Diet shift of upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius): evidence from stable carbon isotope ratios

We measured the stable carbon isotope ratios for muscle of the upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius), plateau pika (Ochotoma curzoniae), root vole (Microtus oeconomus), plateau zokor (Myospalax fontanierii) and passerine bird species at the Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station (HAMERS), and provided diet information of upland buzzards with the measurement of stable carbon isotopes in tissues of these consumers. The results showed that δ~(13)C values of small mammals and passerine bird species ranged from -25.57‰ to -25.78‰ (n = 12), and from -24.81‰ to -22.51% (n = 43), respectively, δ~(13)C values of the upland buzzards ranged from -22.60‰ to -23.10‰ when food was not available. The difference in δ~(13)C values (2.88‰±0.31‰) between upland buzzards and small mammals was much larger than the differences reported previously, 1‰-2‰, and showed significant difference, while 1.31‰±0.34‰ between upland buzzard and passerine bird species did not differ from the previously reported trophic fractionation difference of 1‰-2‰. Estimation of trophic position indicated that upland buzzards stand at trophic position 4.23, far from that of small mammals, i.e., upland buzzards scarcely captured small mammals as food at the duration of food shortage. According to isotope mass balance model, small mammals contributed 7.89% to 35.04% of carbon to the food source of the upland buzzards, while passerine bird species contributed 64.96% to 92.11%. Upland buzzards turned to passerine bird species as food during times of shortage of small mammals. δ~(13)C value, a useful indicator of diet, indicates that the upland buzzards feed mainly on passerine bird species rather than small mammals due to "you are what you eat" when small mammal preys are becoming scarce.

Modeling trophic positions of the alpine meadow ecosystem combining stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios of single tissues or whole bodies were analyzed to establish trophic positions of main consumers living at the alpine meadow ecosystem in the Tibetan Plateau. The results demonstrated that delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of vertebrates showed great variations and ranged from -26.83 to -22.51 parts per thousand and from 2.33 to 8.44 parts per thousand, respectively. Plateau pika, root vole, plateau hare, infants of rodents and hatchlings of passerine bird species had the lowest delta C-13 and delta N-15 values. delta C-13 and delta N-15 values of omnivorous and insectivorous birds and amphibians showed intermediate. Carnivorous species, steppe polecat and Upland buzzard, and omnivorous Robin accentor and White wagtail possessed extremely higher VC and delta N-15 values. Omnivorous birds captured in earlier year had significantly less negative delta C-13 and greater delta N-15 values than those captured later. Based on steady angular enrichment between trophic levels, an "alpha and vector model" combing delta C-13 and delta N-15 values was introduced to reveal trophic positions, the results indicated that Tibetan sheep, Tibetan yak, plateau pika, root vole, plateau hare, infants of small rodents showed the lowest trophic positions (TP 1.81-2.38). While omnivorous and insectivorous birds, their hatchlings and amphibians showed intermediate trophic positions (TP 2.06-2.89), carnivorous species steppe polecat and Upland buzzard, migrant birds possessed extremely higher trophic positions (TP 2.89-3.05). The isotopic investigation of organisms and the introduced "alpha and vector model" successfully demonstrated the same trophic positions and diet prediction of consumers as nitrogen enrichment model at the alpine meadow ecosystem. Besides of this information, the "alpha and vector model" can also be incorporated into multiple isotope signatures to infer trophic relationships. This angular enrichment model has the potential to address basic ecological questions, such as trophic structure, trophic dynamics, and energy flow in other terrestrial ecosystems of properly handled. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of diets of upland buzzards using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes

We measured the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios for muscles of the upland buzzards (Buteo hemilasius) and their potential food sources, plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), Qinghai voles (Lasiopodomys fuscus), plateau zokors (Myospalax fontanierii), and several passerine bird species at the alpine meadow in Maduo county, Guoluo prefecture of Qinghai province, People's Republic of China, to provide diet information of upland buzzards, highlighting different diet composition of upland buzzards exposed to different locations. The results demonstrated that stable carbon isotope ratios of upland buzzards, passerine birds, plateau pikas, plateau zokors, and Qinghai voles were -24.42 +/- 0.25parts per thousand, -22.89 +/- 1.48parts per thousand, -25.30 +/- 1.47parts per thousand, -25.78 +/- 0.22parts per thousand, and -25.41 +/- 0.01parts per thousand, respectively, and stable nitrogen isotope ratios were 7.89 +/- 0.38parts per thousand, 8.37 +/- 2.05parts per thousand, 5.83 +/- 1.10parts per thousand, 5.23 +/- 0.34parts per thousand, and 8.86 +/- 0.06parts per thousand, respectively. Fractionation of stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios between upland buzzards and their food were 1.03parts per thousand and 2.11parts per thousand, respectively. Based on mass balance principle of stable isotopes and the Euclidean distance mixing model, upland buzzards depended mainly on plateau pikas as food (74.56%). Plateau zokors, Qinghai voles, and passerine birds only contributed a small proportion (25.44%) to diets of upland buzzards. The results were closely accordant with analyses of stomach contents and food pellets, which firmly supported the feasibility of using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios to investigate diet information of upland buzzards. Another study based on stable carbon isotopes showed that upland buzzards living in the Haibei prefecture (another prefecture located in the southeast Qinghai province) mainly preyed on passerine birds (64.96% or more) as food supply. We were alarmed by the preliminary results that widespread poisoning activities of small mammals could reshape the food composition of upland buzzards, influencing the stability and sustainability of the alpine meadow. Bio-control on rodent pests should be carried out rather than the chemical measures.

