Suburbs: dangers or drought refugia for freshwater turtle populations?

Urbanization is one of the most rapidly expanding forms of habitat alteration worldwide. Wildlife differs in their responses to urbanization depending upon species and site-specific factors. We used capture-mark-recapture to examine the abundance, population demographics, growth, and movements of the eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) in Australia over 1 year in a suburban environment and an adjacent nature reserve during drought. Contrary to expectations, sex ratios, injury incidence, and frequency of juvenile size classes did not differ between turtles in the suburbs and the nature reserve. Moreover, turtles in the suburbs were nearly 3 times more abundant, grew 5 times faster, and had populations comprised of more adults in the larger size classes than nature reserve populations. These findings, together with net movements from the nature reserves into the suburbs, suggest that suburban water bodies were the higher quality habitat, effectively buffering turtles from temporal fluctuations in environmental conditions during drought. However, reserve managers and urban planners need to recognize that suburban water bodies have the potential to attract turtles from nearby reserves during drought, and that even low levels of persistent mortality during these travels across reserve boundaries may have consequences for populations of long-lived vertebrates. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

potamolejeunea Holtii (Spruce) nov.comb.

Abstract

Bryophytes usually have anti-feeding properties to defend against microbial and herbivore attack; however, the consumption of Haplocladium microphyllum (Hedw.) Broth. capsules by Agrotis sp. larvae is rather common in Shanghai in the spring. To test whether H. microphyllum is the only moss eaten, and why the gametophytes of H. microphyllum are not eaten, a series of quantitative experiments were carried out to understand the feeding habits of Agrotis larvae on the given moss materials at three growth stages of larval life. The results show that the larvae can feed on the capsules of six moss species to different degrees: Funaria hygrometrica Hedw., H. microphyllum, Physcomitrium sphaericum (C.F.Ludw. ex Schkuhr) Brid., Trematodon longicollis Michx., Ditrichum pallidum (Hedw.) Hampe, and Pogonatum inflexum (Lindb.) Sande Lac. The capsules of the first four species were grazed heavily by the larvae, compared with limited consumption of the latter two (D. pallidum and P. inflexum), which even induced a high mortality rate among the larvae. With the growth of the larval instar, the daily demand for moss capsules by the larvae increases gradually. The lipid content of the capsules may play an important role when the larva selects its feeding target.     

浙江省热带气旋灾损和等级评估

利用2004-2008年浙江省各县的热带气旋灾情资料和同期社会经济数据,通过订正的转化函数建立区域对比度较好的相对受灾人口、相对受灾面积、倒塌房屋和相对直接经济损失指标值,用多项式拟合的客观分析方法建立各指标相对损失值与致灾因子(过程雨量、暴雨日数、大暴雨日数、日最大雨量、极大风速、最大风速、极大风速≥8 m·s-1的天数、最大风速≥18 m·s-1的天数等)的灾情评估模型;运用灰度聚类分析和专家定权相结合的方法,对热带气旋灾害指标进行灾情精细化定级.在此基础上,对2009年影响浙江省的"莫拉克"热带气旋进行灾情损失评估和等级划分.结果表明:根据各单指标灾情模型计算的受灾面积指数、受灾人口指数、房屋倒塌指数和直接经济损失指数与实际值的相关系数分别达到0.70、0.63、0.75和0.54,基本能反映因致灾因子造成各方面的灾损等级分布."莫拉克"综合灾情评估结果较准确反映了热带气旋影响期间不同县域的空间分布特点;但受其他因素(孕灾环境、易损性、抗灾能力等)的影响,拟合灾情值存在轻灾高估、重灾低估的现象.     

