Preliminary evaluation of exotic tick species and exotic pathogens imported on migratory birds into the British Isles

Field studies were carried out to determine whether ticks are being imported into the British Isles on migratory birds. During spring and autumn migration 2004, ticks were collected from ringed birds at 11 bird observatories and 3 inland Riparia riparia colonies. A total of 38 ticks of 4 species (Ixodes ricinus, I. frontalis, I. lividus, I. arboricola) were collected from 12 species of bird. Ticks were tested for viruses in the Flavivirus and Nairovirus genera, with no positives found. This data demonstrates that ticks are being imported into the British Isles on migratory birds with future work recommended to determine the quantity of ticks imported and to detect low prevalence pathogens.     

天津北大港湿地鸭科鸟类调查

为了解天津北大港湿地的鸭科鸟类种类,2004年11月~2008年3月采用定位观察和线路调查相结合的方法,用计数法和网格计数法取得鸟类种类和数量,并对所得数值采用频率指数估计法,结果为鸭科鸟类8属24种。旅鸟24种,占总种数的100%;冬候鸟4种,占总种数的16.7%;留鸟1种,占总种数的4.2%。古北种13种,占总种数的54.2%;全北型9种,占总种数的37.5%;古北-东洋种2种,占总种数的8.3%。明确豆雁(Anser fabalis)、赤膀鸭(Anas strepera)、绿翅鸭(Anas crecca)、绿头鸭(Anas platyrhynchos)、斑嘴鸭(Anas poe-cilorhyncha)和斑头秋沙鸭(Mergellus albellus)6种为优势种。Shannon-Weiner多样性指数(H′):春季>秋季>冬季>夏季。有国家二级保护鸟类4种。     

Plant and Bird Community Dynamics in Mixed-Grass Prairie Grazed by Native and Domestic Herbivores

Native colonial and large ungulate herbivores infrequently coexist on contemporary landscapes but frequently would have in the past, and understanding these interactions is important for conservation in working landscapes—those lands managed for biological and economic objectives. Although many factors contribute to grassland bird declines, consistent and long-term removal of native herbivores from western grasslands promotes homogenous landscapes that are now uniformly grazed by cattle (Bos taurus). This shift in grassland disturbance patterns limits habitat availability for specialized grassland species. We investigated vegetation and bird community dynamics in pastures grazed by domestic cattle and a native colonial herbivore, the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus). The study occurred in the northern mixed-grass prairie of the United States on four experimental pastures stratified by the proportion of prairie dog occupancy to create an ecological gradient. Vegetation and bird surveys were conducted from 2012 to 2015 on and off prairie dog colonies. Vegetation and bird communities were not different along the experimental pasture gradient but did differ relative to location on versus off town. Prairie dogs induced changes in the plant community with midstatured grasses like side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) and green needlegrass (Nassella viridula) being associated with off-colony sites while on-colony sites were associated with disturbance-tolerant species such as fetid marigold (Dyssodia papposa). The bird community responded to changes in vegetation structure resulting from prairie dogs with grasshopper sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum) being more abundant off colonies in areas with greater vegetation structure, while bird species with more complex life histories, such as the upland sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), were associated with both on ? and off ? prairie dog colonies. Our findings demonstrate the importance of maintaining spatial heterogeneity in working landscapes and show that native colonial herbivores can help achieve this in the presence of herbivory by domestic cattle.     

Geographical patterns based on faunal types of breeding birds and mammals in China

We collected available chorological data of birds and mammals in China and assigned faunal types. The 19 sub‐regions of the zoogeographical regions of China were used as operative geographical units. Matrices of the geographical units using the species number of each faunal type were then constructed. Based on the matrices we clustered the geographical units using a hierarchical cluster analysis The results of the faunal divisions according to the cluster analysis were illustrated in a geographic information system (GIS). When 19 geographical units were clustered into two clusters, the boundary of the two clusters corresponded to that of the Palearctic and Indomalayan (Oriental) realms in the recent division of Chinese fauna. When the geographical units were clustered into eight clusters, the sub‐region Southern Yunnan Hilly became an idiographic cluster. As a result, Southern Yunnan hilly should be regarded as a region rather than a sub‐region at the same level as Southwest region, Central China region and South China region. The differences in the distribution patterns of birds and mammals among the units in the Indomalayan (Oriental) realm were more complicated than those in Palearctic realm. A few differences of the cluster analysis results based on the faunal types were found between the bird and mammal species. These differences might result from the different ecological and geographical distribution patterns of these two animal categories.     

