Sexual differences in food preferences in the white stork: an experimental study

Sex differences in the foraging ecology of monomorphic species are poorly understood, due to problems with gender identification in field studies. In the current study, we used experimental conditions to investigate the food preferences of the white stork Ciconia ciconia, an opportunistic species in terms of food, but characterised by a low level of sexual dimorphism. During a 10-day experiment, 29 individuals (20 females and 9 males) were studied by means of a ‘cafeteria test’ in which the storks’ diet consisted of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, insects and earthworms. The storks preferred food characterised by high calorific and protein values such as mammals, birds and fish. Sexes differed strongly in their preferences; males preferred mammals, whereas females preferred birds. Moreover, females consumed insects and earthworms less often than males. Interestingly, males spent significantly less time foraging than females. We have demonstrated that the white stork exhibits clear sexual differences in food preferences which are mostly attributable to differences in parental duties, physiology and anatomy.     

The emergence of collective foraging in the arboreal<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Gnamptogenys menadensis</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Gnamptogenys menadensis is an arboreal nester that forages opportunistically almost exclusively on vegetation, sometimes recruiting others to participate in prey retrieval. The three-dimensional characteristics of vegetation suggest that functions describing recruitment decision thresholds or the pattern of recruitment in arboreal species may differ from those predicted by optimal foraging theory. To examine the effects of prey abundance and distance on the recruitment dynamics of G. menadensis, we baited nests with one termite, five termites or a number of termites between 20 and 40 either near to or far from the entrance and observed the ensuing behaviors. G. menadensis recruited others when encountering multiple termites regardless of the termite pile's distance from the nest, although a few individuals remained at the site and defended the resource. The pattern of arrivals at the site indicates that the majority and sometimes all arrivals were recruited from the branch trails. In combination, these results suggest that the architecture of the foraging habitat, which limits available return routes to the nest and thus increases encounter probabilities with potential recruits, shaped the process of information transfer and generated a collective pattern of foraging and prey retrieval.     

Habitat selection by breeding waterbirds at ponds with size-structured fish populations

Fish may significantly affect habitat use by birds, either as their prey or as competitors. Fish communities are often distinctly size-structured, but the consequences for waterbird assemblages remain poorly understood. We examined the effects of size structure of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) cohorts together with other biotic and abiotic pond characteristics on the distribution of breeding waterbirds in a seminatural system of monocultured ponds, where three fish age classes were separately stocked. Fish age corresponded to a distinct fish size gradient. Fish age and total biomass, macroinvertebrate and amphibian abundance, and emergent vegetation best explained the differences in bird density between ponds. Abundance of animal prey other than fish (aquatic macroinvertebrates and larval amphibians) decreased with increasing carp age in the ponds. Densities of ducks and smaller grebes were strongly negatively associated with fish age/size gradient. The largest of the grebes, the piscivorous great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), was the only species that preferred ponds with medium-sized fish and was positively associated with total fish biomass. Habitat selection by bitterns and most rallids was instead strongly influenced by the relative amount of emergent vegetation cover in the ponds. Our results show that fish size structure may be an important cue for breeding habitat choice and a factor affording an opportunity for niche diversification in avian communities.     

A comparative analysis of colour preferences in temperate and tropical social bees

The spontaneous occurrence of colour preferences without learning has been demonstrated in several insect species; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not understood. Here, we use a comparative approach to investigate spontaneous and learned colour preferences in foraging bees of two tropical and one temperate species. We hypothesised that tropical bees utilise different sets of plants and therefore might differ in their spontaneous colour preferences. We tested colour-naive bees and foragers from colonies that had been enclosed in large flight cages for a long time. Bees were shortly trained with triplets of neutral, UV-grey stimuli placed randomly at eight locations on a black training disk to induce foraging motivation. During unrewarded tests, the bees’ responses to eight colours were video-recorded. Bees explored all colours and displayed an overall preference for colours dominated by long or short wavelengths, rather than a single colour stimulus. Naive Apis cerana and Bombus terrestris showed similar choices. Both inspected long-wavelength stimuli more than short-wavelength stimuli, whilst responses of the tropical stingless bee Tetragonula iridipennis differed, suggesting that resource partitioning could be a determinant of spontaneous colour preferences. Reward on an unsaturated yellow colour shifted the bees’ preference curves as predicted, which is in line with previous findings that brief colour experience overrides the expression of spontaneous preferences. We conclude that rather than determining foraging behaviour in inflexible ways, spontaneous colour preferences vary depending on experimental settings and reflect potential biases in mechanisms of learning and decision-making in pollinating insects.     

