无锡鼋头渚4种鹭类繁殖期的生态学特征研究

2000年3月－6月对无锡鼋头渚的鹭岛繁殖期的种群生态特征进行了调查研究，结果表明：栖息地共有鹭巢36400个，巢密度为0．52个／m62，平均每棵树有巢3．36个；较早迁来的夜鹭首先占据了远离村庄及公路的相对较好的位置；鹭类筑巢对高大的马尾松利用率较高，且个体较大的鹭岛多占据树的中上部，个体较小的鹭岛则主要栖息于下部；夜鹭和牛背鹭平均窝卵数为3个／巢，白鹭和池鹭为5个／巢。     

太湖鼋头渚地区鹭类觅食生境研究

连续 2a实地调查了太湖鼋头渚地区鹭鸟的觅食生境 ,并搜集其雏鸟的反吐物 ,初步掌握了该地区不同鹭鸟对觅食生境的选择与食物组成情况。结果表明 ,无锡鼋头渚地区白鹭与夜鹭主要在鱼塘、湖泊觅食 ,白鹭在湖滨觅食 ,而夜鹭还会到湖中央水面觅食 ;池鹭觅食区域较广 ,主要在鱼塘。鹭群主要的食物类型是鱼类 ,白鹭食物几乎全为鱼类 ,夜鹭 95 %的食物为鱼类 ,兼有少量的蛙类、甲壳类和小型哺乳类动物。     

太湖鼋头渚地区鹭类觅食生境研究

连续2a实地调查了太湖鼋头渚地区鹭鸟的觅食生境，并搜集其雏鸟的反吐物，初步掌握了该地区不同鹭鸟对觅食生境的选择与食物组成情况。结果表明，无锡鼋头渚地区白鹭与夜鹭主要在鱼塘、湖泊觅食、白鹭在湖滨觅食，而夜鹭还会到湖中央水面觅食；池鹭觅食区域较广，主要在鱼塘。鹭群主要的食物类型是鱼类，白鹭食物几乎全为鱼类，夜鹭95％的食物为鱼类，兼有少量的蛙类、甲壳类和小型哺乳类动物。     

鹭鸟对茶园的生态影响

目前国内对鹭鸟（夜鹭Nycticorax nyticorax、白鹭Egtetta garzetta、苍鹭Ardea cinerea、池鹭Ardeole bacchus）的迁徙、觅食习性和繁殖规律的已有详细的研究报道，但鹭鸟自身活动对栖息地的生态影响尚未见报道。作者对鹭鸟对茶园土壤和茶树的影响进行了研究，结果表明，大量鹭鸟活动所产生的鸟粪对栖息地的茶树土壤中各种养分的质量分数产生了重大影响：有机质提高了28．03％～62．25％，土壤速效磷增加了1．7～4．2倍，土壤水溶性盐提高了6～21倍之多，并发生了严重盐化；pH表土升高0．43，下层降低了1．11。对茶树的重大影响表现为：叶绿素a、叶绿素b以及总的质量分数，分别减少25．72％、36．97％、29．54％；叶子正面皮孔也被堵塞，生长发育受阻，叶子边缘、叶尖等处发生焦枯；影响轻的茶芽中茶多酚的质星分数下降了3．7％，水浸出物的质星分数略高1％，氨基酸的质量分数提高7．4％；影响严重的茶树的生物产品降低达76％以上，局部经济产最为零，甚至茶树濒临枯死。     

气溶胶水溶性有机物(WSOC)中二元羧酸的测定

提出了BF3 /丁醇酯化衍生反应 GC/MS分析大气气溶胶水溶性有机物 (WSOC)中二元羧酸 (乙二酸、丙二酸和丁二酸 )的测定方法 .其相应酯化产物乙二酸二丁酯、丙二酸二丁酯和丁二酸二丁酯的线性范围为 1× 1 0 - 5mol·l- 1— 1× 1 0 - 2 mol·l- 1,精密度分别为 1 6 7% ,3 0 4 %和 5 2 8% ;最低检测限分别为 1 9× 1 0 - 7mol·l- 1,1 1×1 0 - 7mol·l- 1和 1 2 5× 1 0 - 6mol·l- 1.并实测了北京市秋、冬两季乙二酸、丙二酸和丁二酸的平均浓度水平 ,分别为 4 44ng·m- 3 ,4 0ng·m- 3 ,30 2ng·m- 3 .     