Bird and mammal conservation in Gaoligongshan Region and Jingdong County, Yunnan, China: patterns of species richness and nature reserves

Elevational and latitudinal patterns of species richness for birds and mammals were compared with human population density in relation to nature reserve designation in two areas of Yunnan Province, China. Results suggest that species richness is not the same for the two areas. In Gaoligongshan Region, species richness is inversely correlated with elevation and altitude, while reserve designation is positively correlated with elevation and latitude. In Jingdong County, reserve designations are positively correlated with elevation, but species richness shows no clear trends. In general, the present situation is strongly influenced by human activities. It appears that reserve designation is mismatched with species richness in Gaoligongshan Region, while there is a better fit between the two in Jingdong County. In both areas, however, it appeared that reserves were located primarily in order to reduce conflict with humans rather than to maximize conservation of biodiversity, probably because humans were responsible for forest-especially primary forest-destruction and degradation in the low-lying areas.

Simultaneous determination of microcystin contaminations in various vertebrates (fish, turtle, duck and water bird) from a large eutrophic Chinese lake, Lake Taihu, with toxic Microcystis blooms

This is the first to conduct Simultaneous determination of microcystin (MC) contaminations in multi-groups of vertebrates (fish, turtle, duck and water bird) from Lake Taihu with Microcystis blooms. MCs (-RR, -YR, -LR) in Microcystis scum was 328 mu g g(-1) DW. MCs reached 235 mu g g(-1) DW in intestinal contents of phytoplanktivorous silver carp, but never exceeded 0.1 mu g g(-1) DW in intestinal contents of other animals. The highest MC content in liver of fish was in Carassius auratus (150 ng g(-1) DW), followed by silver carp and Culter ilishaeformis, whereas the lowest was in common carp (3 ng g(-1) DW). In livers of turtle, duck and water bird, MC content ranged from 18 to 30 ng g(-1) DW. High MC level was found in the gonad, egg yolk and egg white of Nycticorax nycticorax and Anas platyrhynchos, suggesting the potential effect of MCs on water bird and duck embryos. High MC contents were identified for the first time in the spleens of N. nycticorax and A. platyrhynchos (6.850 and 9.462 ng g(-1) DW, respectively), indicating a different organotropism of MCs in birds. Lakes with deaths of turtles or water birds in the literatures had a considerably higher MC content in both cyanobacteria and wildlife than Lake Taihu, indicating that toxicity of cyanobacteria may determine accumulation level of MCs and consequently fates of aquatic wildlife. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

高温空气的输运性质

<正> 气体或气体混合物的粘性系数,热传导系数等的理论计算方法最初是从平均自由程理论开始的,例如Jeans,Kennard等.后来Enskog和Chapman建立了求解Boltzmann方程的严格的动力学理论,其中最具代表性的工作有Chapman&Cowling及Hirschfelder,Curtiss & Bird等。虽然有不少作者提出了各种求解Boltzmann方程的近似办法,例如

Monte Carlo simulation of cooling induced by parametric resonance

We demonstrate that the parametric resonance in a magnetic quadrupole trap can be exploited to cool atoms by using Bird's method. In our programme the parametric resonance was realized by anisotropically modulating the trap potential. The modulation frequency dependences of temperature and fraction of the trapped atoms are explored. Furthermore, the temperature after the modulation as functions of the modulation amplitude and the mean elastic collision time are also studied. These results are valuable for the experiment of parametric resonance in a quadrupole trap.

