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1.
The contents of regurgitated Long-eared Owls (Asio otus) pellets collected in Minqin Desert Experimental Research Station of northwestern China were analysed. A total of 303 individuals representing five species of rodents and one of bird were identified in the pellets. By frequency, the most common species taken by Long-eared Owls was Meriones meridianus, followed by Cricetulus barabensis and Phodopus roborovskii. By biomass, Meriones meridianus was the most important species taken, followed by C. barabensis and Rhombomys opimus. Our results suggest that the Long-eared Owls were nocturnal hunters and fed on a wide range of animals with respect to their habitats.  相似文献   

2.
Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of bone apatite were measured in 14 endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates native to the Chihuahuan Desert and collected in June and July of 1999 and 2000. The δ8O values of most reptiles were very high, up to 44‰ (standard mean ocean water (SMOW), some of the highestδ18 O values ever measured for an animal. The δ18O values of rodents and birds were lower (32±5‰ vSMOW), and the earless lizard Holbrookia maculata were the lowest of all species analysed (25‰). Omnivorous grasshopper mice (Onychomys torridus) had lower δ18O values than granivorous rodents. Results from oxygen analysis likely reflect variation in diet and body water flux differences between endotherms and ectotherms. Carbon isotope analysis revealed a dramatic shift in diet from C3 plants in 1999 to C4 plants in 2000 in most rodents and birds. Kangaroo rats and reptiles did not change, having a constantδ13 C value indicative of a C3-based diet in both years. This suggests reliance on winter annual plant seed caches for kangaroo rats, but not other rodents. The carbon isotope data can be explained in terms of seasonal differences within and between years in the timing and intensity of the seasonal rainfall events, and the productivity of summer and winter annual plants. This study illustrates that stable isotope analysis is a powerful method for tracking dietary change and feeding behavior in desert vertebrates.  相似文献   

3.
We studied the feeding ecology of the Andean hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus chinga) in three areas with different land use in Patagonia. Two areas were heavily grazed by sheep or horses and wild exotic herbivores and the third area was lightly grazed by cattle. In each area, we assessed skunk diet, prey abundance and carrion availability. Skunks were generalist feeders, with invertebrates composing the bulk of their diet, but also consumed small vertebrates and carrion. Differences in diet composition were found among areas, mainly because skunks consumed more beetle larvae in the sheep area and more cricetines and spiders in the exotic-herbivore area. All prey but rodents were significantly more abundant in spring and summer than in fall and winter, but skunk diets were similar among seasons. In the sheep area, where the soil was most disturbed, we found reduced abundances of invertebrate prey and rodents. High consumption of beetles during autumn and winter when these were least abundant and in the sheep area indicates that skunks had a preference for beetles and their larvae. We conclude that Andean hog-nosed skunks in Patagonia might be negatively affected by reductions of their main prey due to soil and plant alterations by livestock.  相似文献   

4.
The diet of the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) is well known in different habitats but a lack of data persists for arid and subarid environments. We provide preliminary information on food selection of barn owls in Tunisia by the analysis of the composition of pellets. The diet consists largely of rodents and the three-toed Jerboa (Jaculus jaculus) that accounted for more than 50% of total prey biomass. Results suggest that barn owls show a nonrandom tendency toward rodent species especially small and young individuals.  相似文献   

5.
Octodontid rodents have a long evolutionary history in arid landscapes of South America. The red vizcacha rat, Tympanoctomys barrerae , is a monotypic, micro-endemic species that inhabits salt pan-sand dune habitats in west-central Argentina. Its natural history is almost unknown. We present an analysis of the ecology, morphology, behavior, and physiology of the red vizcacha rat and assess the overall degree of convergence of this species with rodents that inhabit similar habitats in different deserts. Our results show that Tympanoctomys barrerae is highly adapted to salt flat basin habitats. Its diet of halophytic vegetation with a high salt content, and physiological and anatomical traits related to salt consumption, are similar to those found in some members of the families Heteromyidae (Dipodomys microps) of North America, and Muridae (Psammomys obesus and Rhombomys opimus) of Africa and Asia. Similarities include feeding behavior, diet composition, kidney morphology, and urine concentration, among other traits. Tympanoctomys barrerae is more similar to these desert rodents than it is to confamilials that do not feed on halophytes.  相似文献   

6.
The ‘algarrobo’Prosopis flexuosais an important food resource in the Monte Desert of Argentina. Native, domestic, and exotic mammals consume the fruit of this legume and disperse the seed through faeces. In the present study we analyse the effect that different dispersal agents (cattle, horse, European wild boar, rodents, gray fox) have on seed damage, viability, and germination. Cattle increase germination at the expense of reduced viability, whereas horses maintain viability but do not contribute to a prompt germination response. Among native mammals, the gray fox maintains seed viability without increasing germination, whereas rodents affect seed viability but enhance germination rates. The European wild boar, however, damages all of the seeds it consumes.  相似文献   