Partitioning the multi-scale effects of human activity on the occurrence of riparian forest birds

Conservationists, managers, and land planners are faced with the difficult task of balancing many issues regarding humans impacts on natural systems. Many of these potential impacts arise from local-scale and landscape-scale changes, but such changes often covary, which makes it difficult to isolate and compare independent effects arising from humans. We partition multi-scale impacts on riparian forest bird distribution in 105 patches along approximately 500 km of the Madison and Missouri Rivers, Montana, USA. To do so, we coupled environmental information from local (within-patch), patch, and landscape scales reflecting potential human impacts from grazing, invasive plant species, habitat loss and fragmentation, and human development with the distribution of 28 terrestrial breeding bird species in 2004 and 2005. Variation partitioning of the influence of different spatial scales suggested that local-scale vegetation gradients explained more unique variation in bird distribution than did information from patch and landscape scales. Partitioning potential human impacts revealed, however, that riparian habitat loss and fragmentation at the patch and landscape scales explained more unique variation than did local disturbances or landscape-scale development (i.e., building density in the surrounding landscape). When distribution was correlated with human disturbance, local-scale disturbance had more consistent impacts than other scales, with species showing consistent negative correlations with grazing but positive correlations with invasives. We conclude that while local vegetation structure best explains bird distribution, managers concerned with ongoing human influences in this system need to focus more on mitigating the effects of large-scale disturbances than on more local land use issues. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

福州动物园圈养鸟类肠道寄生虫调查

为调查福州动物园圈养鸟类消化道寄生虫感染情况,采集16种禽类31份粪便样品,应用饱和盐水漂浮法和自然水洗沉淀法收集虫卵,麦克斯特计数法对采集的粪便样本进行虫卵测定。检查结果显示,寄生虫感染阳性样品数有23份,占样品总数的74%。总共检出6种寄生虫感染,按感染例数从大到小排序为:球虫(9例)、吸虫(7例)、绦虫(6例)、线虫(5例)、鞭虫(4例)、纤毛虫(3例)。感染寄生虫的禽类中,孔雀的感染强度最高,EPG为9 150个/g;其次是巨嘴鸟,EPG为4 500个/g;第三是东方白鹳,EPG为3 300个/g。其他鸟类的EPG分布在0~2 100个/g。该调查结果为福州动物园圈养鸟类寄生虫病的防治以及制定科学的驱虫程序提供可靠的依据。     

蟒河自然保护区鸟类调查初报

１９９１年－１９９７年,对山西省蟒河自然保护区的鸟类系进行了调查。结果为：该区现有鸟类１５１种,其中留鸟５２种,夏候鸟４８种,冬候鸟１７种,旅鸟３４种。     

The effects of pesticides on species of non-target Heteroptera inhabiting cereal fields in southern England

The effects of pesticides on beneficial predatory arthropods have been widely studied; this paper however deals with their effects on Heteroptera, an important beneficial insect group and food source for farmland birds. Field trials were used to evaluate pesticide effects under realistic conditions of application on a commercial arable farm and compared with previously published laboratory findings. Fungicides were found to produce very low levels of mortality, not significantly different from control treatments. Aphicides varied in their impact, producing non-significant to highly significant mortality levels. The likely ecological impact of pesticides on various heteropteran groups found within the field and field boundary is discussed. © 1997 SCI.     

桃金娘科引鸟植物在华南地区园林绿地的生态景观营造研究

桃金娘科园林植物形态种类丰富,能吸引鸟类、蜂类、蝶类等,对部分桃金娘科引鸟植物的生态效益和景观营造进行评估。结果表明：桃金娘科植物花色艳丽,果实硕大,可作动物食源,能有效吸引具有生态景观价值的野生鸟类如暗绿绣眼鸟、白头鹎、红嘴蓝鹊、红耳鹎、珠颈斑鸠、黑脸噪鹛、乌鸫、领雀嘴鹎等。结合花期吸引传粉昆虫及果期引鸟效果,提出相应的生态景观营造策略,有利于食物网的完善构建,进一步完善绿地生态系统建设。