Do yellow-bellied marmots respond to predator vocalizations?

We conducted four experiments to determine whether yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris, discriminate among predator vocalizations, and if so, whether the recognition mechanism is learned or experience-independent. First, we broadcast to marmots the social sounds of coyotes, Canis latrans, wolves, Canis lupus, and golden eagles, Aquila chrysaetos, as well as conspecific alarm calls. Coyotes and eagles are extant predators at our study site, while wolves have been absent since the mid-1930s. In three follow-up experiments, we reversed the eagle call and presented marmots with forward and reverse calls to control for response to general properties of call structure rather than those specifically associated with eagles, we tested for novelty by comparing responses to familiar and unfamiliar birds, and we tested for the duration of predator sounds by comparing a wolf howl (that was much longer than the coyote in the first experiment) with a long coyote howl of equal duration to the original wolf. Marmots suppressed foraging and increased looking most after presentation of the conspecific alarm call and least after that of the coyote in the first experiment, with moderate responses to wolf and eagle calls. Marmots responded more to the forward eagle call than the reverse call, a finding consistent with a recognition template. Marmots did not differentiate vocalizations from the novel and familiar birds, suggesting that novelty itself did not explain our results. Furthermore, marmots did not differentiate between a wolf howl and a coyote howl of equal duration, suggesting that the duration of the vocalizations played a role in the marmots’ response. Our results show that marmots may respond to predators based solely on acoustic stimuli. The response to currently novel wolf calls suggests that they have an experience-independent ability to identify certain predators acoustically. Marmots’ response to predator vocalizations is not unexpected because 25 of 30 species in which acoustic predator discrimination has been studied have a demonstrated ability to respond selectively to cues from their predators.     

Odour transfer in stingless bee marmelada (Frieseomelitta varia) demonstrates that entrance guards use an “undesirable–absent” recognition system

In group-level recognition, discriminators use sensory information to distinguish group members and non-members. For example, entrance guards in eusocial insect colonies discriminate nestmates from intruders by comparing their odour with a template of the colony odour. Despite being a species-rich group of eusocial bees closely related to the honey bees, stingless bee nestmate recognition is a relatively little-studied area. We studied Frieseomelitta varia, a common Brazilian species of stingless bee known as marmelada. By measuring the rejection rates of nestmate and non-nestmate worker bees by guards, we were able to show that guards became significantly less accepting (from 91 to 46%) of nestmates that had acquired odour cues from non-nestmate workers; however, guards did not become significantly more accepting (from 31 to 42%) of non-nestmates that had acquired equivalent amounts of odour cues from the guard’s nestmates. These data strongly suggest that guards use an “undesirable–absent” system in recognition, whereby incoming conspecific workers are only accepted if undesirable cues are absent, despite the presence of desirable cues. We suggest that an undesirable–absent system is adaptive because robbing by conspecifics may be an important selective factor in F. varia, which would lead to selection for a non-permissive acceptance strategy by guards.     

重金属污染土壤属性区间识别模型的赋权分析

土壤重金属污染评价为土壤重金属污染的及时防范和综合治理提供重要的理论依据。文章在属性区间识别理论的基础上,构建土壤重金属污染评价的属性区间识别模型：选取土壤重金属污染中普遍存在的Hg、Cd、As、Pb、Cu、Zn作为评价指标,采用均化系数将各评价指标的属性测度区间转化为综合属性测度;为避免主观因素,利用主成分分析法、熵权法、CRITIC法对各评价指标进行3次客观赋权;最后根据置信度准则和分级标准进行土壤重金属污染的综合评价。对3种赋权法得到的权重和评价结果进行比较,表明：属性识别模型在土壤重金属污染评价中适用且有利于评价结果准确性的提高;3种客观赋权法算得的权重合理,且其优异程度为主成分分析法〈熵权法〈CRITIC法。     

镇江市综合防灾系统中消防信息的输入与管理

本文以镇江市消防地图及其相关信息为对象,分析了消防信息的特点和现有的输入方法,以及作者在设计与建造镇江市消防信息数据库的实践中采用的技术路线和具体方法。     

重型自卸汽车车架横梁异常断裂原因分析

针对无副车架的重型自卸汽车在使用过程中出现的车架横梁异常断裂问题,建立了以板壳单元为基本单元的自卸汽车车架有限元分析模型,采用NASTRAN有限元分析软件对车架强度进行分析.有限元分析结果表明,车架横梁异常断裂现象是横梁连接部位应力值大于材料的屈服强度引起的,这与实车车架断裂结果吻合.根据实际工艺要求,改造车架结构,将连接第2根横梁和纵梁的L板厚度变大,并将平衡悬架推力杆支座由整体式支撑改为分体式支撑,从而使两处的最大应力值分别比原结构下降20.4%和51.7%.改进后车架断裂区的强度明显提高,这表明改造方法有效.     

基于模糊模式识别的模糊综合评价在高层建筑火灾危险评价中的应用

针对高层建筑火灾危险的特点,建立了高层建筑火灾危险评价的指标体系,并应用层次分析法确定了其权重。根据高层建筑火灾危险评价系统具有多因素、多层次的特点,采用模糊综合评价方法;针对模糊综合评价的不足之处,提出把权广义距离之和最小模糊模式识别运用到模糊综合评价当中,建立了基于模糊模式识别的模糊综合评价模型;该评价模型避免了单因素矩阵的确定和模糊算子的选择问题,用安全状态特征值来表征最终的评价结果,能使评价结果更加准确,可操作性强。通过对陕西某高层建筑火灾危险评价实例证明,该模型具有较好的应用价值,为日常的安全管理和性能化防火设计提供了有用依据。     

环境管理过程中对锅炉型号的识别

通过对锅炉型号的简要介绍,提高对锅炉的认识,增强在污染源动态更新调查表的填报过程中锅炉技术指标的填报能力是十分必要的。     

同位素示踪技术在沉积物重金属污染溯源中的应用

沉积物重金属污染及其防治愈来愈受重视,查明污染源是有效治理污染的前提。文章概述了近年来国内外铅、锶等同位素、放射性核素示踪技术在沉积物重金属污染溯源研究中的应用,针对以往研究工作的不足和存在的问题,指出了今后沉积物中重金属污染源解析研究中的重点:采用Pb、Sr、Zn等同位素示踪法,结合多元统计及其它元素地球化学信息追踪重金属污染源和评价污染程度。     

Response to displaced neighbours in a territorial songbird with a large repertoire

Neighbour recognition allows territory owners to modulate their territorial response according to the threat posed by each neighbour and thus to reduce the costs associated with territorial defence. Individual acoustic recognition of neighbours has been shown in numerous bird species, but few of them had a large repertoire. Here, we tested individual vocal recognition in a songbird with a large repertoire, the skylark Alauda arvensis. We first examined the physical basis for recognition in the song, and we then experimentally tested recognition by playing back songs of adjacent neighbours and strangers. Males showed a lower territorial response to adjacent neighbours than to strangers when we broadcast songs from the shared boundary. However, when we broadcast songs from the opposite boundary, males showed a similar response to neighbours and strangers, indicating a spatial categorisation of adjacent neighbours’ songs. Acoustic analyses revealed that males could potentially use the syntactical arrangement of syllables in sequences to identify the songs of their neighbours. Neighbour interactions in skylarks are thus subtle relationships that can be modulated according to the spatial position of each neighbour.