7.
Studies of breeding birds and small mammals were conducted at a series of sites that form a gradient of severity of desertification. Desert grassland sites represented the least changed landscape units and mesquite coppice dunes represented the most severe degradation, an irreversibly degraded landscape unit. The hypothesis that desertification reduces species diversity was not supported by the data. Species richness and diversities (Shannon-Weaver H′) of breeding birds were higher in the desertified areas than in the grassland with one exception. Data from a site dominated by the exotic African grass,Eragrostis lehmanniana, in south-eastern Arizona showed that breeding bird diversity was lower at that site than at a site in the same region that was dominated by native grasses. Species richness, diversity (H′), and abundance of small mammals were also higher in desertified areas than in desert grassland. Most grassland species of birds and mammals persist in the desertified habitats and species that are characteristic of shrublands colonize desertified desert grasslands. This accounts for the increases in species richness. However some species such as the banner-tailed kangaroo rat,Dipodomys spectabilis, are eliminated when grassland degrades to mesquite coppice dune or eroded creosotebush communities. These data suggest that other measures of faunal biodiversity such askeystone speciesmay be better measures of the impact of desertification on animal biodiversity.  相似文献   

8.
We documented changes in the abundance and composition of terrestrial flora and fauna with respect to distance from the sea edge and timing of large allochthonous inputs from the Salton Sea, California. We found significant effects that were most pronounced within 300 m of the shore, but extended 3 km inland via coyote scat deposition. The zone within 300 m of the sea had a higher density of vegetation with a distinctly different plant composition. The denser vegetation supported higher abundances of birds and reptiles. Coyotes exhibited spatial and temporal responses to marine subsidies of fish, while birds were likely subsidized by aquatic aerial insects. Top-down control, as well as dietary and habitat preferences, may have resulted in reduced number of ants, beetles, and small mammals near the sea. Species responses to the habitat edge appeared to be associated with life history, as the near shore habitat favored habitat generalists and shore specialists, while inland desert habitat favored many sand and open desert specialists. Ecosystem responses support current theories of allochthonous spatial subsidies and consumer-resource dynamics but were limited in scope, magnitude, and distance.  相似文献   

9.
The North African houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) is a medium-sized steppeland bird described as omnivorous and opportunistic. Its diet reflects the local abundances of plants and invertebrates. However, comprehensive studies based on both plant and animal materials are lacking to confirm or invalidate this characterization. The diet of the species during the non-breeding season was studied based on the contents of the stomachs of 42 adults collected during 2004, 2006 and 2007 in two regions of eastern Morocco. Taxa were identified to species or genus using a herbarium, a plant epidermis reference collection, an invertebrate reference collection, and an invertebrate fragment reference collection. We analyzed variation in the diet according to sex, region and year. The diet primarily included plant material (66 ± 25% of the dry weight of the stomach contents). The relative proportions of plants and invertebrates did not differ between the sexes but showed variations in space and time. The ingested plant and invertebrate assemblages differed between year and area but not between the sexes. These results suggest that both sexes forage in similar habitats and that their diet reflects spatial and temporal variations in plant and invertebrate availability, as expected for an opportunistic feeder.  相似文献   

10.
吴友吕  陈波 《极地研究》1994,6(1):38-42
本文利用扫描电子显微镜和Ｘ－能谱仪观测南极阿德雷企鹅的卵壳以了解阿德雷企鹅卵壳的微结构和各壳层的主要成分，结果表明：阿德雷企鹅卵壳的外表面和内表面分别为板块状结构的外皮层和致密的纤维网状结构的内膜层，中间为结构不同、成分组成不同和含量不同的三层结构，其中外层和中层的主要成分为钙，含量分别为９５．８１％、９７．８１％，同时含有少量的磷，含量分别为４．１９％、１．８７％，外层显示与其他鸟类或爬行类卵壳基本相似的碳酸钙方解石片层结构，而内层的主要成分是硫酸钙，呈现与其他鸟类或爬行动物的卵壳较大的差别，硫含量高达８４．２６％。  相似文献   

