Floating platforms increase reproductive success of common loons

Many southern populations of the common loon (Gavia immer) face threats from lead and methylmercury contamination, lake acidification, shoreline development and human recreation. It is now clear that the task of conserving loon populations will depend upon mitigating these varied threats. In a controlled experiment, we examined the efficacy of using floating nest platforms to increase reproductive success of loons and thus help sustain local populations. Platforms were attractive nesting sites both on lakes that had consistently hatched chicks from natural sites and on lakes where chick production had been sporadic. When compared to natural nest sites, platforms increased hatching success by 69% and fledging success by 32%, apparently through reduction in mammalian egg predation. A well-managed effort to introduce nesting platforms might be a viable strategy to help sustain threatened populations.     

Dry matter accumulation and partitioning in cotton (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gossypium hirsutum</Emphasis> L.) as influenced by potassium fertilization

The effect of potassium (K) supply on dry matter accumulation and partitioning of biomass between different among parts of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was determined under irrigated conditions. The treatments were four cotton cultivars (CIM-448, CIM-1100, Karishma, and S-12), four K rates (0, 62.5, 125, and 250 kg K ha⁻¹), and two K-fertilizer sources (K₂SO₄, KCl). Sequential harvests were collected at four stages of growth, viz first flower, peak flowering, first boll split, and maturity. The dry weights (DW) of vegetative and reproductive organs were determined. Maximum total DW was obtained at 125 days after planting, and then it declined because of leaf senescence at maturity. Cultivars differed significantly among themselves in the production of total DW and its partitioning between different organs. The addition of K fertilizer increased DW substantially at various stages of growth. Potassium fertilizer stimulated cotton plant to translocate resources towards reproductive organs rather than vegetative organs. Crop receiving 250 kg K ha⁻¹ allocated 77% more dry matter into reproductive organs. The K-sources produced a little effect on the allocation of DW in various parts of the plant. Maximum reproductive–vegetative ratio (RVR) was maintained by cv CIM-448 and minimum in cv CIM-1100. Data showed that a shift in DW allocation into reproductive organs was dependent upon sustained supply of K⁺ throughout the season. There were positive significant correlations (0.86, 0.71, and 0.90) between seed cotton yield and total DW, vegetative DW, and reproductive DW, respectively.     

Role of topography, canopy structure, and floristics in nest-site selection and nesting success of canopy songbirds

Although oaks (Quercus spp.) have historically dominated many forests in eastern North America, forest composition is changing due to anthropogenic impacts on disturbance regimes. Silvicultural practices, such as partial harvesting, are one component of management to promote oak regeneration. From 2007 to 2009 our research examined nest-site selection and nesting success for a guild of five canopy songbirds in upland mixed-oak forests in southeastern Ohio, USA. We monitored >700 nests across three state forests in both open canopy shelterwood stands harvested to approximately 50% stocking, and closed-canopy mature second-growth. Habitat attributes, including topography, canopy structure, and floristics, were measured at nest sites and random plots ?100 m from nests representing microhabitat available within the territory. Canopy songbirds selected specific topographic microclimates: Eastern Wood-pewees (Contopus virens) nested on xeric ridgetops, Blue-gray Gnatcachers (Polioptila caerulea) favored valleys, and Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea) preferred productive northeast-facing slopes. Nest sites differed among species in terms of concealment, nest support, topographic position on the slope, and basal area of trees >38 cm dbh. Four of the five focal species selected Quercus alba as the nest substrate more than twice as much as available, and three species avoided Quercus rubra. Daily survival rates of nests were negatively associated with basal area of red oak species (both Quercus velutina and Q. rubra) for several species individually and across the canopy-nesting guild. Additional factors related to success included time of season for Eastern Wood-pewees, nest age for Cerulean Warblers, and concealment and size of the support branch for Scarlet Tanagers (Piranga olivacea). In the long-term management for oak regeneration could benefit canopy songbirds, but our results indicate that white oaks, especially Q. alba, may be preferable to red oak species.     

Clearcutting forestry and Eurasian boreal forest grouse: Long-term monitoring of sympatric capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and black grouse T. tetrix reveals unexpected effects on their population performances

