Mammal movements and foraging at remnant woodlands inside coniferous forest landscapes

Temporary or spatially restricted resources may affect population densities over more or less wide areas in the surrounding landscape or region. They may affect more than one trophic level by facilitation of predation. Areas of influence may differ between species. Such effects of mast-seeding in confined oak–hazel woodlands were examined for a guild of mainly seed-eating mammals and their predators. The mammals were tracked in snow in winter and the foraging of granivorous small mammals was assessed by experimental seed supplies in spring and autumn. Movements and foraging at various locations in and around the woodlands were distinguished from large-scale influences in the surrounding conifer forest landscape. Roe deer moved more abundantly inside the woodlands than in the conifer forest 50 m away and, less clearly, this was also the case for granivorous small mammals. Squirrels were particularly common at the edges while brown hares were somewhat less common at these edges. The edge effects appear therefore species-specific. Brown hares, squirrels, voles and granivorous small mammals were generally less common in the coniferous forest more than 500 m from the woodlands than in the coniferous forest 50 m from the woodlands. The most common generalist predator, the red fox, was as a mean equally common at all locations. However, it demonstrated a spatio-temporal variation in movements related to hare and, to a lesser extent, squirrel occurrence at open woodland sites. In order to sustain several mammalian species in conifer forest landscapes, not only granivorous ones, resource patches of oak and hazel should be retained, regenerated and, if possible, expanded. Such hot spots often need particular management.     

Leptospirosis antibodies in mammals from Rio de Janeiro Zoo,Brazil

Serum samples from 77 animals belonging to 38 species and 19 families in Rio de Janeiro Zoo, Brazil were tested for antibodies against serovars of Leptospira interrogans by microscopic agglutination test. Antibodies were detected in serum samples of 37.7% of all animals belonging to 10 families. Seropositivity was more common in the Carnivora Canidae (7/9), Procyonidae (5/9) and the Edentata Myrmecophagidae (5/9). Icterohaemorrhagiae was the most common serogroup. Seropositivity was less common in primates.     

Comparative cell morphology in the peripheral blood film from exotic and native animalsa

Haematological investigation is an important part of disease diagnosis. This is particularly so when investigating individual animal disease. It may also be important when investigating diseases in groups of animals, but the opportunity to perform necropsies to directly detect disease processes often diminishes its usefulness. Haematological investigation is essentially similar for all species. The presence of nucleated erythrocytes and thrombocytes in nonmammals requires alteration of haemoglobin measurement and cell counting. In addition, it may cause some confusion in identification of cells in peripheral blood films. Examination of blood films is an important component of haematological investigation and provides useful information on erythroid, leukocytic and platelet/thrombocytic alterations. Interpretation of alterations is essentially similar for all species. However, cell identification can at times be difficult. There are five basic leukocytes in all species: neutrophil (mammals) or heterophil (nonmammals), eosinophil, basophil, lymphocyte and monocyte. In nonmammals it may be difficult at times to distinguish between heterophils and eosinophils. In addition, lymphocytes may be confused with thrombocytes. However, a common-sense approach to the examination of the peripheral blood film will minimise this confusion.     

Modelling the impact of agricultural abandonment and wildfires on vertebrate diversity in Mediterranean Europe

Agricultural land abandonment, widespread in the Mediterranean, is leading to a recovery of scrubland and forests which are replacing open habitats and increasing wildfire events. Using published data, we modelled the global and regional impact of abandonment and wildfires on 554 species of terrestrial vertebrates occurring in Mediterranean Europe. For all groups except amphibians, open habitats or farmland sustained higher species richness. Open habitats showed regional differences in their conservation value, western areas being particularly important for birds and amphibians and eastern areas for reptiles. Scrublands hosted fewer species than open habitats, farmland and forest, but sustained several endemic birds and mammals. The greater species richness of forests was mostly due to species widespread in Europe. Wildfires promote scrubland expansion in detriment of forest; because more species are associated to eastern forests, fire is predicted to affect more seriously this region. Scrubland conservation value was found to be highest in the west, where fire might have a positive impact. Fire regime, however, plays a crucial role. Although large fires have a negative impact, small-scale fires may favour biodiversity in abandoned areas. Due to the intrinsic difficulty in managing abandoned land to preserve the original Mediterranean vertebrate diversity, the best option to achieve this goal is the development of policies designed to make farmers and traditional farmland survive.     