11.
A prescribed burn resulted in significant decreases in canopy cover of the grasses: Bouteloua eriopoda, Sporobolus flexuosus, and Aristida purpurea. One year post-burn, basal cover of B. eriopoda remained significantly lower in burned patches than in unburned areas but there were no differences in basal cover of the other perennial grasses. Only one species of the 14 summer annual species occurred in both burned and unburned plots. There were six species of spring annuals in burned patches but no spring annuals in the unburned grassland ten months post-burn. Fire killed 100% of the snakeweed shrubs (Gutierrezia sarothrae), 77% of the Ephedra torreyana shrubs, and 36% of the Yucca elata. All mesquite shrubs that were top-killed by fire, resprouted one month post-burn. Fire had no effect on abundance and species richness of rodents. There were fewer wolf spider, Geolycosa spp. burrows in burned areas than in unburned grassland. The area and volume of soil in termite galleries and sheeting were significantly larger in the unburned grassland than in the burned areas.  相似文献   

12.
Southern Spain’s semi-arid habitats are a Mediterranean ecosystem modelled mainly by historic factors which make them unique in comparison with North African deserts. Southern Spanish vertebrates have adapted to the recent emergence of semi-arid habitats in varying degrees of success. This paper reviews the current status of these terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals), their origins and their main features in relation to this biogeographic area. The vertebrate fauna of the semi-arid southeast of the Iberian peninsula differs widely from the one in the semi-arid Maghreb mainly because the former is composed by generalist vertebrates and much less so by species adapted to arid conditions. Moreover, a large fraction of the vertebrates in the semi-arid Iberia does not exploit the semi-arid areas but depends on riparian and human-managed habitats. The species diversity is rather low since only a small fraction of Palaearctic, European or Mediterranean species can adapt to the ecological limitations imposed by aridity and dwell in these semi-arid habitats. Such adaptations comprehend features like trophic plasticity, low morphological specialization, high dispersal ability, shortened life cycles and behavioural mechanisms to exploit the limited resources available. This paper identifies major conservation issues and proposes specific courses of action.  相似文献   

13.
Abstract

We used heart rate change as a tool to study how positive and negative wildlife conservation messaging impacts a viewer, and which types of animal images stimulate greatest reaction. We used scenes from five wildlife conservation videos available from environmental organization websites and YouTube, with positive and negative messaging. We found both very positive and very negative messaging in videos may be similarly effective in engaging viewers. A trend in greater changes in heart rate when insects, mammals, and birds appear on the screen suggests generally high human interest in these taxa, potentially due to avoidance and attraction responses. The number of scenes (N?=?54) in which various taxa appear reflects bias toward mammals (65%) and birds (17%) to capture viewers’ attention. Arousal is a primary step in engaging an audience to attend to a message. Physiological research offers innovative new techniques to evaluate public responses to communications about biodiversity conservation.  相似文献   

14.
Estimates of energetic demands for carnivore species can be valuable for estimating their annual prey requirements and thus, their potential impact on prey populations. This is the case for the coyote (Canis latrans) which has a ubiquitous distribution and preys on a wide variety of wild and domestic prey species. We took data on daily activity of coyotes and with standard energy models, estimated the daily field metabolic rate (FMR) of adult male and female coyotes in the Great Basin desert of the western United States. We then calculated the total annual energy demand and from this, extrapolated annual prey needs for lagomorph and rodent-sized prey. Daily FMR of male coyotes in the Great Basin desert averaged 1170.1 kcal±29.1, S.E. (n=11) and was significantly higher than 988.6 kcal±44.3 (n=8) for females (p=0.002). The highest reproductive cost for females was lactation (1441.1 kcal/day above FMR). Males and females need to consume 192 and 162 lagomorphs, or 3681 and 3110 rodents/year, respectively. For reproduction, females should consume 37 more lagomorphs or 700 more rodents per year. We concluded that preference for lagomorphs by coyotes reflects the most reasonable energy return on their hunting investment.  相似文献   

15.
河北省区域鸟兽物种多样性分析   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  
在河北境内选择不同生境的7个自然保护区,用GF指数方法计算不同区域的鸟兽物种多样性。结果表明: 鸟类的GF指数高于兽类的GF指数,但差异并不显著(p>0.05);鸟类的G指数和F指数分别高于兽类的G指 数和F指数,并且达到极显著水平(p<0.01)。  相似文献   

16.
The densities of self-established non-indigenous prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica) in rangelands of the Karoo recorded on 3434 km of road transects, were on average 800 times greater below telegraph and transmission poles than away from poles, and 200 times greater next to wire fences along roads than in open rangelands. We suggest that this uneven establishment pattern is mainly due to the dispersal of Opuntia ficus-indica seeds by crows and other vertebrates (chiefly primates). Cape (Corvus capensis) and pied crows (C. albus) feed on fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica in the Karoo, and regurgitate pellets containing viable seeds of these plants below nest sites, roosts and occasional perch sites. Crows use man-made structures such as wire fences, telegraph and transmission poles and windmills for perching, roosting and nesting. Crow pellets, containing regurgitated bones and viable seeds of Opuntia spp., and other alien and indigenous plants, are most common around such perch sites. Crows are frequently associated with roads in the Karoo because they scavenge on road kills in the Karoo as well as feeding on fruits, insects and reptiles in road verges. We suggest that dispersal of seeds by crows is important for range extension and establishment of new Opuntia populations.  相似文献   