Parasitoids and competitors influence colony-level responses in the red imported fire ant,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Solenopsis invicta</Emphasis>

Social insect colonies respond to challenges set by a variable environment by reallocating work among colony members. In many social insects, such colony-level task allocation strategies are achieved through individual decisions that produce a self-organized adapting group. We investigated colony responses to parasitoids and native ant competitors in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Parasitoid flies affected fire ants by decreasing the proportion of workers engaged in foraging. Competitors also altered colony-level behaviours by reducing the proportion of foraging ants and by increasing the proportion of roaming majors, whose role is colony defence. Interestingly, the presence of both parasitism and competition almost always had similar effects on task allocation in comparison to each of the biotic factors on its own. Thus, our study uniquely demonstrates that the interactive effect of both parasitism and competition is not necessarily additive, implying that these biotic factors alter colony behaviour in distinct ways. More generally, our work demonstrates the importance of studying the dynamics of species interactions in a broader context.     

太子河流域大型底栖动物栖境适宜性

应用加权平均法和无度量多维标定(NMS)法,检测到影响太子河流域大型底栖动物空间分布最重要的栖境因子依次为底质、流速和水深. 对太子河流域大型底栖动物主要优势类群的栖境适宜度进行研究,结果表明:不同物种对生境表现出明显的趋异性,多数物种喜栖息在粗糙卵石底质的生境; 大型底栖动物的流速偏好性与其摄食方式、生活型和形体结构相关,对水深的偏好性差异较小. 对该流域主要优势种热水四节蜉(Baetis thermicus)的栖境适宜性研究表明,热水四节蜉偏好小卵石底质,最适流速为0.4 m/s,最适水深为0.2 m. 栖境适宜度指数的预测模型显示,热水四节蜉个体数在多数采样点的实测值小于预测值,表明除栖境指标外,其他的环境要素亦对该种的分布有重要影响.      

Colour preferences influences odour learning in the hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum

The hummingbird hawkmoth, Macroglossum stellatarum, learns colour fast and reliably. It has earlier been shown to spontaneously feed from odourless artificial flowers. Now, we have studied odour learning. The moths were trained to discriminate feeders of the same colour but marked with different odours. They did not learn to discriminate two natural flower odours when they were presented with the innately preferred colour blue, but they did learn this discrimination combined with yellow or green colours that are less attractive to the moth. The yellow colour could be trained to become as attractive as the innately preferred blue colour and the blue colour could be trained to become less attractive. This is the first proof of odour learning in a diurnal moth. The results show that M. stellatarum can use more than one modality in their foraging behaviour and that the system is plastic. By manipulating the preferences for the different colours, their influence on odour learning could be changed.     

Divergent evolution of feeding substrate preferences in a phylogenetically young species flock of pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.)

A fundamental question in sympatric speciation is how trophic divergence is achieved. We used an extremely young (<8,000 years) species flock of pupfish (Cyprinodon spp.) from Laguna Chichancanab in south-eastern Mexico to examine divergent evolution of preferences for different feeding substrates. In a test aquarium, we presented four feeding substrates (sand, gravel, a plastic plant, and blank bottom), but no actual food was offered. The four feeding substrates were chosen to mirror the most common substrate types in Laguna Chichancanab. Previous studies demonstrated that benthic food items prevail in the diet of most Cyprinodon species. C. beltrani preferred sand, whereas C. labiosus preferred gravel. F₁ hybrids of both species showed intermediate preferences. C. maya searched for food equally at all substrates. As the test fish were reared under identical laboratory conditions (i.e., in the absence of feeding substrates), the species-specific preferences appear to be genetically fixed, suggesting rapid divergent evolution of feeding behaviors.     

河岸芦苇、茭白和香蒲植物带处理受污染河水中试研究

利用中试规模的河岸植物带(芦苇、茭白、香蒲)及无植物空白带对受污染河水进行处理,并对它们处理结果进行比较.结果表明,3种植物均能强化污染物的去除.其中芦苇带效果最好,它在整个运行期间对COD、NH₄⁺-N和TP的去除效果分别为43.7%、79.5%和75.2%.对出水溶解氧与水温进行了考察,结果表明植物带水体的溶解氧变化比无植物带小,水温比无植物带低.其中,芦苇带水的溶解氧最高,香蒲带水温和溶解氧最低.芦苇、茭白、香蒲带对河水中污染物的去除和改善水环境条件等方面表现了不同的特点,在河岸带修复时应尽可能保证水生植物的多样性.     