迁徙停歇地东方白鹳繁殖生态研究

黄河三角洲是东方白鹳的迁徙停歇地之一,但近些年开始出现繁殖种群.为了解该种群的繁殖现状,有效开展保护工作,于2009年在黄河三角洲对东方白鹳的繁殖生态进行了研究.2009年在黄河三角洲繁殖的东方白鹳种群数量为21对,繁殖个体于2月上旬陆续返回繁殖区,最早于2月21开始筑巢.巢筑于水泥电线杆、人工招引巢或者高压输电铁塔上,其中利用旧巢11巢,新建巢10巢.大汶流巢区平均巢高13.25 m±2.07 m(N=18)、巢间距647.22 m±1 086.49 m(N=18);黄河口巢区平均巢高25.50 m±7.97 m(N=3),巢间距42 640.00 m±62 838.80 m(N=3).孵化期最早始于2月25日,个别繁殖对受干扰影响延迟到5月中旬.孵化期32.07 d±1.34 d(N=15),育雏期63.33 d±6.83 d(N=12),日育雏6.23±2.23次(N=68),雏鸟最早离巢时间为5月28日,最晚离巢时间为8月19日.2009年的21对繁殖东方白鹳共有17对繁殖成功,孵出47只幼鸟,出飞幼鸟37只.影响东方白鹳繁殖的主要因素是强风,此外,游客干扰、适宜巢址缺乏也是影响繁殖的重要因素.为提高人工招引繁殖的成功率,可适当增加人工招引巢数量并对其上的巢基进行加固.     

川西米亚罗地区亚高山针叶林建群种云杉土壤种子库研究

对川西米亚罗地区天然亚高山针叶林云杉种群的种子雨和土壤种子库进行了研究 .结果表明 :云杉种子雨过程从 2 0 0 2年 10月初到翌年 1月初 ,种子雨雨量 (n)为 5 79.99± 110 .84粒 /m2 ,其中种子下落主要集中在 11月 ,占种子雨总量的 5 7.80 % .种子雨分布格局呈集群分布 .于 2 0 0 3年春季 (3月 )和夏季 (8月 )两次对该天然云杉林土壤种子库取样 ,土壤种子库大小分别为 4 72 .8± 74 .82粒 /m2 和 185 .5± 89.95粒 /m2 ;腐烂种子分别为 39.6 0± 13.2 4粒 /m2和 12 0 .0± 6 3.39粒 /m2 ,腐烂种子比例由 8.39%增加到 6 4 .6 9% ;空粒种子分别为 118.8± 4 4 .6 6粒 /m2 和 6 5 .5± 2 6 .4 8粒 /m2 ,所占比例从 2 5 .14 %增加到 35 .31% .两次取样结果都表明 ,种子库种子主要集中在枯枝落叶层 ,分别占6 6 .17%和 6 6 .0 3% ,0～ 2cm层占 2 4 .73%和 2 3.4 5 % ,2～ 5cm层占 9.10 %和 10 .5 1% .到 8月 ,土壤中几乎所有云杉种子都失去活力 ,说明云杉种子库属于Thompson和Grime定义的第Ⅱ类型 ,即土壤种子库仅在冬季存在 ,在春季萌发 .土壤中春、夏、秋季种子很少或几乎没有 .林下云杉幼苗在 2 0 0 3年 6月 3号开始出现 ,在 6月中旬左右到达出苗高峰 ,累计平均幼苗数 4 .35株 /m2 .在川西米亚罗地区天然     

