Threats to at-risk salmonids of the Canadian Rocky Mountain region

Trout and charr, members of the salmonid family, have high conservation value but are also susceptible to anthropogenic threats in part due to the specificity of their habitat requirements. Understanding historical and future threats facing these species is necessary to promote their recovery. Of freshwater trout and charr in the Canadian Rocky Mountain region, westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi), bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus; a charr species) and Athabasca rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are of conservation concern. And indeed, range contractions and declining populations are evident throughout much of their ranges. Range contraction was most evident in the southern Alberta designatable unit (DU) of westslope cutthroat trout. Diminished populations were also evident in the downstream watersheds of the Alberta bull trout range, and throughout the Athabasca rainbow trout range. We assessed historical and future threats to evaluate the relative importance of individual threats to each DU and compare their impact among species. Individual threats fall into the broad categories of angling, non-native species and genes, habitat loss and alteration, and climate change. Severity of each threat varies by DU and reflects the interaction between species’ biology and the location of the DU. Severity of threats facing each DU has changed over time, reflecting extirpation of native populations, changes in management and industry best practices, expansion of non-native species and progressing climate change. The overall threat impact for each DU indicates a high probability of substantial and continuing declines and calls for immediate action.     

A context for recruitment correlations: why marine fisheries biologists should still look for them

In many cases when ecologists want to investigate a process, they often look for the best system on which to conduct the research, "best" meaning that the possibility of discovering mechanisms is optimized or made easier in some way. In fisheries we do it backwards. The species and system are given to us by economics, and we then fly in the face of the difficult circumstances to find mechanisms that are elusive anyway. These difficult circumstances constitute in some sense the first set of statistical problems. Using examples from the Northeast Pacific, I review the characteristics of cohort time series that make some species more tractable; propose a conscious process of conceptualization to assist in the formulation of clear, germane hypotheses; highlight the contrast between modeling in the sense of statistical fitting versus simulation models of processes; explore how the first round of models integrates with the second round of planning for new data collection at sea and in the lab; and, finally, propose how to judge success in terms of an operational approach.     

Evaluation of two N cycle models for the prediction of N mineralization from grassland soils in the UK

Abstract. The ability of two nitrogen cycle models, of contrasting complexity, to predict N mineralization from a range of grassland soils in the UK, was evaluated. These were NCYCLE, a simple mass balance model of the N cycle in UK grasslands, and CENTURY, a more complex model simulating long-term C, N, P & S dynamics in grassland ecosystems. The models were tested using field measurements of net N mineralization from a range of grassland soils (differing in soil type, history & management practice), obtained over a 2 year period using a soil core incubation technique. This method was considered to measure the total net release of mineral N from the soil organic matter over a specified time, including N which may have been recycled several times. NCYCLE consistently under-estimated mineralization rates at all sites. By contrast, there was some correlation between CENTURY predictions of net N mineralization and field measurements. This may have reflected the different abilities of the two models to simulate N recycling. Neither model, however, was able to predict adequately the effect of cultivation and reseeding on net N mineralization.     

《四川农业科技》期刊读者群现状浅析

对《四川农业科技》2 0 0 0年～ 2 0 0 2年读者群现状分析结果表明 ,影响读者群的因素有期刊自身原因和地域性原因等 ,扩大和稳定读者群关键在合理定位、栏目设计有特色、多渠道宣传等。     

DYNAMIC MODELS OF AQUIFEROUS CONTENT OF LIVING FUELS

RESEARCHSITELivingfue1splayedanimportantroleinheatconcentrationactionorinheatsourceofforestfire.Whenitshumiditydecreasestoacertainlevel,theybecameaheatsourcewhenthelivingcombustibl-eswerecombinedwithfire.Thus,itwasessentialhowtodeterminethemoisturesituationandthefOrestfiredangerdegreetobeforecastedaccurately.Thedynamicmodelspresentedinthispaperwereusefultosolvethisproblem.Everyyear,-therewerealotofforestfires,especiallythefireoccurrenceinDaxinganMountains,inthespringofl987.Itwasveryimpo…     

Relating Kirtland's warbler population to changing landscape composition and structure