Individual lifetime pollen and nectar foraging preferences in bumble bees

Foraging specialization plays an important role in the ability of social insects to efficiently allocate labor. However, relatively little is known about the degree to which individual bumble bees specialize on collecting nectar or pollen, when such preferences manifest, and if individuals can alter their foraging preferences in response to changes in the colony workforce. Using Bombus impatiens, we monitored all foraging visits made by every bee in multiple colonies and showed that individual foragers exhibit consistent lifetime foraging preferences. Based upon the distribution of foraging preferences, we defined three forager types (pollen specialists, nectar specialists, and generalists). In unmanipulated colonies, 16–36?% of individuals specialized (≥90?% of visits) on nectar or pollen only. On its first day of foraging, an individual’s foraging choices (nectar only, pollen only, or nectar and pollen) significantly predicted its lifetime foraging preferences. Foragers that only collected pollen on their first day of foraging made 1.61- to 1.67-fold more lifetime pollen foraging visits (as a proportion of total trips) than foragers that only collected nectar on their first foraging day. Foragers were significantly larger than bees that stayed only in the nest. We also determined the effect of removing pollen specialists at early (brood present) or later (brood absent) stages in colony life. These results suggest that generalists can alter their foraging preferences in response to the loss of a small subset of foragers. Thus, bumble bees exhibit individual lifetime foraging preferences that are established early in life, but generalists may be able to adapt to colony needs.     

Dietary characterization of the hominoid Khoratpithecus (Miocene of Thailand): evidence from dental topographic and microwear texture analyses

The genus Khoratpithecus, a hominoid thought to be related to the orangutan lineage, is represented by two known fossil species K. chiangmuanensis and K. piriyai. Both were discovered in Southeast Asia (Thailand) and are dated to the Middle and Late Miocene, respectively. In this study, dental topographic and microwear texture analyses were used to examine molars from both of these species, with the goal of understanding their dietary preferences. Although sample sizes are small for Khoratpithecus, available data are compared to that collected for extant apes. Environmental evidence, such as botanical remains and sedimentological data, is also considered for comparisons with dietary reconstruction. Results from dental topographic analysis suggest that the two fossil species were better adapted to a diet of fruits than to one of leaves, much like the living orangutan or chimpanzee. Results from microwear texture analysis further support this, suggesting that Khoratpithecus preferred soft fruits to hard fruits or seeds. And finally, the botanical and sedimentological evidence point to environments for Khoratpithecus that would have been compatible with a fruit-eating species. Given the small sample sizes available for analysis, however, definitive judgments are not yet possible at this time.     

Restricted gene flow and fine-scale population structuring in tool using New Caledonian crows

New Caledonian crows Corvus moneduloides are the most prolific avian tool users. It has been suggested that some aspects of their complex tool use behaviour are under the influence of cultural processes, involving the social transmission—and perhaps even progressive refinement—of tool designs. Using microsatellite and mt-haplotype profiling of crows from three distinct habitats (dry forest, farmland and beachside habitat), we show that New Caledonian crow populations can exhibit significant fine-scale genetic structuring. Our finding that some sites of <10 km apart were highly differentiated demonstrates considerable potential for genetic and/or cultural isolation of crow groups. Restricted movement of birds between local populations at such small spatial scales, especially across habitat boundaries, illustrates how specific tool designs could be preserved over time, and how tool technologies of different crow groups could diverge due to drift and local selection pressures. Young New Caledonian crows have an unusually long juvenile dependency period, during which they acquire complex tool-related foraging skills. We suggest that the resulting delayed natal dispersal drives population-divergence patterns in this species. Our work provides essential context for future studies that examine the genetic makeup of crow populations across larger geographic areas, including localities with suspected cultural differences in crow tool technologies.     

