Potential Misuse of Avian Density as a Conservation Metric

Abstract: Effective conservation metrics are needed to evaluate the success of management in a rapidly changing world. Reproductive rates and densities of breeding birds (as a surrogate for reproductive rate) have been used to indicate the quality of avian breeding habitat, but the underlying assumptions of these metrics rarely have been examined. When birds are attracted to breeding areas in part by the presence of conspecifics and when breeding in groups influences predation rates, the effectiveness of density and reproductive rate as indicators of habitat quality is reduced. It is beneficial to clearly distinguish between individual‐ and population‐level processes when evaluating habitat quality. We use the term reproductive rate to refer to both levels and further distinguish among levels by using the terms per capita fecundity (number of female offspring per female per year, individual level) and population growth rate (the product of density and per capita fecundity, population level). We predicted how density and reproductive rate interact over time under density‐independent and density‐dependent scenarios, assuming the ideal free distribution model of how birds settle in breeding habitats. We predicted population density of small populations would be correlated positively with both per capita fecundity and population growth rate due to the Allee effect. For populations in the density‐dependent growth phase, we predicted no relation between density and per capita fecundity (because individuals in all patches will equilibrate to the same success rate) and a positive relation between density and population growth rate. Several ecological theories collectively suggest that positive correlations between density and per capita fecundity would be difficult to detect. We constructed a decision tree to guide interpretation of positive, neutral, nonlinear, and negative relations between density and reproductive rates at individual and population levels.     

人员密度和出口宽度的不确定性对疏散行动时间的影响

基于Kikuji Togawa所提出的常用人员疏散行动时间经验公式，使用拉丁超立方抽样法，研究房间人员密度和出口宽度的不确定性对疏散行动时间的影响。得出二者服从均匀分布和正态分布条件下，疏散行动时间的概率密度直方图和累积概率曲线。结果表明，人员密度和出口宽度的不同分布形式对疏散行动时间都有显著影响，二者服从正态分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间范围比服从均匀分布小，且较为集中。而服从均匀分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间在其范围内则较为均匀、分散。在小概率0～0．1区间范围内，人员密度和出口宽度服从正态分布时，计算得到的疏散行动时间累计概率值明显较均匀分布小，说明二者服从正态分布得到的疏散行动时间值偏于保守。二者均为不确定参数时，假定人员密度服从均匀分布，出口宽度服从正态分布时计算得出的疏散行动时间值偏于保守。     

多维旋度大循环经济圈发展模式研究——产业集群视角下以黑龙江省为例

为了定量分析省域空间特征区域间的经济增长关系,通过引入场论理论框架,结合集聚经济学和传统空间区域划分理论观点,提出多维旋度大循环经济圈发展模型。定义资金通量经济场,以资金通量流速和资金通量密度为主要测度指标来衡量特征区域的经济学指标。以黑龙江省大循环经济圈发展模式的建设构思检验模型的合理性,并由此得出黑龙江省实现经济再增长的关键问题是要处理好农林产业、能源产业、其他新兴服务产业同外贸产业之间相互触发、互为依存的激励关系。     

江汉平原农田土壤有机碳分布与变化特点:以潜江市为例

以地处江汉平原腹地的潜江市农田土壤(水田、旱地)为研究对象,于2011年实地采样分析表层土壤(0~20 cm)有机碳的分布现状,并对比第二次土壤普查(1983年)资料,探讨28 a来江汉平原农田土壤有机碳的分布与变化特点.结果表明,2011年潜江市农田表层土壤有机碳密度为30.50 t·hm-2,碳储量为452.82×104t,与1983年相比有明显下降,下降速率分别为0.10 t·(hm2·a)-1和1.53 t·a-1,碳储量共损失了9%.两个时期水田土壤有机碳密度均明显高于旱地土壤,分别是旱地土壤的1.6倍和1.3倍,但是经过28年的常规耕作管理,水田土壤有机碳密度呈下降趋势,下降速率为0.23 t·(hm2·a)-1,导致的有机碳损失为52.83×104t,损失比例达16%;而旱地土壤有机碳则以0.05 t·(hm2·a)-1的速率缓慢增长,碳储量共增加了8.57×104t,增加比例为5%,远不能抵消水田土壤的有机碳损失.水田土壤碳储量的损失主要来自于低产潜育型水稻土碳密度的大幅下降所致(尽管其所占面积比例较小),其碳损失量占水田碳损失量的比例达80%;其次为占水田面积比例最大的潴育型水稻土,其碳损失量占水田碳损失量的15%.旱地土壤碳储量增长缓慢,完全来自于面积占96%的灰潮土有机碳密度的增长.因此,江汉平原区水田土壤有机碳的变化决定了农田土壤有机碳的整体动向,今后需着力提升有机碳下降迅速的低产水田以及面积较大的土壤类型的有机碳积累和固持能力.     