The population of male Kirtland's warbler (Dendroica kirtlandii) in the breeding season has averaged 206 from 1971 to 1987. The Kirtland's warbler occupies dense jack pine (Pinus banksiana) barrens from 5 to 23 years old and from 1.4 to 5.0 m high, formerly of wildfire origin. In 1984, 73% of the males censused were found in habitat naturally regenerated from wildfire or prescribed burning. The rest were in plantations (11%) or in harvested, unburned jack pine stands stocked by natural regeneration (16%). Twenty-two percent (630 of 2,886) of the Kirtland's warbler males counted in the annual censuses from 1971 through 1984 were found in 26 stands that were unburned and naturally regenerated following harvest. From 1982 to 1987, suitable regenerating areas were barely sufficient to replace currently occupied maturing stands, so population growth was impeded. Ecosystems of suitable size and regeneration characteristics (wildfire and plantation) doubled in area by 1989. In response, the population of Kirtland's warblers increased from 167 to 398 males between 1987 and 1992, but they withdrew almost entirely from the unburned, unplanted barrens by 1989 when the area of more suitable regeneration types increased. Minimum (368 males) and maximum (542 males) population estimates for 1996 were calculated based on 1984 average density (1.9 males per 40 ha) and peak population in burns (2.8 males per 40 ha).     

Importance of the River Teviot to Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, rod catches in the River Tweed, Scotland

Abstract  The body mass distributions and variations in abundance of the spring and autumn catches of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., were compared between fisheries above and below the confluence of the rivers Tweed and Teviot, Scotland. Significant differences between the distributions were found over three periods, one in spring and two in autumn, when salmon catches were high. Correlations were found between abundance trends for periods when distributions were similar or dissimilar. Abundance of salmon returning to the River Teviot was proportional to the main river. However, its population structure differed when abundances were high, suggesting different survival strategies. It appears that changes in the numbers returning to the river were resultant of changes in the marine rather than freshwater environment.     

Markers, old and new, for examining Phytophthora infestans diversity

Late blight, caused by Phytophthora infestans , is an ongoing threat to potato and tomato crop production worldwide and considerable fundamental and applied research is conducted with the long-term aim of improved disease control. Understanding the mechanisms, processes and rates of P. infestans evolution is an important factor in predicting the effectiveness and durability of new management practices. A range of phenotypic and genotypic tests has been applied to achieve this goal, but each has limitations and new methods are sought. Recent progress in P. infestans genomics is providing the raw data for such methods and new high-throughput codominant biomolecular markers are currently being developed that have tremendous potential in the study of P. infestans population biology, epidemiology, ecology, genetics and evolution. This paper reviews some key applications, recommends some changes in approach and reports on the status and potential of new and existing methods for probing P. infestans genetic diversity.     

小家鼠胴体重指标划分种群年龄的研究

对2005年1~12月在贵州省息烽县鼠情监测点捕获的258只小家鼠标本,以胴体重为指标,参照繁殖状况,用胴体重频次分配方法将小家鼠划分为4个年龄组,其划分标准为,幼年组(Ⅰ):胴体重≤6.49 g;亚成年组(Ⅱ):6.50~9.99 g;成年组(Ⅲ):10.00~13.49 g;老年组(Ⅳ):≥13.50 g。不同年龄组繁殖力差异显著,胴体重随种群年龄的增长而不断增加,各年龄组胴体重与体重、体长、尾长均呈正相关性,且与体重相关性达极显著。研究认为,采用胴体重划分小家鼠年龄是可行的,方法简便,易于操作。     

RAPD技术对地方鸡种群体遗传结构的分析

利用ＲＡＰＤ技术对４个地方鸡种和１个引进鸡种的群体遗传结构进行分析，通过筛选的５个随机引物ＯＰＨ－０２、ＯＰＨ－０５、ＯＰＨ－１３、ＯＰＨ－１６、ＯＰＧ－０７对５个鸡种的池ＤＮＡ进行多态性研究，结果表明：５个引物共产生条带６１个，扩增产物片段的长度一般从１５０ｂｐ－４ｋｂ。