The use of olfaction in the foraging behaviour of the golden-mantled flying fox,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Pteropus pumilus</Emphasis>, and the greater musky fruit bat,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Ptenochirus jagori</Emphasis> (Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae)

Double-choice experiments with three adult males of the little golden-mantled flying fox, Pteropus pumilus, and ten adult greater musky fruit bats, Ptenochirus jagori (both Megachiroptera: Pteropodidae), demonstrate that they are able to discriminate accurately between an empty dish and a dish containing fruits of one of several species by odour alone. Tests were run using fruits of six fruit species for Pteropus pumilus and five fruit species for Ptenochirus jagori. The fruit species used are known to be consumed in the wild by Ptenochirus jagori and are, with two exceptions, species of the natural rain-forest habitat. This is the first study to show that fruit bats are also able to assess the ripeness of a fruit exclusively by its odour. The bats preferred ripe over unripe fruits of the same species. Thus, both Pteropus pumilus and Ptenochirus jagori can not only locate fruits by their odour but can also discriminate between ripe and unripe fruits of the same species by olfaction. The results confirm and expand earlier findings on the role of olfactory cues in the orientation of foraging pteropodids.     

微波植被指数在云南省植被动态监测中的适用性研究

基于遥感的植被指数是科学监测植被动态变化的最有效方法。然而,在我国西南地形复杂区域,基于植被光谱特征的光学植被指数常常因大气状况及环境条件等的影响而受到很大的限制。利用云南省2013年1月至2018年12月AMSR2 (Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2,即先进微波扫描辐射计2)双极化亮温数据,计算了云南省2013—2018年多年平均逐月微波植被指数,并选取草地、耕地、落叶阔叶林、常绿阔叶林及常绿针叶林五种典型植被类型区,对比分析了不同植被类型区各微波植被指数的季节变化规律及其与光学植被指数(NDVI)的相关性。结果表明:各微波植被指数的变化幅度均较小,低频和高频微波极化差异指数(MPDI)可以反映云南省各种植被类型的季节变化规律,同时低频MPDI对植被季节变化特征的响应更显著,而低频微波植被指数(MVIA和MVIB)对草地的季节变化响应更敏感。各微波植被指数与NDVI的相关性在低矮植被区更显著,更能反映低矮植被类型随季节变化规律。总体看来,各微波植被指数能够很好地识别不同类型植被的季节变化规律,可作为光学植被指数的有力补充,用于长时序、大范围植被动态监测。     

Landscape pattern and its effect on ecosystem functions in Seoul Metropolitan area: urban ecology on distribution of the naturalized plant species

During land transformation process in the human history,naturalized plants were introduced to several land use patterns by the different ways of plant itself .Including some naturalized plants that had been contribute to land restoration,many naturalized plants have been invaded to original habitat or landscape for native plants.Once the plants were colonized,they extend their area and population size.Urban developed areas often give an impotant role of source habitat for naturalized plants and expanding their popuation size.In recent,this tituation is appearing as one of environmental problems about the urban landscape management controlling the naturalized plants that invaded in the developed area and conserving the native vegetation.This paper is focusing on relationships between distribution of habitat of naturalized plants and landscape patch in urban area in Seoul.Gengdong-Gu ,one of the administrative areas in Seoul was selected for this study.We examined the recent land use change using LANDSAT TM data and spreading of the representative naturalized plants(Robinia pseudoacacia and Eupatorium rugosum)by Seoul Biotope Mapping Project and field survey in 1999.As a result,these two species were often occurred in the same habitat and distributed in forest edge disturbed by man.Their distribution patterns were related to landscape indices (patch size and shape)in the forest edge.     

Interspecific mating of the introduced bumblebee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis> and the native Japanese bumblebee <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus hypocrita sapporoensis</Emphasis> results in inviable hybrids

The bumblebee Bombus terrestris is not only an effective pollinator, but also a potential invasive alien species outside its native range. Recently, nearly 30% of queens of the Japanese native species Bombus hypocrita sapporoensis and B. hypocrita hypocrita were estimated to copulate with B. terrestris males in the field, suggesting that indigenous bumblebees could be genetically deteriorated through hybrid production with the introduced species. In this study, we evaluated hybrid production between the introduced B. terrestris and the indigenous B. hypocrita sapporoensis under laboratory conditions. The hatching rate of eggs derived from interspecific matings was 0% and 8.6% depending on the direction of the cross, which was significantly lower than that from intraspecific matings of B. terrestris (76.9%) and B. hypocrita sapporoensis (78.9%). Genetic studies using microsatellite markers revealed that both haploid and diploid individuals were present in the egg stage, whereas all hatched larvae were haploid. In addition, histological studies revealed that eggs derived from interspecific matings terminated development 2 days after oviposition. These results strongly suggested that eggs derived from interspecific matings are inviable due to post-mating isolation mechanisms. Mass release of exotic pollinators could cause serious population declines of native bumblebee species.     

