Applying the Declining Population Paradigm: Diagnosing Causes of Poor Reproduction in the Marbled Murrelet

Abstract:  We identified six approaches to diagnosing causes of population declines and illustrate the use of the most general one ("multiple competing hypotheses") to determine which of three candidate limiting factors—food availability, nesting site availability, and nest predation—were responsible for the exceptionally poor reproduction of Marbled Murrelets (  Brachyramphus marmoratus ) in central California. We predicted how six attributes of murrelet demography, behavior, and physiology should be affected by the candidate limiting factors and tested predictions with field data collected over 2 years. The average proportion of breeders, as estimated with radiotelemetry, was low (0.31) and varied significantly between years: 0.11 in 2000 and 0.50 in 2001. Murrelets spent significantly more time foraging in 2000 than in 2001, suggesting that low food availability limited breeding in 2000. In 2001, 50% of radio-marked murrelets nested and 67% of females were in breeding condition, suggesting that enough nest sites existed for much of the population to breed. However, rates of nest failure and nest predation were high (0.84 and 0.67–0.81, respectively) and few young were produced, even when a relatively high proportion of murrelets bred. Thus, we suggest that reproduction of Marbled Murrelets in central California is limited by food availability in some years and by nest predation in others, but apparently is not limited by availability of nesting sites. The multiple-competing-hypotheses approach provides a rigorous framework for identifying causes of population declines because it integrates multiple types of data sets and can incorporate elements of other commonly used approaches.     

The Frequency of Micronuclei among Newborns from Kragujevac, Central Serbia, after NATO Bombing in the Spring of 1999

Kragujevac, as an important industrial and economic center of the region, is now placed on the top of the list of environmentally endangered cities in our country. The aim of this biomonitoring study was to evaluate cytogenetic damage in a sample of newborns from Kragujevac after contamination of the environment entailed by the intensive bombing of the industrial zone of this city in the spring of 1999. The frequency of micronuclei (MN) in peripheral blood lymphocytes in a total of 61 phenotypically healthy newborns was analyzed before and after the NATO bombing. Analysis of micronuclei has been performed using the cytokinesis-block technique (CB MN test). Average MN frequency in lymphocytes of newborns before the bombing (N = 25) was 5.77 ± 0.85/1000 analyzed cells. After the bombing (N = 36), the average frequency of MN increased by a factor of 1.4 (8.11 ± 0.85), compared to the control frequency before the bombing. Statistical difference (p < 0.05) was established by Student's t-test. Our data suggest that such changes in genetic material were a direct consequence of contamination of the living environment.     

Influence of China''s Population Mobility on the Change of Regional Disparity since 1978

In this study, an econometric model about population mobility and economic growth is used to show the unbalanced distribution of population mobility in different region was remarkably related to that of regional economic growth and the large number of movers had a significant influence on regional economic growth and developing disparity. On the basis of this study, we conclude that China's population mobility also had a significant influence on the structure and tendency of regional disparity, and the population mobility enlarged the regional disparity of the whole nation, the East, and the West since the reform, besides the Midst during 1978 to 1987. Furthermore, the population mobility accelerated the increase of regional disparity in the whole nation, the Midst, and the West, but at the same time, retarded that in the East in the period of 1996–2003.     

The Impact of Increased Environmental Stochasticity Due to Climate Change on the Dynamics of Asiatic Wild Ass

Abstract:  Theory proposes that increased environmental stochasticity negatively impacts population viability. Thus, in addition to the directional changes predicted for weather parameters under global climate change (GCC), the increase in variance of these parameters may also have a negative effect on biodiversity. As a case study, we assessed the impact of interannual variance in precipitation on the viability of an Asiatic wild ass ( Equus hemionus ) population reintroduced in Makhtesh Ramon Nature Reserve, Israel. We monitored the population from 1985 to 1999 to determine what environmental factors affect reproductive success. Annual precipitation during the year before conception, drought conditions during gestation, and population size determined reproductive success. We used the parameters derived from this model to assess population performance under various scenarios in a Leslie matrix type model with demographic and environmental stochasticity. Specifically, we used a change in the precipitation regime in our study area to formulate a GCC scenario and compared the simulated dynamics of the population with a no-change scenario. The coefficient of variation in population size under the global change scenario was 30% higher than under the no-change scenario. Minor die-offs (≥15%) following droughts increased extinction probability nearly 10-fold. Our results support the idea that an increase in environmental stochasticity due to GCC may, in itself, pose a significant threat to biodiversity.     

Population dynamics of the bank vole as studied using sequence functions

Sequence functions were used to construct a simulation model of the long-term population dynamics of the bank vole in Karelia. The mechanisms of population reproduction control affect the population size if it is greater than 1 and 4 ind./100 trap-days in spring and autumn, respectively.     

