Remote Forest Refugia for Fijian Wildlife

Abstract:  On Pacific islands non-native rats and mongooses threaten many native species. In Fiji we compared visitation rates of rats and mongooses at bait stations and measured biomass of leaf-litter invertebrates to assess the relative predation pressure from these species in forest areas at different distances from the forest edge. Forest areas over 5 km from the forest edge had significantly fewer baits encountered by rats or mongooses than did natural forest areas nearer agricultural and urban habitats. Remote forest areas may function as a last refuge for island species threatened by predation from non-native rats and mongooses. The biomass of leaf-litter invertebrates in remote forest areas was higher, indicating a refuge effect for some taxa targeted by rats and mongooses. Protection of the few remaining large blocks of natural forests on Pacific islands may be the most cost-effective approach for conserving many island endemics threatened by rats and mongooses. Logging roads can compromise this refuge effect by acting as dispersal routes for rats into natural forests.     

Costs and Benefits of Trap‐Neuter‐Release and Euthanasia for Removal of Urban Cats in Oahu,Hawaii

Our goal was to determine whether it is more cost‐effective to control feral cat abundance with trap‐neuter‐release programs or trap and euthanize programs. Using STELLA 7, systems modeling software, we modeled changes over 30 years in abundance of cats in a feral colony in response to each management method and the costs and benefits associated with each method . We included costs associated with providing food, veterinary care, and microchips to the colony cats and the cost of euthanasia, wages, and trapping equipment in the model. Due to a lack of data on predation rates and disease transmission by feral cats the only benefits incorporated into the analyses were reduced predation on Wedge‐tailed Shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus). When no additional domestic cats were abandoned by owners and the trap and euthanize program removed 30,000 cats in the first year, the colony was extirpated in at least 75% of model simulations within the second year. It took 30 years for trap‐neuter‐release to extirpate the colony. When the cat population was supplemented with 10% of the initial population size per year, the colony returned to carrying capacity within 6 years and the trap and euthanize program had to be repeated, whereas trap‐neuter‐release never reduced the number of cats to near zero within the 30‐year time frame of the model. The abandonment of domestic cats reduced the cost effectiveness of both trap‐neuter‐release and trap and euthanize. Trap‐neuter‐release was approximately twice as expensive to implement as a trap and euthanize program. Results of sensitivity analyses suggested trap‐neuter‐release programs that employ volunteers are still less cost‐effective than trap and euthanize programs that employ paid professionals and that trap‐neuter‐release was only effective when the total number of colony cats in an area was below 1000. Reducing the rate of abandonment of domestic cats appears to be a more effective solution for reducing the abundance of feral cats. Costos y Beneficios de Captura‐Esterilización‐Liberación y Eutanasia para la Remoción de Gatos Urbanos en Oahu, Hawaii     

青海湖老碳效应的时空变化初步研究

本文通过对青海湖周边的湖水和河流DOC、DIC浓度、~(14)C浓度,以及1F孔不同深度13个碳酸盐的~(14)C年代分析,厘清青海湖老碳效应空间分布情况。研究表明:在空间上,青海湖DIC和DOC的~(14)C的老碳各条河流分布极不均匀,南边的老碳效应明显比北边小,河流的老碳明显比湖水偏老,引起青海湖沉积物老碳效应的原因极有可能是由于北边主要河流将流域内的老碳输入湖区引起,并非由于湖水和大气的交换不畅引起的碳库效应。在时间尺度上,碳酸盐~(14)C的老碳平均值比有机碳的~(14)C老碳平均值偏老。由于入湖物质的变化,在全新世前,有机碳和碳酸盐的老碳比全新世后偏老。