生物有机肥料对温室蔬菜硝酸盐和土壤盐分累积的影响

探讨了 3种有机肥料对温室苋菜、芹菜硝酸盐和土壤盐分累积的影响。结果表明 :施用有机肥可显著降低蔬菜硝酸盐含量。用 3种有机肥料处理栽培的芹菜NO3- 含量平均值为 2 133mg/kg ,比用蔬菜专用肥 (对照 )的低 1617mg/kg ,其中施用大三元生物有机肥的芹菜NO3- 值最低 ,为 180 3mg/kg,比对照低 1947mg/kg。施用大三元生物有机肥的土壤盐分 (EC)含量也最低 ,0～ 10cm耕层的盐分为 0 0 79S/m ,比对照低 0 0 2 4S/m ;10～ 2 0cm耕层的盐分为 0 0 5 5S/m ,比对照低 0 0 10S/m。     

菲、芘、1,2,4-三氯苯对蚯蚓的急性毒性效应

测定了草甸棕壤条件下 ,菲、芘和 1,2 ,4-三氯苯单一与复合污染对蚯蚓的急性致死及亚致死效应。结果表明 ,3种化学品的浓度与蚯蚓死亡率显著相关 (α =0 .0 5 ,r菲 =0 .87,r芘 =0 .85 ,r三氯苯 =0 .95 ) ,与蚯蚓亚致死效应的相关性稍低 (α =0 .0 5 ,r菲 =0 .75 ,r芘 =0 .72 ,r三氯苯 =0 .85 )。蚯蚓个体对 3种有机物毒性的耐受程度差别较大。引起蚯蚓死亡的毒性阈值浓度菲和 1,2 ,4-三氯苯均为 2 0mg·kg-1,芘为 2 0 0 0mg·kg-1;引起蚯蚓体重增长率下降的亚急性毒性阈值浓度分别为菲 2 0mg·kg-1、1,2 ,4-三氯苯 3 0 0mg·kg-1、芘 10 0 0mg·kg-1;LC10 0 分别为菲 10 0mg·kg-1,1,2 ,4-三氯苯 3 5 0mg·kg-1。由于芘的低水溶性和低毒性 ,无法计算LC10 0 。实验还表明 ,复合污染主要表现为协同和拮抗作用     

Cu2+、Cd2+、Zn2+对两种单胞藻的毒害作用

分别用不同浓度 (c =0 .0 1～ 2 .34mmol/L)的Cu2 + 、Cd2 + 、Zn2 + 处理亚心型大扁藻 (Plztymonassp.)和小球藻(Chlorelavulagris) ,观察了重金属离子对其生长、呼吸及其被富集的情况 .结果表明 :① 3种离子的毒性强度的顺序为Cu2 + >Cd2 + >Zn2 + ;亚心型大扁藻的耐受力大于小球藻 ;②Cu2 + 对生长的抑制最强 ,两种藻的c(EC50 ,72h)分别为 0 .2 11mmol/L和 0 .2 89mmol/L ;Cd2 + 对生长的抑制稍弱 ,两种藻的c(EC50 ,72h)分别为 0 .4 38mmol/L和 0 .2 4 1mmol/L ;Zn2 + 对生长的抑制最弱 ,其c(EC50 ,72h)分别为 0 .75 4mmol/L和 0 .30 8mmol/L ;③在c(EC50 )毒害浓度下 ,两种单胞藻均提前进入生长静止期 ,缩短了种群生长周期 ;呼吸作用先增强后降低 ;④在c(EC50 )毒害浓度下 ,两种藻对Cu2 + 、Zn2 + 的富集量为 4 5 82～ 4 12 83.7mgkg-1,对Cd2 + 的富集量 5 0 0～ 2 72 3.6mgkg-1.图 2表 3参 8     

Intraspecific nest parasitism in the swallow Hirundo rustica: the importance of neighbors

Summary Intraspecific nest parasitism in the swallow Hirundo rustica involves several parasite and anti-parasite tactics. Neighboring swallows breed asynchronously, perhaps because neighboring nests with overlapping egg-laying periods have higher frequency of intraspecific nest parasitims than neighboring nests with no such overlap. Since nest guarding prevents nest parasitism, the effect of nest guarding was removed by putting up old swallow nests. Such experimental nests were parasitized by swallows more often when the nests contained eggs, than when empty, and when the nests were far away from, rather than close to, an active neighboring nest. Close experimental nests with eggs were, however, parasitized less frequently if asynchronous (non-overlapping egg-laying periods), rather than synchronous, to active neighboring nests. Aggressive anti-parasite behavior of nest owners was determined from responses towards female intruders. Responses were more often aggressive before and especially during egg laying than during incubation. Nest owners also behaved aggressively more often when the intruder approached close to as compared to at some distance from their nest. Focal pairs behaved aggressively more often towards closely approaching intruders during the incubation period than towards distantly approaching intruders during the egg-laying period. Swallows reduce the frequency of intraspecific nest parasitism by nesting asynchronously with and close to a neighboring nest. Aggression by neighbors may reduce the success of potential parasitic swallows.     