Along the succession gradient of the boreal forest ecosystem, black grouse Tetrao tetrix inhabits the early and capercaillie Tetrao urogallus the latest stages. When converting old forest to clearcuts and plantations, commercial forestry has therefore been assumed to affect capercaillie negatively and to be favourable to black grouse. During a 30-year period (1979-2008) we monitored sympatric populations of the two species in a forest in southeast Norway based on annual spring and autumn censuses and radio-marked birds. During this period, the proportion of old, semi-natural forest was halved and clearcuts and young plantations increased accordingly. The grouse populations did not change as predicted. While the trend in August numbers of adult black grouse declined, males more than females, abundance of adult capercaillie remained unchanged. Number of males at leks showed similar patterns. Equally surprising, breeding success (number of chicks per female in August) of both species increased, thus indicating that the populations were regulated more by variation in adult survivorship than by recruitment of young birds. No correlations were found with changing climatic factors (precipitation and temperatures in winter and spring, snow depth and time of snow melt), except that year-to-year breeding success was positively correlated with minimum temperatures during 2 weeks posthatch. The results are explained by a combination of more flexible habitat selection than previously assumed and a changing predator regime: In the early period, nearly all capercaillie leks were located in old, semi-natural forest, but as plantations grew older (>30 years), new leks were established there. Similarly, while young capercaillie broods used old semi-natural forest almost exclusively when the study started, they frequently used middle-aged plantations, especially those with a ground cover of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, when these became common in later years. The increasing breeding success could largely be explained by more females rearing chicks successfully, presumably due to a marked decline in the main nest predator, the red fox Vulpes vulpes. A practice of thinning of the old, semi-natural forest some years prior to final harvesting probably facilitated predation of black grouse by goshawks Accipiter gentilis. Contrary to many beliefs, our results indicate that both capercaillie and black grouse are quite tolerant to changes in forest management regimes. In our study, numerical and functional responses of predators (mainly red fox and goshawk) apparently played a more important role in regulating grouse numbers than habitat factors per se.     

干旱对玉米穗发育及产量的影响

干旱作为影响玉米产量的环境因素之首,对玉米植株形态、物质积累、生理作用、性器官发育等方面产生影响,最终降低穗粒数、粒重,导致产量降低。以雌雄穗发育为研究重点,本文综述了不同时期干旱对雌雄穗性状及开花吐丝间隔期的影响。玉米开花前遭遇干旱,延缓雌雄穗发育进程,减少分化小花数,增加籽粒败育,导致穗粒数降低;抽雄吐丝期间遭遇干旱,导致雄穗抽出困难、吐丝延迟,使开花吐丝间隔期拉长,严重时导致花粉、花丝超微结构发生改变,影响玉米授粉、受精过程,最终导致秃尖形成,穗粒数降低;灌浆期遭遇干旱导致叶片早衰,光合产物积累不足,籽粒灌浆受阻,粒重降低,最终均会导致产量下降。从源库关系角度分析,玉米灌浆期前干旱导致玉米产量降低的主要原因是穗粒数降低导致的库强不足;而灌浆期干旱主要是叶片早衰等营养器官发育受阻,限制同化物的积累及转运,此时源不足限制了产量的增加。     

香蕉茎叶对母牛繁殖性能影响的研究

[目的]为研究香蕉茎叶对母牛繁殖性能的影响,[方法]采用比较法,对饲喂香蕉茎叶和玉米秸秆青贮能繁母牛间的繁殖性能及犊牛的生长发育的差异进行了对比。[结果]研究结果表明,在相同的饲养管理条件下两组母牛的繁殖性能和犊牛的生长发育情况无明显差异。[结论]与肉牛常规饲料——玉米秸秆青贮相比,长期饲喂香蕉茎叶青贮饲料对能繁母牛繁殖性能、对胎儿和犊牛的生长发育不会产生不良影响,可以部分或完全替代玉米秸秆饲料,来降低母牛的生产成本,提高母牛的养殖效益。     

提高梅花鹿再生茸产量的研究

于１９９０年３月－６月分别在黑龙江省海林县三部落鹿和吉林省松花湖鹿场进行试验。用止血，提高动物营养和人工降雨增加鹿舍相对湿度的三种方法对梅花鹿再生茸生产生长的影响和潜力进行了研究。研究结果表明：单纯进行锯茸止血或提高动物营养对再生茸的产量没有明显影响（Ｐ＞０．０５）；在止血和提高动物营养的基础上同时进行人工降雨，可明显中再生茸的产量１７５±２８ｇ（Ｐ＜０．０１），使锯口愈合时间提前４．６±０．４ｄ     

粗山羊草间杂交的育性表现及抗病性鉴定

[目的]为了探讨粗山羊草间杂交的育性表现及其后代的抗病性。[方法]利用13份不同产地的粗山羊草进行杂交,在田间用京双16作诱发行,接种北京地区流行的白粉病混合菌株,进行苗期、成株期抗病性鉴定。[结果]从杂交结果看,亚种内杂交率较高,为14.15%～83.33%,而亚种间杂交率较低,为0～8.33%,因此可以判断粗山羊草亚种之间存在着生殖隔离。通过对抗病粗山羊草Y192与感病Y2272的杂交后代进行小麦白粉病抗病性鉴定,发现抗病基因是由显性单基因控制的。[结论]该结果为进一步研究小麦白粉病抗病基因奠定了基础。     

多胺与园艺植物生长发育的关系

就多胺对园艺植物的花芽分化、花粉形成、果实发育、根系形成及营养生长的作用进行了综合评述，并就多胺与植物衰老的关系进行了分析。     

非洲黑颈鸵鸟原种繁殖性能研究

对1998~2004年间48只非洲黑颈鸵鸟原种繁殖性能进行了研究。结果表明非洲黑颈鸵鸟原种年平均产蛋47.13±23.20枚,变异系数49.23%,种蛋受精率70.93%±21.21%,受精蛋孵化率80.58%±22.62%,出雏鸟27.00±15.38只。研究了非洲黑颈鸵鸟产蛋曲线,以期为非洲黑鸵鸟的生产提供参考。