Road density and wetland context alter population structure of a freshwater turtle

Roads are detrimental to wildlife populations that require contiguous networks of terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Many species of freshwater turtles are sensitive to habitat fragmentation caused by roads, and are susceptible to road mortality during overland migrations. The common long‐necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) is an Australian freshwater turtle that frequently moves between wetlands, and so populations may incur negative impacts from road effects. Here, we assessed the relationship between C. longicollis and road density and landscape variables within populations inhabiting 20 wetlands distributed throughout greater Melbourne, Australia. The size frequency distribution of C. longicollis at sites surrounded by high road densities was skewed towards larger individuals, but there was no difference in the frequency of juveniles between high and low road density sites. Regression modelling revealed a clear positive relationship between road density and carapace length (CL) of C. longicollis; the mean CL at a site with the highest road density was predicted to be 23% greater than mean CL at a site surrounded by no roads. Female CL was also positively related to road density. There was a clear positive relationship between wetland age and CL, although this relationship was not as strong. While there was no relationship evident between road density and the proportion of female C. longicollis at a site, more females were captured at smaller ephemeral sites surrounded by a high proportion of green open space and located near drainage lines. We did not find evidence of sex‐related differences in road effects. These results suggest that roads may be affecting C. longicollis in the study area, but the direct cause of any effects is difficult to identify.     

香蕉假茎象甲对不同生理状态香蕉假茎挥发物的行为反应

采用固相微萃取技术提取新鲜假茎、腐烂未虫蛀假茎、虫蛀且腐烂假茎以及虫蛀未腐烂假茎4种生理状态的香蕉假茎挥发物,进行气质联用仪分析鉴定。结果表明:从香蕉新鲜假茎与虫蛀且腐烂假茎中分别鉴定出10种挥发性物质;腐烂未虫蛀假茎与虫蛀未腐烂假茎分别鉴定出11种挥发性物质;这些挥发物包括烃类、酯类、酮类、杂环类等,在不同生理状态的香蕉假茎中的相对含量各不相同。4种生理状态的香蕉假茎挥发性成分种类数及相对含量的变化与香蕉假茎象甲Odoiporus longicollis Olivier的为害有着密切关系,遭受香蕉徦茎象甲为害的香蕉假茎,其共同成分2,6-二甲基-2,4,6-辛三烯相对含量对应地减少。利用双重陷阱嗅觉仪测定了香蕉假茎象甲对香蕉假茎挥发物的行为反应,结果表明:4种生理状态的香蕉假茎挥发物均对香蕉假茎象甲有引诱作用,与新鲜假茎相比,香蕉假茎的虫蛀且腐烂状态可增强其对香蕉假茎象甲雌、雄虫的引诱作用。     

春季香蕉假茎象甲自然种群生命表的研究

通过调查研究,组建了以作用因子为组分的春季香蕉假茎象甲（Odoiporus longicollis Oliver）自然种群生命表,在此基础上运用排除作用控制指数法分析了各种因子对假茎象甲自然种群的作用。结果表明,春季假茎象甲自然种群趋势指数成长蕉株上平均为4．3481,留头蕉茎上平均为3．6628,捕食及其它因子对该虫种群控制最大,排除作用控制指数成长蕉株为1．9256,留头蕉茎上为2．3577;自然死亡作用次之,成长蕉株为1．3607,留头蕉茎上为1．3554;寄生或疾病因子作用最小,成长蕉株为1．1988,留头蕉茎上为1．1668,捕食及其他是该虫种群增长的重要控制因子。     

香蕉假茎象甲卵的空间格局研究

应用多种聚集度指标研究了香蕉假茎象甲卵在香蕉园的空间分布格局 ,结果表明该虫卵在所有密度下都是聚集分布 ,聚集程度与密度不相关 ,分布的基本成份是个体群。在空间格局研究基础上提出了理论抽样数公式 ,给出了不同密度下、不同误差要求的最适抽样数。     

香蕉假茎象甲实验种群生命表的组建

研究结果表明取食不同香蕉品种的香蕉假茎象甲雌成虫产卵量有一定差异。以取食广东香蕉2号、泰国蕉和孟加拉龙牙蕉的雌成虫产卵量较高。取食巴西蕉、粉蕉和Saba大蕉产卵量较少。以广东香蕉 2号、泰国香蕉和孟加拉龙牙蕉等香蕉品种假茎为食料的香蕉假茎象甲实验种群趋势指数较大 ,以巴西香蕉为食料的较小 ,以粉蕉、Saba大蕉为食料的最小