五味子科几种植物的传粉生物学和种子散播

五味子科(Schisandraceae)隶属于木兰亚纲八角目(Illiciales)，为攀缘藤本，花单性，雌雄异株或同株。近年来分子系统学的研究结果显示，一个包括八角目在内的所谓ANITA类群（Amborellaceae – Nymphaeales – Illiciales – Trimeniaceae - Austrobaileyaceae）代表了被子植物最基部的类群。这使得五味子科成为解决原始被子植物起源和演化问题的重要类群之一，而倍受关注。作为被子植物的原始类群，其繁育系统、传粉生物学和种子传播等方面的知识对于理解被子植物起源和基部各大类群之间的系统发育关系是至关重要的，而五味子科在这些方面的研究几乎还是空白。本研究选取几种代表不同雄蕊群类型的五味子科植物，对其进行传粉生物学和种子散播方式的研究，在此基础上讨论了该科植物和早期被子植物的传粉机制和种子散播机制。 1．翼梗五味子的传粉生物学 翼梗五味子是严格的雌雄异株。雄花在颜色、形状和大小上都与雌花非常相似，但是数量明显多于雌花。在开放后，雌雄花的花被片都不完全张开，把雄蕊群和雌蕊群包在其中，花被片和雄蕊群或雌蕊群之间的空隙非常狭小。翼梗五味子的花不能产热，不能散发出花香，也不分泌花蜜。翼梗五味子的传粉者只有Megommata sp.（瘿蚊科）的雌性成虫，花粉是对传粉者的唯一回报。Megommata sp.访问翼梗五味子的雄花摄取花粉作为其卵巢发育或产卵所需的额外营养，而雌花则是通过模拟雄花的形态来吸引昆虫的。绿叶五味子的传粉机制与翼梗五味子相似，也是雌花模拟雄花的形态欺骗昆虫访花。这种欺骗性传粉在基部被子植物是普遍存在的。 2．南五味子的传粉生物学 南五味子是雌雄同株。雌雄花的花被片都是黄色，子房绿色，雄蕊有黄色和红色两种颜色，开黄色雄花的和开红色雄花的植株在所研究的14个居群中都是随机分布的。南五味子的雌雄花都是在晚上开放，并能散发出强烈的花香，红色雄花、黄色雄花和雌花的花香成分非常相似，主要成分都是丁酸甲酯 (methyl butyrate)。南五味子的雌雄花还可以产生热量。南五味子的传粉者只有一种昆虫-- Megommata sp.（瘿蚊科），它们的访花时间与花香的散发时间以及花热产生的时间基本吻合，都集中在花开后的4-5小时内。在南五味子中，花香在吸引传粉者上起着决定性作用，花热可以增强花香的散发，而花色则不起作用。花粉是南五味子对Megommata sp.的唯一的回报，雌花利用与雄花相同的诱物（花香和花热）来吸引传粉者，因此南五味子的传粉系统也是一种欺骗性传粉。 3．五味子科植物的传粉系统 五味子科植物的花一般比较小，花器官多而不定，螺旋状排列。五味子科不存在风媒传粉，传粉昆虫主要是双翅目昆虫和甲虫类。翼梗五味子、南五味子、绿叶五味子只是由瘿蚊科Megommata属的一种昆虫来传粉的，表现出一种专化地传粉系统。而Schisandra glabra则有多种昆虫参与传粉，表现出泛化的传粉系统。以瘿蚊为媒介的传粉系统中，只有雄花能为昆虫提供报酬，而雌花则是通过模拟雄花来欺骗昆虫访花的。在这个欺骗性传粉系统中，味觉和视觉线索对瘿蚊都是很重要的，五味子的雌花可以通过模拟雄花的形态或者通过散发出与雄花相同的花香气味来吸引传粉者的。在泛化传粉的系统中，花粉、柱头和花被片都可作为昆虫的食物，并且S.glabra花还可以为昆虫提供栖息或交配场所。 五味子科植物的传粉模式符合“菌蚊类昆虫传粉综合征”。这个传粉综合征的特点是：植物一般具有较小的两性花或单性花、能散发强烈的花香、能够产生花热;传粉昆虫是菌蚊科、瘿蚊科和其他长角亚目的昆虫;欺骗性传粉;具有自交不亲和现象。Austrobaileyales 分支中的各类群和睡莲科植物都适合这个传粉综合征。 4．五味子科植物的种子散播 五味子的果实都是由小浆果组成的聚合果，五味子属的果实是长穗状，南五味子属的呈球形。成熟小浆果的颜色从红色到紫红色;具有中等大小的种子。翼梗五味子的果实是以小浆果为单位脱落的，整个脱落过程仅持续13天，种子是由鸟类和哺乳类散播的。异形南五味子和南五味子的聚合果虽然都是球形的，但是异形南五味子的果实和种子比南五味子大得多;它们的果实脱落和种子散播方式有很大差异，异形南五味子是整个聚合果脱落，脱落时间集中在20天内，而南五味子是以小浆果为单位脱落，脱落时间可长达4个月之久。异形南五味子的种子很可能是通过鸟类来散播的，而南五味子则没有发现有效的种子散播者。在五味子科内，果实形态总的进化趋势是由短到长，南五味子属所具有的球形聚合果很可能代表了五味子科果实的祖先性状。五味子科植物果实形状的进化可能最少要经历两个过程。在白垩纪和第三纪的交界期前后，由于气候和植被的变化，一些五味子类群的果实和种子变大;而后在第三纪，随着特化的果实散播者如鸟类和鼠类的出现，五味子科一些种类的花托在果期明显变长，球形聚合果进化成长穗状聚合果。