Effects of rainforest fragmentation on non-flying mammals of the Eastern Dorrigo Plateau, Australia

This paper describes the non-flying mammals recorded in warm-temperate rainforest fragments on the Eastern Dorrigo Plateau of New South Wales, Australia, and investigates the importance of landscape and habitat factors in determining their richness and abundance. Thirty-three rainforest fragments, ranging in size from 0.15 to 996 ha, and five sites within continuous rainforest, were surveyed. Mammal species were detected by live-trapping, spotlighting, diurnal transect walks and nest boxes. Vegetation surveys were carried out within fragments, and landscape parameters such as area and disturbance were measured on-site, via aerial photographs, and through discussion with land-owners. Nineteen species of non-flying mammals were recorded, the most common being two possums (Trichosurus vulpecula, Pseudocheirus peregrinus), a peramelid (Perameles nasuta), two native (Melomys cervinipes, Rattus fuscipes) and one introduced (Rattus rattus) species of rodent and a dasyurid (Antechinus stuartii). Mammal species richness overall was linked overwhelmingly with landscape parameters, particularly fragment area. Analyses of abundance were carried out on small mammal species only. The most important variables for A. stuartii were related to habitat, in particular structures used for nesting. Rattus fuscipes and M. cervinipes were restricted largely to fragments above 1 ha in area, and exhibited complex relationships with several habitat variables. Larger species of mammals were lost progressively from small fragments probably because their spatial requirements could not be met. Protection of existing remnants and establishment of links between these remnants and continuous forest may slow attrition of the region's mammalian fauna.     

Long-term persistence of prairie dog towns: insights for designing networks of prairie reserves

We studied the persistence of 281 towns of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) from surveys conducted in Oklahoma in 1966 and 1967 and again in 1988 and 1989. Town size during initial surveys tended to increase along a northwesterly gradient toward the panhandle of the State, and larger towns tended to occur in clusters while small towns occurred as isolates. Persistence of prairie dog towns from 1967 to 1989 increased significantly with town size and decreased with town isolation, with higher persistence for towns that occurred in landscapes with greater coverage of other towns. Comparisons to our studies of persistence of towns mapped in 1989 and resurveyed in 1997 [Journal of Mammalogy, 82 (2001) 937] indicate that the latter part of this pattern was reversed, with persistence highest for the most isolated towns. The reversal in persistence patterns may be attributed to an outbreak of plague (Yersinia pestis) during the early 1990s, favoring isolated towns. We recommend adaptive management and a mixed strategy for the development of prairie reserves which should include networks (clusters) of relatively large reserves, along with large but isolated reserves across the species’ native range.     

哺乳动物生精细胞显微授精研究现状与展望

对哺乳动物生精细胞进行显微授精这一新型体外授精技术的研究现状、技术方法、细胞周期及调控、基因印迹及其运用前景进行较系统全面的概述,旨在促进我国同类研究的快速发展,使该项技术早日在我国畜牧业和濒危动物保护方面发挥重大作用。     

雁门关地区哺乳动物多样性的调查研究

对雁门关地区哺乳动物多样性进行了调查研究,查明该区哺乳动物6目18科43属53种,占全国总种数(645种)的8.22%,占山西省总种数(71种)的74.65%。其中以食肉目种数(16种)占全国食肉目种数(63种)的比例最高,达到25.40%,占山西省(20种)的80%。以翼手目种数(4种)占全国翼手目种数(129种)的比例最低,仅占全国的3.10%,占山西省(9种)的44.44%。研究表明,雁门关地区的哺乳动物资源在山西省占有很大比例,而一个地区的生物多样性又对当地的生态环境意义重大,应予以重视和保护。     

Patterns of species change in anthropogenically disturbed forests of Madagascar

Five main conclusions arise from this review of the responses of species to anthropogenic disturbance in Madagascar: First, species’ reactions to anthropogenic disturbance are generally negative, but remain poorly known. Our knowledge is patchy among and within higher taxonomic groups; we are still largely gathering case studies. Second, taxonomic groups vary considerably in which proximate factors are most important. Third, several groups show differing responses within different ecoregions. Whether these differences are consistent across groups requires further testing. Fourth, related species often have divergent reactions to disturbance, even within lower taxonomic groupings (families or genera). Thus, we cannot rely on phylogenetic relatedness or even ecological similarity to infer similarity in responses. Finally, disturbance typically reduces species diversity (especially of native and/or endemic species), but also causes species turnover, typically with forest specialists replaced by grassland generalists, and endemics replaced by non-endemics (including invasives). Given these knowledge gaps, we stress the urgency of applied studies that assess species’ ecology, behaviour and health across disturbance gradients, including purely anthropogenic landscapes. Remaining natural vegetation and protected areas will be unable to preserve Madagascar’s biodiversity under the impact of climatic change; we must understand responses of plants and animals to disturbance in order to create buffer zones and corridors combining secondary, degraded and natural habitats.     

超数排卵在哺乳动物中的应用

超数排卵是动物遗传工程研究获得成功的技术支持和保障,在畜牧生产、生物工程研究中具有重要作用,并且具有一定的社会效益和经济价值。介绍了几种常用超排激素的用途和特点,并紧密结合动物繁殖及胚胎工程研究的需要,对超数排卵技术在不同哺乳动物中的最新应用进展进行了概括性的论述。