Tests of soil organic carbon density modeled by InTEC in China's forest ecosystems

The integrated terrestrial ecosystem C-budget model (InTEC) developed by Chen and co-workers has been used successfully to predict carbon dynamics of forests in Canada. It was tested here for forest soil organic carbon (SOC) density of China's northern temperate zone and southern subtropical zone. The results show that the simulated SOC density is highly correlated and in broad agreement with observations in Liping and in Changbaishan, representing the southern subtropical zone and the northern temperate zone in China, respectively. SOC density ranged from 2.2 to 11.2 kg/m(2) in Liping and from 3.4 to 14.8 kg/m(2) in Changbaishan. The correlation coefficients (r(2)) are 0.63 (N=16) and 0.76 (N=14) between the simulated and measured data in Liping and Changbaishan, respectively. The SOC densities under different vegetation types in Liping decrease in the order of mixed forest, broadleaf forest, Chinese fir, couch grass, and Chinese redpine, and in Changbaishan in the order of mixed forest, silver fir, larch forest, and birch forest.     

A Paleozoological Perspective on White-Tailed Deer (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Odocoileus virginianus texana</Emphasis>) Population Density and Body Size in Central Texas

Archaeological and paleontological datasets are used in conservation to add time-depth to ecology. In central Texas, several top carnivores including prehistoric Native American hunters have been extirpated or have had their historic ranges restricted, which has resulted in pest-level white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texana) populations in some areas. Differences in body size of deer between prehistory and modernity are expected, given that a lack of predation likely has increased intraspecific competition for forage among deer, resulting in smaller body size today. In fact, modern deer from settings without harvest pressure are significantly smaller than those from harvested areas and from prehistoric deer. From a natural history perspective, this research highlights potential evolutionary causes and effects of top-predator removal on deer populations and related components of biological communities in central Texas.     

Ecological monitoring of urban groups of stray dogs: An example of the city of petrozavodsk

The results of the census of stray dogs and data on their territorial distribution in the city of Petrozavodsk are reported. The population density of these animals has been found to vary within the urban area, depending mainly on the availability of secluded areas to live in and on population control by municipal services.     

Functional-ecological role of biological diversity in populations and communities

The functional role of differentiation with respect to local population density, expression of responses to the presence of other individuals, and body weight has been analyzed from an ecoenergetic standpoint with consideration of known mathematical laws. The results indicate that increased variation in these parameters (i.e., their higher diversity) improves the efficiency of energy flow through the animal population: the input of energy increases, while its expenditures decrease. The greatest effect is achieved when the population is divided into alternative modal groups.     

USER REACTION TO WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATION1

: The National Wild and Scenic River Act of 1968 was designed to protect the nation's unique waterways. This Act, however, has been criticized for negatively affecting areas it was intended to protect. Findings, based on field investigation in the Upper Mississippi River basin suggest that designation may serve as a factor for increasing recreational use levels on the protected rivers. This study discusses the social and recreational consequences of designating rivers and the attitudes of river users regarding designation.     

THROUGHFALL IN PLANTED STANDS OF FOUR SOUTHERN PINE SPECIES IN EAST TEXAS1

Throughfall was measured during 1978–79 beneath the canopies of adjacent stands of four major southern pine species, all on identical soil type and topography in the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest. Observations from 44 storms in a randomized network of 15, 5.08 cm PVC gages in a 0.4 ha plot of each species showed that throughfall expressed as percent of storm precipitation, is greatest under longleaf pine and least under loblolly pine; throughfall under shortleaf and slash pine did not differ significantly. Generally, through-fall decreased with storm size and intensity, with distance from the nearest tree stem, and is greater during summer half-year (May–October). Canopy drips, apparently accounting for the greater throughfall for the gage position closer to the stems, were more numerous than reported elsewhere. The 5.08 cm PVC gages proved to be acceptable substitutes for standard nonrecording gages in measuring throughfall. A network of 15 such gages was sufficient to sample throughfall data with 90 percent accuracy in each of the four southern pine plantations.