The cost of host egg damage caused by a brood parasite: experiments on great spotted cuckoos (Clamator glandarius) and magpies (Pica pica)

Adult great spotted cuckoos, Clamator glandarius, frequently damage one or more eggs of their magpie host, Pica pica, without removing or eating them. The presence of damaged host eggs could signal parasitism thereby increasing the probability that the parasitic egg is ejected. This hypothesis was tested by experimentally introducing a model cuckoo egg with or without damaged host eggs. Magpie responses to experimental parasitism did not differ significantly between treatments implying that damaged host eggs are not used by magpies to assess parasitism. We followed the fate of magpie eggs naturally damaged by the great spotted cuckoo or experimentally damaged by us. Host response was very similar for naturally or experimentally damaged host eggs, but varied significantly according to the type of egg damage, eggs being removed more frequently when pecked than crushed, while cracked eggs were never removed. However, the egg damage that most readily causes egg removal is albumen leakage. Received: 30 November 1998 / Received in revised form: 7 June 1999 / Accepted: 12 June 1999     

Effects of sex-associated competitive asymmetries on foraging group structure and despotic distribution in Andean condors

Phenotype-limited interference models assume competitive asymmetries among conspecifics and unequal sharing of resources. Their main prediction is a correlation between dominance status and patch quality: dominant individuals should preferentially exploit better-quality habitats. We tested assumptions and predictions of the phenotype-limited interference model in Andean condors (Vultur gryphus), a New World vulture with strong sexual size dimorphism (males are 30–40% heavier than females). We recorded searching birds in habitats differing in quality: mountains and plains. We also observed scavenging behaviour at 20 sheep carcasses, and videotaped 5 of them. Intraspecific hierarchy at carcasses was based on size: males dominated females and, within each sex, older birds dominated younger ones. Adult males and juvenile females occupied extreme positions in the feeding hierarchy. Aggression was directed at those individuals belonging to lower hierarchical levels. In high-quality areas (mountains), more condors arrived at carcasses. Juvenile females were more often observed searching in low-quality areas (plains), far from breeding areas and main roost sites. GLM analyses of individual behaviour showed that the hierarchy did not influence time of arrival, but low-ranking individuals spent more time at carcasses, especially if the number of condors at arrival was high. Additionally, low-ranking condors spent less time feeding at carcasses when individuals of higher hierarchical levels were present. On the other hand, the number of condors present had a positive effect on feeding rates of dominant individuals, probably because of a reduction in individual vigilance. These results support most of the assumptions and predictions of the phenotype-limited distribution model, although a spatial truncated distribution between phenotypes was not observed. Asymmetric feeding pay-off, unequal parental roles and sexual selection constraints could favour sexual divergence in body size in Andean condors. Received: 6 April 1998 / Accepted after revision: 11 July 1998     

性能化火灾安全评估应用个案研究

性能化火灾安全评估屉当前火灾科学及其应用研究的热点之一。该方法利用火灾动力学、热化学、安全评估原理学等确定性工程方法，针对各类建筑的结构特点和实际状况，对建筑物的火灾危险进行定性的预测和评估。以某高层建筑的维修工程为例，评估了其维修期间的火灾安全水平。通过对其维修前（满足规范要求）和维修期间（不满足规范要求）两种情况下人员疏散过程的比较，并辅以烟气运动规律的预测，得出了该建筑在施工期间的安全水平。     

大型仓库防火分隔带设计和预期财产损失研究

基于"性能化设计仓库安全水平不低于处方式设计仓库"的设计理念,针对某大型仓库进行了防火分隔带的设计和预期财产损失的评估。探讨了具体案例中采用事件树、概率计算与数值模拟相结合进行性能化设计安全水平分析和预期财产损失评估的方法。研究结果表明,进行仓库消防系统有效性分析和预期财产损失评估,有助于更全面地评价消防性能化设计方案的安全水平。     

火灾时建筑内人员安全疏散可靠性的数值计算

运用一次二阶矩法(FOSM)的可靠指数概念,建立建筑火灾安全人员安全疏散随机不确定性分析方法,给出了可靠指数β的计算程序。案例结果分析表明,运用FOSM可以计算火灾环境下人员安全疏散的可靠概率。     

提高前向散射型光电感烟探测器性能的算法

以国家科技部973项目中建立的火灾探测应用环境及火灾信息数据库为依据,对目前使用最为广泛的前向散射型光电感烟探测器固有特性的归纳和分析,通过数据挖掘,提出一种切实可行的算法处理技术和智能判断火灾方法,有效提高了现有前向散射型光电感烟探测器的火灾探测及其抗干扰能力。     