Temporal changes in demand for and supply of nests in red bishops (Euplectes orix): dynamics of a biological market

The red bishop (Euplectes orix) is a highly polygynous and colonial weaverbird. Males construct several nests within their territories to which they try to attract females, and females are solely responsible for incubation and raising offspring. In this paper, we describe the characteristics of the red bishop’s mating system as a biological market and investigate the role of nests built by males as a traded commodity in a mating market. As timing of breeding in red bishops in arid and semi-arid zones depends on rainfall patterns which are often unpredictable, there are temporal changes in demand for and supply of nests within a breeding season, with breeding activities of males and females being highly synchronised. We found that males increased their nest-building speed with increased female breeding activity independently of rainfall, indicating that supply follows demand in this mating market. The supply of nests was always larger than the demand for nests. Construction costs for nests increased with demand for nests as indicated by shorter nest-building duration and shorter building delays between two consecutively built nests at times of high breeding activity. Males as a trading class are chosen according to the age of their nests offered, with young nests having a higher probability of being accepted by females. Furthermore, female choosiness with regard to nest age decreased when their own market value decreased, as predicted by biological market theory. The temporal changes of breeding activity together with the female preference for young and fresh nests require that males quickly adjust nest-building activity to varying female demand for new nests. However, males with a better adjustment of building speed to female breeding activity did not gain higher mating success.     

Egg removal and intraspecific brood parasitism in the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

Summary From 1983 to 1986 we monitored 284 European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) nests in New Jersey for evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism and egg removal during the laying period. Egg removal occurred significantly more often at nests where intraspecific brood parasitism was detected (12 of 35 nests, 34%) than at unparasitized nests (23 of 249 nests, 9%). Brood parasitism (92% of parasitized nests) and egg removal (74% of nests with egg removal) were most common at nests where egg laying began in April of each year (i.e., early nests). Egg removal occurred at 26 (19%) and brood parasitism at 32 (23%) of 138 early nests. Both brood parasitism and egg removal were concentrated during the first four days in the laying period when brood parasitism is most likely to be successful and when host nests are most vulnerable to parasitism (Romagnano 1987). Both parasitism and removal usually involved a single egg at each nest. We detected brood parasitism and egg removal on the same day at five of 12 nests (42%) where both were observed. Because starlings do not remove foreign eggs from their nests once they begin laying (Stouffer et al. 1987) we hypothesize that parasite females sometimes removed host eggs while parasitizing nests.     

Equality of feeding roles and the maintenance of monogamy in tree swallows

Summary We investigated the division of labor in male and female tree swallows by measuring the rate of food delivery to nestlings at 36 nests. By observing natural nests and performing brood manipulations we found that males and females divided the feeding duties about equally and responded similarly to changes in brood size and age. Feeding rate was most highly correlated with brood mass. Manipulation and removal experiments showed that increased feeding rates could be elicited, but only for limited periods of time. Male and female tree swallows could only partially compensate in feeding nestlings when mates were removed. This, along with the higher mortality in enlarged broods and in those raised by single parents, indicates that both male and female are required to raise an entire brood to fledging. We argue that this requirement contributes to the absence of mate guarding and the maintenance of monogamy in the tree swallow.     