Game Vertebrate Densities in Hunted and Nonhunted Forest Sites in Manu National Park, Peru

Manu National Park of southern Peru is one of the most renowned protected areas in the world, yet large-bodied vertebrate surveys conducted to date have been restricted to Cocha Cashu Biological Station, a research station covering <0.06 percent of the 1.7Mha park. Manu Park is occupied by >460 settled Matsigenka Amerindians, 300-400 isolated Matsigenka, and several, little-known groups of isolated hunter-gatherers, yet the impact of these native Amazonians on game vertebrate populations within the park remains poorly understood. On the basis of 1495 km of standardized line-transect censuses, we present density and biomass estimates for 23 mammal, bird, and reptile species for seven lowland and upland forest sites in Manu Park, including Cocha Cashu. We compare these estimates between hunted and nonhunted sites within Manu Park, and with other Neotropical forest sites. Manu Park safeguards some of the most species-rich and highest biomass assemblages of arboreal and terrestrial mammals ever recorded in Neotropical forests, most likely because of its direct Andean influence and high levels of soil fertility. Relative to Barro Colorado Island, seed predators and arboreal folivores in Manu are rare, and generalist frugivores specializing on mature fruit pulp are abundant. The impact of such a qualitative shift in the vertebrate community on the dynamics of plant regeneration, and therefore, on our understanding of tropical plant ecology, must be profound. Despite a number of external threats, Manu Park continues to serve as a baseline against which other Neotropical forests can be gauged.

Gibbons under seasonal stress: the diet of the black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor) on Mt. Wuliang, Central Yunnan, China

The diet of a habituated group of black crested gibbon (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) was studied from March 2005 to April 2006 in the Wuliang Mountains, central Yunnan, China. Gibbons consumed 77 different plant species, one mammal-, two bird-, one li

云南鸟类一新记录——白翅浮鸥

在执行全球环境基金(GEF)资助、世界银行管理、中国科学院昆明动物研究所承担的"滇池淡水水生生物多样性恢复项目"中,对滇池东南岸晋宁县新街乡下梁王的湿地生物多样性恢复示范基地进行物种监测时,曾经于2006年6月19日观察到一种较小的鸥类.

棕臀噪鹛——中国鸟类物种新记录

2007年5月,在云南南部思茅地区(今普洱市)江城县西南部的整董镇附近发现棕臀噪鹛(Garrulax gularis),调查表明该种在江城南部沿中国-老挝边界一带分布;此发现为该种在中国的首次正式纪录,期待今后在西藏东南部地区对该种有新的发现.

云南东南部和西北部绿孔雀分布的调查

绿孔雀是国家I级重点保护鸟类. 在《Endangered Birds of the W orld-The ICBP Bird Red Data Book》(King, 1981)及《1990 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals》中均将其列为易危种. 在CITES中被列入附录2. 据文献记载:绿孔雀在中国分布于云南(郑作新, 1987)和西藏东南部(尹秉高等, 1993). 历史上云南东南部的开远、建水和文山县曾记载有绿孔雀分布(《云南通志》, 明隆庆六年, 1572). 现代著作中(彭燕章等, 1987; 郑宝责等, 1987; 张帆等, 1987; 杨岚, 1989, 1991; 文贤继等, 1995; 杨晓君, 1995)记录云南省东南部的蒙自、金平、绿春、河口、弥勒、建水、石屏等7个县有绿孔雀分布. 另据当地群众反映在滇西北迪庆州发现有绿孔雀. 作者于1995年4-6月、11-12月和1996年4-6月在以往对绿孔雀分布现状调查(文贤继等, 1995)的基础上, 对云南东南部和西北部绿孔雀的分布现状及保护情况又进行了调查, 本次调查对绿孔雀在上述地区的分布状况进行了核实, 为今后的生态生物学研究和保护工作提供了有关资料。

Molecular systematics and historical biogeography of the Black-browed Barbet species complex (Megalaima oorti)

Although Southeast Asia is a global biodiversity hotspot, the tempo and mode of avian diversification there has not been well studied. We investigated the history of the diversification of an endemic Asian tropical bird, the Black-browed Barbet Megalaima