignment, and redefinition of cultures and identities, with important implications for access to resources. The impacts of these changes have been varied. Cash crops have often improved livelihoods but complete specialisation for the market increases vulnerability. Thus swidden can still provide an important safety net in the face of market fluctuations. Improved access to markets and social provision of education and health care have mostly improved the welfare of previously isolated groups. However, growing differences within and between communities in the course of swidden transformations can leave some groups marginalized and worse off. These processes of differentiation can be accentuated by heavy-handed state interventions based on swidden stereotypes. Nevertheless, communities have not passively accepted these pressures and have mobilized to protect their livelihood assets and strategies. Thus swidden farmers are not resisting appropriate and supportive forms of development. They are adopting new practices and engaging with markets, but in many situations swidden is still important to their livelihood strategies, providing resilience in the face of turbulent change. Active involvement of local people is essential in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating development and conservation programs in swidden lands. Positive market incentives and supportive government policies are better than standardised, top-down directives.

Experimental evidence for adaptive personalities in a wild passerine bird

Individuals of the same species differ consistently in risky actions. Such ‘animal personality’ variation is intriguing because behavioural flexibility is often assumed to be the norm. Recent theory predicts that between-individual differences in propensity to take risks should evolve if individuals differ in future fitness expectations: individuals with high long-term fitness expectations (i.e. that have much to lose) should behave consistently more cautious than individuals with lower expectations. Consequently, any manipulation of future fitness expectations should result in within-individual changes in risky behaviour in the direction predicted by this adaptive theory. We tested this prediction and confirmed experimentally that individuals indeed adjust their ‘exploration behaviour’, a proxy for risk-taking behaviour, to their future fitness expectations. We show for wild great tits (Parus major) that individuals with experimentally decreased survival probability become faster explorers (i.e. increase risk-taking behaviour) compared to individuals with increased survival probability. We also show, using quantitative genetics approaches, that non-genetic effects (i.e. permanent environment effects) underpin adaptive personality variation in this species. This study thereby confirms a key prediction of adaptive personality theory based on life-history trade-offs, and implies that selection may indeed favour the evolution of personalities in situations where individuals differ in future fitness expectations.