Quantitative Assessment of the Intertidal Environment of Kuwait II: Controlling Factors

Multivariate analysis of variance, canonical correlation and canonical discriminate analysis were performed on environmental data collected from the Kuwaiti intertidal zone to determine the statistical relationships between the sediment, chemical, biological, spatial and temporal variables. The quantitative analysis showed that the sediment type was the paramount factor influencing the distribution and composition of the intertidal benthic fauna. The muddy, sandy and rocky shores support three distinct faunal communities. The seasonal variation in the benthic fauna community was not statistically significant but variation in biological data due to differences in transect location and tidal level were significant. This spatial variation has been attributed to differences in sediment and substrate types. The physico-chemical parameters were found to correlate positively with the mud content of the sediments but were unimportant in the overall composition of the intertidal fauna. This paper complements the results reported in Al Bakriet al. (1997–Part I) in establishing a valuable benchmark for assessing environmental impacts and for developing sustainable coastal zone management in Kuwait. The integrated approach outlined here could be adopted to develop a sound basis for the protection and management of coastal environments and resources in similar areas.     

长沙市白蚁种类及危害情况调查

报道了长沙市区危害房屋及园林树木的白蚁种类及危害状况，经5年调查(2000年-2004年)结果表明：长沙市(不包括长、望、浏、宁四县)共有白蚁2科17种．主要危害房屋的为散白蚁及台湾乳白蚁，危害园林树木的是黑翅土白蚁及黄翅大白蚁．讨论了区系特点及近年危害新状况。     

克百威农药对我国湿地鸟类的威胁及其对策

介绍了我国湿地鸟类就地保护现状以及克百威农药在我国的使用,对鸟类的毒性、毒害途径和主要影响区域.针对当前我国克百威农药使用量大,对湿地鸟类构成严重威胁的实际情况,提出了具体的保护对策,包括:筛选一批重要湿地自然保护区进行严格管护;筛选出我国首批禁用克百威农药的市、县;完善湿地鸟类保护与自然保护区法律法规建设;调整农药产品结构,示范推广高效低毒的新农药品种;提高自然保护区管理水平,对毒害鸟类案件严格执法;加强对农药销售和使用的管理.     

氮沉降下鼎湖山森林凋落物分解及与土壤动物的关系

研究了南亚热带3种森林生态系统凋落物在N沉降下的分解动态及其与土壤动物群落的关系。选取季风常绿阔叶林、针阔混交林和马尾松林建立野外模拟N沉降样地,实施四个处理组,对照(Control)、低氮(50kg·hm-2·a-1,LowN)、中氮(100kg·hm-2·a-1,MediujmN)和高氮处理(150kg·hm-2·a-1,HighN),利用凋落物网袋法,在18个月的时间内调查分析了凋落物分解过程及其中的土壤动物密度特征。研究结果表明,植被演替阶段对凋落物的分解速度存在影响,季风林凋落物降解速度显著性快于混交林和针叶林(P<0.05);18个月后,季风林各处理地凋落物残留率为0.05、0.14、0.13和0.17,混交林为0.64、0.56和0.62,针叶林为0.66、0.63和0.62。N沉降增加对凋落物分解存在一定影响。且这种影响与植被类型之间存在明显的交互作用。N沉降处理对季风林凋落物分解表现出了一定的抑制作用,而且这种差异随时间推移愈益明显,但在混交林和针叶林内,试验后期凋落物分解受到了N沉降处理的促进作用。在试验后期,尤其是12个月后,凋落物网袋土壤动物密度在不同林地和不同水平N处理下体现了差异化发展趋势。在季风林内,N处理地土壤动物密度受到了明显的抑制;在混交林和针叶林内,低N样地动物密度显示了相比对照样地的明显优势,但在较高强度的中N处理地无论在凋落物的降解速率还是在动物密度上都与对照样地没有明显差别。文章认为,N沉降处理所产生的影响可能受环境N饱和程度的调控。文章还提出,在凋落物分解进程中,土壤动物群落具有“后期进入”特征,这对于进一步准确分析森林凋落物分解进程及土壤动物的贡献有重要意义。     

Long-Term Landscape Change and Bird Abundance in Amazonian Rainforest Fragments

Abstract:  The rainforests of the Amazon basin are being cut by humans at a rate >20,000 km²/year, leading to smaller and more isolated patches of forest, with remaining fragments often in the range of 1–100 ha. We analyzed samples of understory birds collected over 20 years from a standardized mist-netting program in 1– to 100-ha rainforest fragments in a dynamic Amazonian landscape near Manaus, Brazil. Across bird guilds, the condition of second growth immediately surrounding fragments was often as important as fragment size or local forest cover in explaining variation in abundance. Some fragments surrounded by 100 m of open pasture showed reductions in insectivorous bird abundance of over 95%, even in landscapes dominated by continuous forest and old second growth. These extreme reductions may be typical throughout Amazonia in small (≤10 ha), isolated fragments of rainforest. Abundance for some guilds returned to preisolation levels in 10- and 100-ha fragments connected to continuous forest by 20-year-old second growth. Our results show that the consequences of Amazonian forest loss cannot be accurately described without explicit consideration of vegetation dynamics in matrix habitat. Any dichotomous classification of the landscape into "forest" and "nonforest" misses essential information about the matrix.     

