Nestling provisioning in polygynous great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus): do males bring larger prey to compensate for fewer nest visits?

Most studies of social polygyny in birds have examined male provisioning on the basis of the number of feeding visits. This may be misleading if males compensate for infrequent visits by bringing larger prey at each visit. We investigated nestling provisioning in the socially polygynous great reed warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, in south Central Sweden in 1996–1997. We collected data on rate of feeding visits, prey size and the amount of biomass delivered by males and females. Males had lower rates of feeding visits and provided smaller prey to nestlings in secondary than in monogamous and primary nests. Secondary females had higher rates of feeding visits and brought larger prey than monogamous and primary females. These results confirm that secondary females face a potential cost of polygyny through a lower rate of male feeding, and that this cost was reinforced by the significantly lower male provisioning rate (biomass h^–1) at secondary nests. Secondary females compensated for the lack of male assistance by increasing their rate of feeding and bringing larger prey. As a result, offspring in nests of secondary females received as much food as did those in nests of primary females. Prey load size increased with the parent’s proportion of feeding visits, suggesting that parents use different feeding strategies depending on their amount of responsibility for nestling provisioning. We suggest that parents which take the main responsibility for nestling feeding have to forage further away from the nest, and based on optimal-foraging theory, they should then on average bring larger prey to their nest. Received: 4 April 1999 / Received in revised form: 12 October 1999 / Accepted: 23 October 1999     

战略环境评价系统及工作程序

介绍了战略环境评价系统组成的五个要素 ,即评价者、评价对象、评价目的、评价标准和评价方法 ,分析了其相互关系及各要素与战略环境评价系统的关系 ,并提出了战略环境评价工作程序。     

成都市城市环境与经济协调发展分析

从城市环境与经济发展的协调度方面分析了成都市１９９０－１９９７年间协调度的变化趋势,评估了成都市城市环境与经济协调发展的类型,得出了成都市属于总体协调发展类环境滞后型的结论。     

家庭生活用水与室内氡浓度研究与进展

文章论述了家庭生活水的氡浓度水平、生活用水对室内氡的贡献、水的使用过程中室内氡行为以及含氡水的使用与辐射照射剂量的关系等问题。指出家庭生活水的氡浓度高时,是室内氡的一个不可忽视的来源。对氡浓度特别高的家庭用水,建议先用活性炭等进行吸附后再使用。     

柚园间种作物及施用不同有机肥对土壤与柚果的影响

柚树间种短期经济作物在提高柚园经济效益的同时,还可提高土壤的有机质和N、P、K养分质量分数,改善柚园小区气候,增加有机肥来源。间种物残余体作为绿肥,可显著地提高柚果产量和质量。     

优质稻的穗肥施用技术研究

优质稻田间穗肥试验表明,在叶色转赤的基础上,施穗肥一般以复合肥112.5~150.0 kg/hm2加氯化钾37.5 kg/km2为宜; 施穗肥比不施穗肥增产10.7%~15.5%。施穗肥的效果还与肥料中的氮钾比例有关,N∶K2O以1∶0.7~1.0较适宜。     

几种水稻涂层专用肥一次性施用的肥效试验

一次性施用水稻涂层专用肥,水稻在整个生育期内均能正常生长。几种水稻涂层专用肥的肥效试验表明,水稻专用涂层复混肥1号成本低、增产稳定,值得推广应用。     

土壤矿物固定态铵研究进展

主要从土壤中粘土矿物组成、有机物质、土壤水分、Fe的氧化还原、钾素状况及土壤粘粒的不同层面电荷、净表面电荷、表面电荷均匀性等方面就土壤中固定态铵的固定机制及其对作物的有效性的影响进行了综述;并对近年来土壤中固定态铵的测定方法作一评述。     

旱地长期定位施肥对土壤剖面硝态氮分布与累积的影响

在 １５ ａ长期定位试验基础上研究了黄土高原旱地长期施用不同用量和配比的氮、磷肥对土壤剖面中硝态氮分布和累积的影响。结果表明：长期大量施用氮肥,在土壤剖面 １００～１８０ ｃｍ之间形成硝态氮累积层,峰值出现在 １４０ ｃｍ处,最大值为 ６７．９２ｍｇ／ｋｇ（单施 Ｎ １８０ ｋｇ／ｈｍ~２）; 配合施用磷肥可以降低土壤剖面硝态氮质量分数,根据试验,提出了旱地合理施肥的氮磷肥用量。     

Ecological effects of cultivation on the machair sand dune systems of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland

The machair sand dune systems of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland are a unique habitat, which is rare within both a global and European context. Unusually, the machair habitat also represents an agricultural resource that is very important to the Hebridean people, having been subject to both grazing and cultivation throughout the historical period. Following designation as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) in 1988, the machairs of South Uist have been studied with the aim of understanding the links between agricultural practice and their plant community and ecosystem dynamics. This research focused primarily on the effects of cultivation practices and their role in maintaining plant species richness and community and ecosystem stability. Within two carefully selected areas, the successional plant communities of machair at different stages of recovery following ploughing and cultivation of cereals and potato patches or ‘lazy beds’ were identified at both a macro- and micro-level. Investigations of the vegetation recovery processes on turves taken from newly ploughed land indicated that the initial stages of recolonization are characterized primarily by rapid vegetative reproduction and growth, although re-vegetation by seeds is also an important factor. The implications of these findings for the long-term management of machair plant communities are discussed and in particular the need to maintain old cultivation practices such as shallow ploughing. The need for more detailed research into both seed banks and seed rain and into processes of vegetative reproduction is stressed. Nomenclature: Clapham et al. (1981) and Stace (1991, 1997) for vascular plants; Hubbard (1984) for grasses; Pankhurst & Mullin (1991) for the regional flora; Dobson (1992) for lichens; Watson (1981) for mosses and liverworts.