Multiple paternity and offspring quality in tree swallows

There is mounting evidence in a variety of taxa that females increase offspring quality by mating with multiple males, often resulting in multiple paternity. In birds, however, few studies have explicitly examined the benefits of mating with several different males; instead, the focus has been on whether or not extra-pair mating occurs, and its adaptive significance remains controversial. We examined the hypothesis that offspring quality, particularly immune response (phytohaemagglutinin assay) and growth, increases with the number of sires in broods of socially monogamous tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). We found one of the highest known levels of multiple paternity in birds (84% of nests with two or more extra-pair young had at least two extra-pair sires). Among nests with extra-pair young, the number and diversity of sires continued to increase linearly with the number of extra-pair young, so there was no evidence that some males monopolized paternity at high levels of extra-pair fertilization. Indeed, the number of sires was actually greater than expected in large broods, suggesting that some females might be seeking more mates. We found no effect of the number of sires on nestling immune response or growth. In mixed paternity broods, the immune response of extra-pair young did not differ from that of their within-pair half-siblings. However, among all broods, nestlings had a stronger immune response in nests with at least one extra-pair nestling than in nests with all within-pair nestlings. These results are not consistent with a good genes benefit of extra-pair mating, but they do suggest that there are environmental effects associated with extra-pair mating that increase nestling immune response. These environmental effects could produce indirect genetic effects on sexual selection if they are heritable. The extraordinarily high number of sires in this species highlights a relatively unexplored source of sexual selection in birds.     

Nestmate recognition and the ontogeny of acceptability in the ant,Leptothorax curvispinosus

Summary In social insects, there is often a brief period following eclosion when workers are highly acceptable in alien nests of their own or other species. This study tested for such an acceptance period in the facultatively polygynous ant, Leptothorax curvispinosus, and compared the duration and effectiveness of this period for conspecific and heterospecific introductions. Workers that eclosed and aged for 1–70 h or 30 days in isolation were introduced into either their parental nests (n=24), alien conspecific nests (n=265), or nests of the closely related and biologically similar species, L. longispinosus (n=341). In alien conspecific nests, acceptance was maximal for workers aged 1–12 h at introduction (67.7% not attacked, 75.8% adopted) and gradually decreased until the level of nonaggression (after 60 h) and adoption (after 36 h) were not significantly different from 30-day-old workers (5.9% not attacked, 17.6% adopted). In heterospecific nests, acceptance was maximal for workers aged 1–4 h at introduction (34.8% not attacked, 37.0% adopted) but thereafter was not significantly different from 30-day-old workers (5.6% not attacked, 8.3% adopted). In their parental nests, workers were generally accepted regardless of age (4–56 h posteclosion, 95.8% not attacked, 100% adopted); a result that is consistent with previous research on older workers (38–157 days posteclosion). This study demonstrates an acceptance period that is more effective and of longer duration within than between these species but that, under uniform laboratory conditions, is often not necessary for the integration of workers into their parental colonies. Within colonies, acceptance periods might only be important during relatively brief periods in a colony's life history when eclosing workers produce genetically based nestmate recongition cues that are not already represented in the colony and must be learned by colony members (e.g., during early colony growth or following adoption of queens), or when young workers must acquire environmentally based nestmate recognition cues to achieve and maintain acceptability.     

Does the cost of polygyny in house wrens include reduced male assistance in defending offspring?

Summary This study investigated whether reduced male aid in defending offspring potentially reduces the fitness of females choosing already-mated males in the house wren (Troglodytes aedon), a small, territorial songbird. Frozen snakes were placed at 23 nests of monogamously mated males and 12 secondary nests of bigamously mated males. All presentations were made during incubation stages of females attending focal nests. Snakes were placed at nests of secondary females when nests of their primary counterparts contained young 5–9 days old. Males are most attentive to primary nests during this period and should therefore be relatively inattentive to secondary mates and nests. Nevertheless, an equal proportion of monogamous and bigamous males discovered snakes within 15 min, and mean time to discovery, when discovery occurred, did not differ with nest status. Monogamous and bigamous males were also equally likely to attack snakes physically once discovered. Monogamous males appeared no more likely to discover snakes than bigamous males for two main reasons. First, although monogamous males were near focal nests (i.e., < 10 m) more often than bigamous males, monogamous males tended to stay out of view of nests for long periods. In contrast, bigamous males always went immediately to focal nests upon arriving in their vicinity. Second, about one-third of monogamous males in this study spent much of their time during trials at the far edges of their territories advertising for secondary mates. Our experiment suggests that reduced male aid in defending nests against small, diurnal predators probably does not contribute to the cost of polygyny in house wrens. Correspondence to: L.S. Johnson     