Indirect interactions between invasive and native plants via pollinators

In generalised pollination systems, the presence of alien plant species may change the foraging behaviour of pollinators on native plant species, which could result in reduced reproductive success of native plant species. We tested this idea of indirect interactions on a small spatial and temporal scale in a field study in Mauritius, where the invasive strawberry guava, Psidium cattleianum, provides additional floral resources for insect pollinators. We predicted that the presence of flowering guava would indirectly and negatively affect the reproductive success of the endemic plant Bertiera zaluzania, which has similar flowers, by diverting shared pollinators. We removed P. cattleianum flowers within a 5-m radius from around half the B. zaluzania target plants (treatment) and left P. cattleianum flowers intact around the other half (control). By far, the most abundant and shared pollinator was the introduced honey bee, Apis mellifera, but its visitation rates to treatment and control plants were similar. Likewise, fruit and seed set and fruit size and weight of B. zaluzania were not influenced by the presence of P. cattleianum flowers. Although other studies have shown small-scale effects of alien plant species on neighbouring natives, we found no evidence for such negative indirect interactions in our system. The dominance of introduced, established A. mellifera indicates their replacement of native insect flower visitors and their function as pollinators of native plant species. However, the pollination effectiveness of A. mellifera in comparison to native pollinators is unknown. Christine B. Müller, deceased 7 March 2008.     

近40年来山东省南四湖水生植被演变及其驱动因素

基于2019年南四湖水生植被调查结果,结合历史资料,分析了1983～2019年全湖水生植被演变情况。结果表明:1)近40年来,南四湖优势种数量下降,结构发生改变,耐污种菹草代替不耐污种轮叶黑藻、微齿眼子菜等成为优势种;2)物种丰富度急剧下降,由74种下降为16种;3)水生植被总面积大幅缩减,挺水植物面积减少93.7%;4)单位面积生物量减少,植被生产力降低。造成这种水生植被演变的主要因素包括:1)湖泊水位波动对植被生长影响显著,2002年的极度干旱压缩了水生植被的生存空间;2)湖泊营养水平变化诱发优势种演变更替;3)人类活动干扰水生植被的生长与分布等。建议控制湖区内不当的人类活动,更好地保护南四湖湿地生态系统的健康,促进水生植被的恢复。     

河岸混合植物带处理受污染河水中试研究

利用2种混合植物带(香根草+沉水植物、湿生植物+香蒲+芦苇)对受污染河水进行中试研究,并与无植物空白带进行了对比.结果表明,混合植物带对污染物的降解效果优于无植物空白带,其中香根草+沉水植物带效果最好,它在整个运行期间对COD、NH₄⁺-N和TP的去除率分别为43.5%、71.1%和69.3%.对出水溶解氧及水温进行了考察,结果表明混合植物带水域中水的溶解氧比无植物带稳定,且在夏季水温低于无植物带水域的水温.说明在河道修复中植物带对平衡河岸带环境条件、改善河流局部小气候有重要作用.     

2000～2020年中国典型经济区PM2.5时空变化及其与植被景观格局的关系

探究典型经济区PM_2.5时空变化特征及其与植被景观格局的关系,对区域PM_2.5污染治理和大气环境保护具有重要意义.基于PM_2.5数据和MODIS NDVI数据集,采用像元二分模型、 Getis-Ord G^*_i分析、 Theil-Sen Median趋势分析、 Mann-Kendall检验、皮尔逊相关分析和复相关分析等方法,探究中国三大经济区PM_2.5空间聚集性、时空变化特征及其与植被景观格局指数的相关性.结果表明,2000～2020年环渤海地区PM_2.5主要表现为热点区扩张,冷点区缩减;长江三角洲地区冷点区和热点区面积占比无显著变化;珠江三角洲地区冷点区和热点区均发生扩张.2000～2020年三大经济区PM_2.5整体表现为下降趋势,改善程度由高到低依次是：珠江三角洲地区、长江三角洲地区和环渤海地区.2000～2020年三大经济区不同植被覆盖度等级下PM_2.5均表现为下降趋势,三大经济区PM<...