Avian Community Response to Lowland Tropical Rainforest Isolation: 40 Years of Change at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica

Abstract:  Since 1960, most of the forest surrounding the La Selva Biological Station, an intensively studied tropical research facility in Costa Rica, has been converted to agricultural uses. We used quantitative censuses and analysis of previously published categorical abundances to assess changes in the bird community, and we evaluated potential causes of species-specific changes by assessing their association with habitat, diet, participation in mixed-species flocks, and nest type. Approximately the same percentage of species increased as decreased in abundance from 1960 to 1999 (10–20% of all species, depending on method of assessment). Diet was the single most important trait associated with declining species. At least 50% of the species that declined have insectivorous diets. Use of forest habitat and participation in mixed-species flocks were also significant factors associated with declines, but nest type was unrelated to change in abundance. The species that increased in abundance tended to occur in open habitats and have omnivorous diets. These results reinforce the importance of several population risk factors associated with tropical understory insectivory and mixed-species flocking: patchy spatial distribution, low population density, large home range, and dietary specialization. La Selva's protected area (1611 ha), despite a forested connection on one boundary with a higher elevation national park, is apparently too small to maintain at least one major guild (understory insectivores). This first quantitative assessment of bird community change at La Selva highlights the need to intensify study of the mechanisms and consequences of biological diversity change in tropical forest fragments.     

Demographic Responses by Birds to Forest Fragmentation

Abstract:  Despite intensive recent research on the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on bird populations, our understanding of underlying demographic causes of population declines is limited. We reviewed avian demography in relation to habitat fragmentation. Then, through a meta-analysis, we compared specific demographic responses by forest birds to habitat fragmentation, providing a general perspective of factors that make some species and populations more vulnerable to fragmentation than others. We obtained data from the scientific literature on dispersal, survival, fecundity, and nesting success of birds. Birds were divided into subgroups on the basis of region, nest site, biogeographical history, and migration strategy. Species most sensitive to fragmentation were ground- or open-nesters nesting in shrubs or trees. Residents were equally sensitive to fragmentation in the Nearctic and Palearctic regions, but Nearctic migrants were more sensitive than Palearctic migrants. Old World species were less sensitive than New World species, which was predicted based on the history of forest fragmentation on these two continents. Pairing success was the variable most associated with fragmentation, suggesting an important role of dispersal. Fledgling number or condition, timing of nesting, and clutch size were not associated with sensitivity to fragmentation, suggesting that negative fragmentation effects on birds do not generally result from diminished food resources with increasing level of fragmentation. Future studies on demographic responses of birds to habitat fragmentation would be more effective if based on a combination of measures that can distinguish among the demographic mechanisms underlying population changes related to habitat fragmentation.     

Effects of Road Clearings on Movement Patterns of Understory Rainforest Birds in Central Amazonia

Abstract:  The impacts of potential linear barriers such as roads, highways, and power lines on rainforest fauna are poorly understood. In the central Brazilian Amazon, we compared the frequency of local movements (≤300 m long) of understory birds within intact forest and across a 30- to 40-m-wide road over a 2-year period. Rainforest had regenerated along some road verges, to the extent that a nearly complete canopy was formed in some areas, so we also assessed whether this facilitated bird movement. Movement data were determined from 1212 recaptures of 3681 netted birds at six study sites. The road significantly inhibited total bird movement across roads at five of the six sites. Bird foraging guilds varied in their responses to the road and different ages of regrowth. Movements of frugivorous and edge and gap species were not inhibited at any site, whereas most forest-dependent insectivores (mixed-species flocks, terrestrial species, and army-ant followers) had markedly inhibited road-crossing movements, except at sites with extensive regrowth. Solitary understory species were especially vulnerable, rarely crossing even roads overgrown by tall regrowth. For sensitive species, road-crossing movements were inhibited because individuals tended to avoid both edge-affected habitat near the road and the road clearing itself. Our results suggest that even narrow roads with low traffic volumes can reduce local movements of many insectivorous birds in Amazonia.     

中国祝蛾科昆虫区系研究

据对有较详细分布资料的206种祝蛾科昆虫分析,中国祝蛾科昆虫其区系组成以广布种占多数,共计62种,占30.1%,东洋界55种,占26.7%.在中国动物地理区划中,华中、华南、西南三区分布的种占所采总数的60.4%,可见此三区关系较为密切.表3,参6.     

广州市白云山4种雀形目鸟类重金属残留分析

检测了广州市白云山风景区白头鹎(Pycnonotussinensis)、暗绿绣眼鸟(Zosteropsjaponicus)、大山雀(Parusma jor)和白眉(Emberizatristrami)4种鸟的飞羽、胸肌和肝脏中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb和Zn的残留量。结果表明:除Cd在胸肌中未检出外,其他元素在各组织中均有检出。Cd在鸟的肝脏和飞羽中残留量分别为0.2～5.7和0.0～0.5μg·g-1。在鸟的肝脏、胸肌和羽毛中,Cr残留量分别为未检出～0.3、0.3～0.9和0.6～1.3μg·g-1;Cu残留量分别为15.2～88.4、12.6～32.3和5.4～30.8μg·g-1;Pb残留量分别为0.8～15.0、0.0～1.7和5.4～28.0μg·g-1;Zn残留量分别为58.3～347.0、19.5～104.0和114.0～367.0μg·g-1。羽毛中Cr、Pb和Zn残留量较高,Cu残留量较低;肝脏中Cd和Cu残留量较高,而Cr残留量较低;各元素在胸肌中残留均较低。鸟组织中重金属残留量存在种间差异,但不同元素差异程度不同。暗绿绣眼鸟和白眉组织中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb残留量种间差异显著,而Zn残留量种间差异不显著。不同重金属元素在鸟组织中的残留分布特性有较大差异。