17.
Tenebrionid species composition and activity level were studied, using pitfall traps, in two sandy (dune and stabilized sand field) and four compact soil (wadi, north- and south-facing slopes, and loess plain) habitats in the Negev Desert Highlands, Israel. Each soil type had a distinctive species composition but habitats within soft types were similar both in species composition and phenologies. The number of species was not correlated with habitat primary production; it was low in sandy habitats (19 spp.) and high in compact soil (33 spp.) habitats. Within the compact soil habitats, large-size species were abundant only in the high plant-cover wadi, and the low plant-cover slopes and plain were dominated by smaller species. We suggest that low plant cover on the slopes and plain exposes large tenebrionids to predation by birds and limits them to the wadi where they are concealed and find refuge in the plant cover.  相似文献   

18.
Non-hibernating mammals that live in seasonal and arid environments change their non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) capacity to maintain homeothermy. Metabolic capabilities of animals, such as NST, are considered adaptive plastic traits because they have a broad range of possible phenotypes with different ambient temperatures (i.e. the reaction norm). Consequently, we determined the reaction norm for NST in Octodon degus (Bennett, 1832; mb=189 g) andPhyllotis darwini (Waterhouse, 1837; mb=61 g) from the mesic habitat of central Chile, and inPhyllotis xanthopygus (Waterhouse, 1837; mb=67 g) from the high Andean plains of northern Chile, an arid and seasonal habitat. Octodon degus showed a 22% increase in NST with thermal acclimation, whereas P. xanthopygus showed a 112% increase, and P. darwini showed a 117% increase in NST, being the largest change observed. These results are in agreement with our hypothesis of evolutionary inertia, which states that observed metabolic plasticity in Phyllotis species is consequence of their high Andean origin, in spite of the fact the actual habitat ofP. darwini is the less seasonal central valley of Chile.  相似文献   

19.
Desert rodents are occasionally exposed to long spells of drought. We aimed to examine how such dehydrating conditions affect resting metabolic rate (RMR), non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) and osmoregulatory capabilities in the desert inhabiting species Sekeetamys calurus. Dehydration was imposed by gradually increasing salinity of drinking water and by feeding the animals a high-protein diet. S. calurus responded to osmotic stress by reducing RMR, increasing NST capacity, reducing urine volume and increasing urine concentration. It is suggested that the reduction in RMR is an adaptation for conserving water, while the increase in NST capacity compensates for the reduction in RMR.  相似文献   

20.
河西走廊地势狭长,位于两山之间,主要由荒漠构成,生境一旦遭到破坏,当地物种将很难找到替代的栖息地。本文以河西走廊中部典型砾质戈壁为研究区,经由2019—2020年红外相机和人工观测等方式监测到的兽类和鸟类数据为基准,探讨其群落动态及活动节律。结果表明：砾质戈壁兽类中的国家Ⅱ级重点保护及“三有”（有重要生态、科学、社会价值）动物有6种,而砾质戈壁鸟类中的国家Ⅱ级重点保护及“三有”动物有8种。兽类群落的季节变化小,春季鹅喉羚（Gazella subgutturosa）等的相对多度指数略高于其他季节,三趾跳鼠（Dipus sagitta）在4月大量出现;鸟类群落季节变化明显,春、夏季和秋季鸟类的相对多度指数高于冬季,物种数在夏季和秋季达到峰值。兽类和鸟类的相对多度变化趋势相似,均在夏末和春季达到顶峰。兽类的月相对多度指数与土壤含水量呈极显著的负相关,鹅喉羚和沙狐（Vulpes corsac）等日活动节律受人类活动影响出现在夜间、黄昏或黎明。鸟类的月相对多度指数与人类活动、空气温度、土壤温度和节肢动物均呈显著正相关,但人类活动在生长季会降低一些鸟类的活动频率。总之,河西走廊中部戈壁是鹅喉羚、沙狐、红隼（Falco tinnunculus）、锲尾伯劳（Lanius sphenocercus）、黑尾地鸦（Podoces hendersoni）、沙鵖（Oenanthe isabellina）、漠鵖（Oenanthe deserti）和短趾百灵（Calandrella cheleensis）等兽类和鸟类的主要栖息地,建立沙化土地封禁保护区对保护荒漠动物多样性具有重要的生态意义。  相似文献   

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