Study on Simulating Spatial Distribution and Varying Patterns of Urumqi＇s Population

In this paper, an approach to simulate the spatial distribution of urban population is proposed using urban land use and population statistical data through the geographical information systems （GIS）. Then, the spatial population distribution of Urumqi as a case is simulated by the approach mentioned above and its varying patterns are analyzed by the raster population surface. As a result, producing raster population surface is more accurate and natural than the traditional choropleth map of population density. Concerning the spatial population distribution of Urumqi, the population density declines from south to north and the population distribution mainly presents＇ ＂T-type＂, the population distribution presents multicentre agglomeration and the population distribution of the districts shows different features. The population density varies significantly with the increase in the distance from central business district （CBD）. Finally, it is found in this paper that the development history of districts, terrain and traffic road are main factors that have an influence Urumqi＇s population distribution. This paper tries to provide more accurate population data for the plan and management of urban land, traffic and public facilities in order to enrich the researches on urban population distribution.     

藏南羊卓雍错湖水化学空间分异特征

2010年7月对藏南羊卓雍错流域进行了水样采集,通过测定与分析,揭示了流域最大湖泊羊卓雍错表层湖水化学水平分布特征和深水剖面变化规律,并探讨了该湖与流域其他水体化学性质的差异。结果表明:流域特殊的高寒气候、湖泊形状与补给来源、湖岸水系发育程度不同是造成羊卓雍错湖水化学空间分异特征明显的关键。在水平方向上,湖水HCO3-、Ca2+以及矿化度南高北低,而SO42-和Mg2+南低北高。这是由于湖水从南向北缓慢流动过程中蒸发浓缩所致;卡鲁雄曲径流量经空姆错补给羊卓雍错北部,使其矿化度较低。在垂直方向上,愈向湖泊深处,湖水SO42-、Cl-、CO32-和矿化度愈大,HCO3-则降低。与流域其他湖泊相比,羊卓雍错水化学性质与同属以降水补给为主的湖泊相近,与以冰雪融水补给为主的湖泊差异显著。与河水和地下水相比,羊卓雍错湖水SO42-和Mg2+当量浓度最大,河水和地下水则HCO3-和Ca2+含量较大。     

黄土丘陵沟壑区生态风险时空动态及其风险分区—以陕西省米脂县为例

目前,黄土丘陵沟壑区等生态脆弱区生态风险评估已成为地理学与生态学应对生态系统管理的研究热点之一。以黄土丘陵沟壑区米脂县为研究区,构建“风险概率—敏感性—损失度”（PSI）的三维评价框架,并以子流域为评价单元进行数据整合,分析了米脂县2009-2015年准则层与综合生态风险的时空分异及其重心转移,并基于风险主导因子给出米脂县风险防范分区及降险对策。结果如下：（1）2009-2015年风险概率分别为49.93%、52.92%,有上升趋势;生境敏感性分别为0.61、0.60,下降了1.6%,生境质量趋好;损失度分别为0.42、0.46,损失度增加。（2）生态风险呈现中间高南北低的空间分布;研究期间生态风险值分别为0.14、0.15,风险有所升高;风险重心向西南转移跃入银州川道且风险演化主体方向为西北—东南走向。（3）风险预警区、生态恢复区、预警恢复兼顾区、自然调控区面积占比分别为7.53%、6.57%、23.86%、62.04%。基于风险主导因子的风险防范分区可有效进行风险消解,促进区域生境的可持续。     

人类活动净氮输入时空变化特征及其影响因素——以香溪河流域为例

为了阐明人类活动对三峡库区第一大支流香溪河流域氮输入的影响程度,基于人类活动净氮输入（NANI）模型估算了2001~2015年间香溪河流域乡镇水平的人类活动净氮输入,分析了氮输入的主要来源及其动态变化.结果表明：时间尺度上,香溪河流域人类活动净氮输入（NANI）因氮素施用的变化而呈现先上升后下降最后上升的趋势,但2015年相对2001年的NANI下降了143kg N/（km²·a）;空间尺度上,香溪河流域NANI整体呈现北低南高的分布格局,其中NANI输入强度差异较大的区域主要有昭君镇、峡口镇和黄粮镇.从人类活动净氮输入的组成上来看,氮肥施用仍然是最主要的来源（40.06%）,其次为大气氮沉降（29.98%）和食品/饲料净氮输入（27.75%）,作物固氮仅占净氮输入总量的2.21%.香溪河流域的NANI与人口密度和耕地面积比例极显著相关（P<0.001）;而NANI与河流氮输出的相关性不显著,香溪河流域河流氮输出占NANI的比例仅为24.28%.因此,可以通过减少氮素施用降低流域尺度氮素净输入量,但该流域NANI与河流氮输出无直接的响应关系.