Conspecific attraction in loggerhead shrikes: implications for habitat conservation and reintroduction

The loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus, is a declining songbird that forms breeding aggregations. Despite such reports from several populations, only one statistical analysis of loggerhead shrike territory distribution has been published to date. I use a spatio-temporal simulation technique to test for deviations from randomness in the spatial distribution of point data that takes into account date of nest establishment. I apply this model to data on the distribution of shrike nests in Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA, collected over the 1998 and 1999 breeding seasons. When the data are considered without regard to date of nest-establishment, the results are equivocal; nests are significantly aggregated in 1999, but not 1998. However, when order of nest establishment is taken into account, later nests are significantly more likely to be closer than expected to conspecifics in both years. This is true even when the distribution of simple resources, such as suitable nest-trees, is included in the model. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that loggerhead shrikes ‘prospect’ for suitable habitat using the distribution of breeding conspecifics. This aspect of loggerhead shrike breeding ecology should be considered for both habitat conservation and captive breeding and reintroduction programs for this 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.     

陕北"一户一田"和"一组一田"耕地细碎化整治模式与绩效评价

耕地细碎化是当前制约中国农业现代化发展的重要因素,如何解决耕地细碎化问题已经成为推动小农户和现代农业有机衔接的必然路径。该研究基于实地农户调研数据和半结构访谈内容,对陕北榆林市榆阳区首创的"一户一田"和"一组一田"2种耕地细碎化整治模式进行系统剖析,并采用双重差分(Difference-in-difference, DID)模型定量分析2种模式的绩效差异。研究发现:1)"一户一田"模式是农民自发的产权重组和分散流转,并与政府支持的土地整治项目叠加与综合;"一组一田"模式是一种"以家庭承包经营为基础、统分收放自如的双层经营体制"创新模式,也是产权改革、统分流转、土地整治与统分经营管理的有机结合。2)"一户一田"和"一组一田"两种模式均能有效解决耕地细碎化问题,显著增加耕地面积,实施后耕地面积增加率分别为6.02%和57.58%;同时也使得农业机械化水平有所提高,显著提升农业生产效率与作物产量,作物产量增加率分别为12.54%和19.87%,"一组一田"提升更为明显。3)2种模式均有利于提高农户收入,"一户一田"主要是通过增加农业种植收入来提高总收入;"一组一田"对农户收入提升更加显著,除增加农业收入外,也通过产业转型增加了务工收入。与"一户一田"模式相比,"一组一田"模式更能够促进集中连片、规模扩大、设施完善、经营现代化的高标准农田建设。为解决耕地细碎化问题,应加强政策引导和支持,挖掘村内能人价值,明晰合作社、分社和农民的责、权、利关系等,促进小农户和现代农业发展有机衔接。     

应用于森林资源二类调查的多遥感信息源适用性分析与评价

由于不同集约度要求和地形破碎、林相图破碎化程度的不同 ,以及成图比例尺、调查详细程度要求不同 ,来选择不同空间分辨率和分类能力的遥感信息源 .为此选择经营集约程度高的八达岭林场作为对象 ,应用中、高空间分辨率的遥感图像进行调查作图 ,从不同角度对其适用性进行评价     

The fate of Amazonian forest fragments: A 32-year investigation

We synthesize findings to date from the world’s largest and longest-running experimental study of habitat fragmentation, located in central Amazonia. Over the past 32 years, Amazonian forest fragments ranging from 1 to 100 ha have experienced a wide array of ecological changes. Edge effects have been a dominant driver of fragment dynamics, strongly affecting forest microclimate, tree mortality, carbon storage, fauna, and other aspects of fragment ecology. However, edge-effect intensity varies markedly in space and time, and is influenced by factors such as edge age, the number of nearby edges, and the adjoining matrix of modified vegetation surrounding fragments. In our study area, the matrix has changed markedly over the course of the study (evolving from large cattle pastures to mosaics of abandoned pasture and regrowth forest) and this in turn has strongly influenced fragment dynamics and faunal persistence. Rare weather events, especially windstorms and droughts, have further altered fragment ecology. In general, populations and communities of species in fragments are hyperdynamic relative to nearby intact forest. Some edge and fragment-isolation effects have declined with a partial recovery of secondary forests around fragments, but other changes, such as altered patterns of tree recruitment, are ongoing. Fragments are highly sensitive to external vicissitudes, and even small changes in local land-management practices may drive fragmented ecosystems in markedly different directions. The effects of fragmentation are likely to interact synergistically with other anthropogenic threats such as logging, hunting, and especially fire, creating an even greater peril for the Amazonian biota.     

耕地细碎化对干旱绿洲区作物生产和农户收入影响效应调查分析——以甘肃省民乐县为例

耕地细碎化是影响作物生产及农民收入的关键因素之一.本文基于这一视角,以典型内陆干旱绿洲区甘肃省民乐县为例,采用2008年和2010年两次的实证调查数据,运用生产函数模型就耕地细碎化对作物生产和农民收入的影响进行了实证研究.研究结果表明,耕地细碎化对内陆干旱绿洲区作物产出和农民收入具有明显的双重性.一方面,耕地细碎化一定...     