Female control of extra-pair fertilization in tree swallows

Summary In a Canadian population of tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, DNA fingerprinting has previously shown that half of all broods contain many offspring resulting from extra-pair copulations (EPCs), whereas the other half contain only legitimate offspring. This bimodal pattern of extra-pair paternity might be due to variation in the effectiveness of male paternity guards, variation in female ability to resist EPCs, and/or variation in female pursuit of EPCs. Here we report experimental evidence for female control of copulations and fertilizations and the occurrence of two alternative copulation strategies among females in this population. Ten paired male tree swallows were removed on the day their mates laid the first egg. Replacement males took over the nestbox within 0.5–23 h and attempted to copulate with the widowed female. Assuming that eggs were fertilized approximately 24 h prior to laying, the first two eggs were fertilized before the male was removed, while the third and subsequent eggs could potentially be fertilized by the replacement male. Fingerprinting revealed that the first two eggs were sired by the resident males in five nests and by extra-pair males in the remaining five nests. The widows that had been faithful to their initially chosen mate rejected copulation attempts by the replacement male until most of the eggs had been laid. Consequently, nearly all eggs laid by these females were sired by the original male. The widows that had been unfaithful prior to male removal copulated sooner with the replacement male than females that were faithful to their mate. However, these replacement males also had a very low fertilization success; most eggs were sired by males that were not associated with the nest. This is consistent with the situation in non-experimental nests where unfaithful females copulate with their mate at the same rate as faithful females, yet unfaithful females have a majority of offspring sired by extra-pair males. We conclude that fertilization patterns to a large extent are determined by the female through active selection and rejection of copulation partners, though our results also allow some speculation that females have control over sperm competition. Female copulation tactics are probably determined some currently unknown fitness benefits of having the offspring sired by particular males.Correspondence to: Raleigh J. Robertson     

Biology and mating behavior of Xylocopa virginica L. (Hymenoptera,Anthophoridae)

Summary The biology and behavior of Xylocopa virginica L. were followed in the area of Athens, Georgia (USA) from August 1973 until September 1974. Several nests were X-rayed regularly during the developmental period of the bees, and information about the life cycle and development was obtained. The bees emerge in June and stay in their nests with their sibs throughout the summer, fall, and winter, leaving only occasionally on warm days to search for nectar as food. In March and April males defend nest-side territories and mate with most females. The males die in the late spring and the females dig nests, provision them, and rear up to 8 or 9 bees in each nest. Many females live 2 years, and often 2 to 3 females are present in each nest, but only 1 works and lays eggs. Emergence of adults from pupae is nearly synchronized, irrespective of age.     

Nesting success of rufous-naped wrens (Campylorhynchus rufinucha) is greater near wasp nests

Summary Rufous-naped wrens (Campylorhynchus rufinucha) in northwestern Costa Rica build breeding nests most frequently in ant-acacia trees (Acacia collinsii) and occasionally near wasp nests in ant-acacia trees. By moving occupied wasp nests (Polybia rejecta) to randomly chosen ant-acacia trees with wren nests, I tested the hypothesis that wrens nesting near wasp nests were more likely to fledge young than wrens not nesting near wasp nests. Wrens whose nests were near experimentally relocated wasp nests were significantly more likely to fledge young (37.5% of 16 attempts in 1987 and 75% of 12 attempts in 1988) than were wrens whose nests had no wasp nests placed near them (0% of 16 attempts in 1987 and 20% of 15 attempts in 1988). In 15 cases, repeated nesting attempts occurred in the same trees both with and without experimentally-placed wasp nests. Analysis of these data allowed a comparison of the effect of wasp nests on fledging success while differences among trees were controlled. Within the same tree, nesting attempts associated with wasp nests were significantly more likely to fledge young than nesting attempts without wasp nests. Predation was the primary cause of nest failure, and within forest, white-faced monkeys (Cebus capucinus) were the most important predators. The difference in success of wren nests with and without wasps and observations of predators indicate that enhancement of fledging success was due to deterrence of predatory vertebrates by wasps.