Quantifying patch distribution at multiple spatial scales: Applications to wildlife-habitat models

Multiscale analyses are widely employed for wildlife-habitat studies. In most cases, however, each scale is considered discrete and little emphasis is placed on incorporating or measuring the responses of wildlife to resources across multiple scales. We modeled the responses of three Arctic wildlife species to vegetative resources distributed at two spatial scales: patches and collections of patches aggregated across a regional area. We defined a patch as a single or homogeneous collection of pixels representing 1 of 10 unique vegetation types. We employed a spatial pattern technique, three-term local quadrat variance, to quantify the distribution of patches at a larger regional scale. We used the distance at which the variance for each of 10 vegetation types peaked to define a moving window for calculating the density of patches. When measures of vegetation patch and density were applied to resource selection functions, the most parsimonious models for wolves and grizzly bears included covariates recorded at both scales. Seasonal resource selection by caribou was best described using a model consisting of only regional scale covariates. Our results suggest that for some species and environments simple patch-scale models may not capture the full range of spatial variation in resources to which wildlife may respond. For mobile animals that range across heterogeneous areas we recommend selection models that integrate resources occurring at a number of spatial scales. Patch density is a simple technique for representing such higher-order spatial patterns.     

Effects of area and isolation of woodland patches on herbaceous plant species richness across Great Britain

Richness of Ancient Woodland Indicator plant species was analysed in 308 woodland patches that were surveyed during the Countryside Survey of Great Britain carried out in 1998. The Countryside Survey recorded vegetation plots and landscape structure in 569 stratified 1 km sample squares and developed a remotely-sensed land cover map of the UK. Using these datasets, we tested the hypothesis that Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in woodland fragments was limited by patch area, shape and spatial isolation and that woodland patches located in the lowland region of Great Britain would respond differently than those in the upland region. The variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British lowlands (n = 218) was mainly explained by patch area and two measures of connectivity, the length of hedgerows and lines of trees in the 1 km square and the area of woodland within 500 m of the vegetation plot. By contrast, variation in Ancient Woodland Indicator species richness in the British uplands (n = 90) was related to Ellenberg scores of the vegetation communities sampled – a surrogate for habitat quality – and no significant effect of spatial structure was detected. It therefore appears that the degree of fragmentation of woodland in the British lowlands limits the distribution of Ancient Woodland Indicator species, while in the uplands, failed colonisation is a matter of habitat quality rather than a result of landscape structure.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the literature were used to identify six forest-replacement fire regime categories with fire rotations ranging from very short (<100 years) to very long (>1,000 years). We derived spatially-explicit estimates of the susceptibility of landscape ecosystems to fire disturbance using Landtype Association maps as initial units of investigation. Each Landtype Association polygon was assigned to a fire regime category based on associations of ecological factors known to influence fire regimes. Spatial statistics were used to interpolate fire points recorded by the General Land Office. Historical fire rotations were determined by calculating the area burned for each category of fire regime and dividing this area by fifteen (years) to estimate area burned per annum. Modern fire rotations were estimated using data on fire location and size obtained from federal and state agencies. Landtype Associations networked into fire regime categories exhibited differences in both historical and modern fire rotations. Historical rotations varied by 23-fold across all fire rotation categories, and modern forest fire rotations by 13-fold. Modern fire rotations were an order of magnitude longer than historical rotations. The magnitude of these changes has important implications for forest health and understanding of ecological processes in most of the fire rotation categories that we identified.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

维生素E对绵羊鲜精及冻精精液品质的影响

日粮中添加维生素E可以提高绵羊鲜精的活率 ,对照组和试验组的活率分别为 0 72± 0 0 7和 0 78± 0 0 6(P <0 0 5 ) ,显著改善鲜精精液品质。采用两步稀释法在绵羊冷冻精液稀释液中添加维生素E ,可以极显著降低冷冻对精子顶体的冷刺激损害程度 ,试验组的活率 ( 0 43 5± 0 0 2 0 )极显著高于对照组 ( 0 3 65± 0 0 2 6) (P <0 0 1) ,精子顶体的总异常率试验组 ( 3 3 72 % )极显著低于对照组 ( 4 4 3 5 % ) (P <0 0 1) ,其中试验组顶体膨胀率和脱落率与对照组分别为 1 2 8%±0 5 8%、2 3 0 8%± 1 45 %与 2 68%± 0 5 9%、2 8 96%± 3 14 %。冷冻精液品质显著改善。     

几种绿色饲料添加剂在肉鸡生产上的应用效果

选1日龄AA肉鸡390只,分成13组,分别添加不同种类和不同种类组合的绿色饲料添加剂。试验结果表明,益生素能显著(p<0.05)提高肉鸡的生产性能,改善肉品质。     

Questionnaire-based study on consumer requirements for beef quality in Japan

A questionnaire study examining Japanese consumers’ requirements for beef quality was carried out in April 2002 in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Answers from 532 participants were used for the statistical analysis. Twenty questions about sensory properties, appearance, safety and freshness, production area, price, and other properties were prepared. The answers were applied to principal component analysis. Five principal components were obtained and defined, and the principle component scores were used to classify participants. The panels were classified into four groups profiled as ‘specific quality orientated’, ‘Wagyu (Japanese beef) orientated’, ‘safety and freshness orientated’ and ‘overall high quality orientated’. In addition, gender and age characteristics were different among the groups. Sensory properties did not affect the classification of respondents.     

夏季狗牙根草坪不同建植方法及秋季交播黑麦草对成坪效果的影响

以狗牙根Cynodon dactylon种子和营养体为材料，在武汉地区，对5种不同建植方法建成的草坪从盖度变化、成坪时间、均一性、建植成本及秋季交播多年生黑麦草Lolium perenne后翌年狗牙根的草坪质量等方面进行综合比较。结果表明：采用夏季建植狗牙根草坪并于秋季交播多年生黑麦草的方法来建植四季常绿草坪，狗牙根采用撒茎覆沙法效果最佳，其他方法依次为开沟埋茎法、闻铺草皮法、穴植草茎法；种子直播法在翌年需重新建坪。     

浅论优质牧草在肉牛饲养中的利用

针对我国肉牛饲养在饲料利用中的误区,结合肉牛的消化及代谢特点,分析了牧草的鲜喂、青贮、干草饲喂以及综合利用4种不同的利用方式及其营养特点,指出优质牧草用于肉牛饲养能充分发挥牧草的优良特性,而且符合我国畜牧业发展要求,值得广泛推广.     

施磷和接种根瘤菌对黄河三角洲紫花苜蓿生长及品质的影响

田间试验研究了施磷肥和接种根瘤菌对黄河三角洲地区紫花苜蓿生长及品质的影响.结果表明,播种前施磷肥能明显提高紫花苜蓿的出苗和成苗率,显著提高紫花苜蓿的叶茎比、叶面积指数、叶绿素含量,并提高干物质产量12.9%～85.5%.施磷肥还显著提高了紫花苜蓿地上部可溶性碳水化合物和粗蛋白质的含量,降低了中性洗涤纤维含量,使饲草体外干物质消化率增加0.73%～8.49%.播种时接种根瘤菌能显著增加紫花苜蓿单株根瘤结瘤数和平均根瘤重,并能改善苗期的生长,但对干物质产量影响不明显.试验结果显示,黄河三角洲地区种植紫花苜蓿施用过磷酸钙750 kg/hm2,并接种根瘤菌可获得较好的提高产量和改善品质的效果.