电力配电房在火灾下的有限元模拟分析

针对钢框架结构形式的电力配电房在基本荷载组合工况下构件承载能力的关键问题,运用ABAQUS有限元分析软件对模型进行空间静力分析,得出电力配电房在各种工况下的最不利荷载及其位置;针对电力配电房在火灾工况下构件耐火性能的关键问题,运用ABAQUS模拟分析其在火灾工况下的温度场分布和钢框架结构的承载能力和力学性能,并对这两类工况对比分析。研究结果表明:在基本荷载工况下,电力配电房在恒荷载与活荷载形成的组合效应下产生的沿X、Y、Z方向的剪力和弯矩最大,且其形成的竖向位移也最大;在火灾工况下,电力配电房最大应力位置与普通荷载工况大致相同,但最大位移位置不同;虽有局部钢材应力超限,但钢框架结构仍具备承载能力,设计人员可将应力超限的构件替换为屈服强度更高的钢材而非全部替换,既保证了整体结构的安全性,又达到节约材料降低造价的目的。     

Fire use: Is it really the cheaper land preparation method for large-scale plantations?

During the last two decades Indonesia has experienced immense forest and land fires. Often these fires are associated with extended drought and widespread use of fire to clear previously logged forest and other degraded land in preparation for oil palm, rubber, or pulpwood plantations. There are many reasons for the use of fire in land clearing activities, but probably the most important one is economics. There is still acceptance that fire is the cheapest, fastest, and most effective land clearing method with the added benefit of providing nutrients from ash residues. This paper provides a review of existing information on the financial costs and benefits of using fire for land clearing in agriculture and forestry plantations as compared with zero-burning techniques. The findings indicate that the economic advantage of fire use varies widely and depends on many factors, such as soil fertility, vegetation density, labour cost, equipment and training costs, and the costs of fire management. For large-scale land clearing, the financial analysis of the costs and benefits of fire versus zero-burning shows that when applied to low-volume vegetation, zero-burning methods are not more expensive than burning – and may actually be more cost effective in the long term. This is the case for clearing oil palm or rubber plantations for replanting, low secondary vegetation, and heavily logged-over forest. Under high-volume forest conditions, burning remains less expensive because it is more difficult, time consuming, and costly to dispose of high volumes of piled wood mechanically.     

Associations between driver training, determinants of risky driving behaviour and crash involvement

The core aim of the study is to examine associations between formal and informal practical driver training as well as driving experience on the one hand and young drivers’ safety attitudes, self-assessment of driving ability and self-reported driver behaviour on the other hand. An additional aim is to examine the associations between attitudes, self-assessment and behaviour on the one hand and crash involvement on the other hand. The results are based on a self-completion questionnaire survey conducted among a representative sample of Norwegian drivers aged 18–20 years (n = 1419). The results showed that there were small yet significant associations between driver training, on the one hand and traffic safety attitudes and risky driving behaviour on the other hand. The amount of formal driver training was negatively associated with the respondents’ evaluation of their driving skills; although the amount of lay instruction was positively associated with such self-evaluation. The results also showed that attitudes as well as self-assessment of driving ability were significantly associated with self-reported risk behaviour. This was especially true for attitudes related to rule violations. There was a strong association between crash involvement and exposure (measured as months holding a licence). Young novice drivers’ crash involvement seems stronger associated with driving skills (manifested as self-assessment of driving ability) than safety attitudes and self-reported driver behaviour. The consequences of the results for driver training and accident prevention are discussed.     

火灾中闭式喷头响应时间的概率分布特性研究

喷淋系统中闭式喷头响应时间受火灾增长因子、径向安装距离和喷头响应时间指数等因素的影响。通过对喷头响应时间的模拟数据的统计分析,建立了包含火灾增长因子、径向距离和喷头响应时间指数等参数的喷头响应时间模型。考虑火灾增长因子和径向距离的随机性,获得了喷头响应时间的概率分布特性。研究结果表明,径向距离和火灾增长因子对喷头响应时间的分布特性影响显著。随着火灾增长因子的增大和径向距离的缩小,喷头在较短时间内响应的概率增大。随着径向距离的缩小,喷头响应时间指数对喷头响应时间分布的影响变小。研究可为优化喷头布置和评估喷头响应的有效性提供分析工具。