Synthesis: Thresholds in conservation and management

This paper is a brief overview of some of the key issues which have emerged from the preceding set of papers on ecological thresholds. These include:

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Whether threshold relationships are common and widespread.

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The potential for large variations in the use and application of the threshold concept to lead to adverse conservation outcomes, particularly when overly simplistic levels of vegetation cover are specified by policy makers and land managers.

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The inherent multi-variate nature of landscape processes and responses of individual species and assemblages that creates variability in datasets. This may lead to a limited ability to make accurate predictions from threshold relationships, even when those relationships are highly statistically significant.

We believe that although the threshold concept is an appealing one and there is some empirical evidence to support it in some landscapes, it is not free of problems and a concerted research effort on the topic is needed. This is particularly important if it is to have value for robustly underpinning applied landscape management practices without unintentionally having negative impacts on rates of species loss or the loss of particular species.     

Predation of artificial nests in a fragmented landscape in the tropical region of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

Predation rates of artificial nests were investigated in a fragmented landscape in the lowlands of Los Tuxtlas in southern Mexico. Hen and plasticine eggs were used to assess predation pressure in four habitats: the interior of forest fragments, the forest-pasture edge, corridors of residual forest vegetation and linear strips of live fences across pastures. Three sites per habitat were used in three experimental trials. Hen and plasticine ground nests with three eggs each were alternated every 50 m along transects at each site. Predation rates on each type of nest were monitored for 9 days. Survey of potential avian and mammalian potential nest predators were conducted at each site prior to the experimental trails. Readings of amount of light illuminating the ground were taken by each nest at each site to assess exposure of nests. In general, average predation rates were significantly higher for both hen and plasticine nests in the forest-pasture edge and in the corridors than in the interior of the forest fragments. While birds and mammals were the principal predators on hen eggs in the forests, mammals were responsible for the majority (?70%) of eggs damaged at the other habitats. Surveys of potential nest predators showed that avian and mammalian potential nest predators were significantly more common at the forest-pasture edges and at the other habitats than in the forests. Readings of light reaching the ground suggest that concealment of nests by the vegetation may play an important role in predation risk. Our results are consistent with reports from other Neotropical rainforests indicating an increase of artificial nest predation pressures from forest interior to open habitats. Restoration of forest fragments, allowing the vegetation to grow along the forest-pasture edge and the planting of arboreal crops at the forest-pasture edges may be measures that could increase cover and nest protection.     

Does the matrix matter? A forest primate in a complex agricultural landscape

Many threatened primates now exist in fragmented forest habitats. The survival of these populations may depend on their ability to utilise agricultural or other matrix habitats between forest fragments, but this is poorly known. Here, we systematically investigate an arboreal primate’s use of a heterogeneous matrix in a fragmented forest landscape: the Angola black-and-white colobus (Colobus angolensis palliatus) in southern Kenya. We used a novel technique, based on semi-structured interviews with local informants, to address the difficulty of sampling relatively rare but important events, such as dispersal between fragments. We found that colobus frequently travelled and foraged in indigenous matrix vegetation (such as mangrove, wooded shrubland and shrubland) up to 4 km from the nearest forest fragments. Agricultural habitats, such as perennial plantation (coconut, mango and cashew nut) were also used by colobus for travelling and foraging (in remnant indigenous trees). The probability of sighting colobus in the matrix increased with the proportion of both tall (>6 m) vegetation cover and food tree cover, but declined with distance from forest habitat. Our findings suggest that certain matrix habitats are important for C. a. palliatus, and that future primate conservation initiatives might benefit from adopting a ‘landscape-level’ approach to habitat management, particularly in fragmented forest systems.     

Are forests potential landscape barriers for foraging bumblebees? Landscape scale experiments with Bombus terrestris agg. and Bombus pascuorum (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Habitat fragmentation is generally considered to have detrimental effects on insect movement and associated pollen flow between plant populations. Against this background the role of forests as potential barriers for foraging bumblebees of the species Bombus terrestris agg. and Bombus pascuorum was studied in different experiments. Bombus terrestris agg. workers were found foraging at distances of up to 2.2 km from their nests. B. terrestris agg. as well as B. pascuorum individuals crossed 600 m of forestland between floral mass resources (Phacelia tanacetifolia, Helianthus annuus), although in general a high degree of site fidelity was observed. B. pascuorum workers accepted artificial floral resources within the forest, whereas the minor use of resources below forest canopy observed for B. terrestris agg. possibly indicates a preference for direct forage flights, probably leading above the forest canopy. Our results warn against experiments with genetically modified crop species with potential bumblebee pollination (e.g. Brassica napus), in which an isolating effect of forests is assumed.