The Ecology of Small Mammals in Northeastern Tasmania .1. Rattus-Lutreolus-Velutinus

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 415 ◽  
Author(s):  
TW Norton
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Lactating Females ◽  
Similar Body

Aspects of the ecology of Rattus lutreolus velutinus (Thomas) were studied in dry sclerophyll forest, buttongrass and heathland communities in north-eastern Tasmania. In each habitat environmental parameters which might influence the species' microhabitat selection (e.g, soil moisture, vegetation structure and floristics) and diet (e.g. monocotyledon food), were assessed. R. I, velutinus began to breed during late August. Sexually active males were captured between September and February, inclusive. Pregnant females were captured between September and November, and the number of lactating females peaked during November in all habitats. Juveniles were captured between December and February. R. I. velutinus was predominantly herbivorous, preferring stem and leaf tissue but also eating seeds, insects, roots and fungus. Captures of rats were positively correlated with vegetation cover less than 50 cm high and with a monocotyledonous food index. Population density was substantially higher in heathland than in buttongrass and dry sclerophyll forest. Animals had similar body condition in each habitat.

scholarly journals INVESTIGATING CROSS CONGRUENCE BETWEEN BUTTERFLY TAXA AND ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF SYSTEMATIC CONSERVATION PLANNING: A CASE STUDY FROM LESSER CAUCASUS ECOREGION OF TURKEY

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Banu Kaya özdemirel
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Site Selection ◽  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Systematic Conservation Planning ◽  
Ecological Community ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Lesser Caucasus

Cross taxa congruence was investigated between butterfly taxa and ecological community for fine spatial scale (10 × 10 km² UTM grids) in north-eastern part of Turkey. The study area was evaluated within the scope of systematic conservation planning, and analyses were performed for sets of priority protected areas composed using complementarity-based site selection software Marxan. Cross taxa congruence was subsequently examined both in species richness and ecologic complementarity. Accordingly, it has been observed that the cross-taxon congruence between butterfly taxa and ecological community was relatively better than the results of previous studies. Another remarkable finding is that ecological community was a more robust surrogate than butterfly taxa. Although the results are valuable for conservation studies, they highlight the fact that a simple surrogate-based site selection would be inadequate to represent overall biodiversity.  The weakness of congruence patterns among surrogates would also lead to gaps in biodiversity conservation. These findings therefore draw attention to the necessities of incorporating surrogates of distinct ecology or some other surrogates like environmental parameters into conservation planning. Otherwise, there may be mistakes regarding species representation and the vast majority of species may be misrepresented in protected areas and protected area plans. At this point, it should be emphasized that understating cross taxa congruence and/or relationships is a key component for efficient biodiversity conservation.

The Ecology of Small Mammals in Northeastern Tasmania .2. Pseudomys-Novaehollandiae and the Introduced Mus-Musculus

1987 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
TW Norton
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Mus Musculus ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Spatial Separation ◽  
Floristic Richness ◽  
North Eastern

Pseudomys novaehollandiae and the introduced Mus musculus were sympatric and restricted to dry heathland in north-eastern Tasmania. Both species preferred the same floristic groups, and captures of both were positively correlated with floristic richness and negatively correlated with vegetation cover less than 50 cm high. P. novaehollandiae and M. musculus also had a similar diet of stem and leaf tissue, seed and insects. Spatial separation of the species was not shown.

Responses of Non-volant Mammals to Late Quaternary Climatic Changes in the Wet Tropics Region of North-eastern Australia

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 493 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Winter
Keyword(s):  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Glacial Period ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Wet Tropics ◽  
Glacial Periods

It is generally recognised that the distribution of vertebrates in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest of the Wet Tropics region of north-eastern Australia is profoundly influenced by the formation of two rainforest refugia at the height of Pleistocene glacial periods. Anomalies in the distribution of non-volant mammals indicate that other events may be equally important. In this paper, past geographical occurrence of non-volant mammals is examined by equating the mammals’ known temperature tolerance with palaeoclimatic temperature zones. It is hypothesised that dispersal and vicariant phases taking place since the most recent glacial period have had a profound influence on current patterns of distribution. A major dispersal phase of cool-adapted species occurred after the glacial period, and continuous populations were subsequently fragmented into upland isolates by expansion of warm rainforest during the late post-glacial period. These upland isolates remain substantially unchanged to the present day. Species shared either with New Guinea or south-eastern Australia arrived in the region during the most recent post-glacial period. Clarification of periods of vicariance and dispersal provides a conceptual framework for testing relative divergences of populations within and between regions.

Reproduction affects flight activity in female and male Daubenton’s bats, Myotis daubentoni

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 653-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dietz ◽  
E.K.V. Kalko
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Flight Activity ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Reproductive Condition ◽  
Small Individual ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
Lactating Females

Nearly all mammals in the temperate zone breed in spring and summer when climatic conditions are favourable and food is abundant. Similar to other mammals, food requirements of female bats are particularly high during pregnancy and lactation and of males during spermatogenesis. Seasonal changes in energy demand and reproductive condition should therefore result in different foraging activity within and between sexes. This assumption was tested on 16 adult females and 13 adult males of the Palaearctic Daubenton’s bat, Myotis daubentoni (Kuhl, 1817), that were radio-tracked during pregnancy, lactation, and post-lactation periods. Pregnant females, as hypothesized, flew significantly longer (mean: 358.9 min; 70% of the night length) than males (mean: 228.5 min; 42.4% of the night length) during spring. In contrast, nightly flight time of lactating females decreased and was significantly less than that of pregnant females, but was similar to that of males during the same period. The longest flight times of males were registered during late summer when spermatogenetic activity is high. However, there were distinct differences in the use of foraging areas between female and male Daubenton’s bats. Female bats used small, individual foraging areas during pregnancy and lactation. The pattern was reversed in females after the young had been weaned and in males after they entered spermatogenesis. Overall, the results confirmed our proposition that flight activity reflects the higher energy demand and nutrition requirements in the different reproductive periods.

scholarly journals Alien shades of grey: new occurrences and relevant spread of Sciurus carolinensis in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emiliano Mori ◽  
Rachele Amerini ◽  
Giuseppe Mazza ◽  
Sandro Bertolino ◽  
Roberto Battiston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Sciurus Carolinensis ◽  
Grey Squirrel ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
The Status ◽  
Lactating Females ◽  
Rapid Removal

Abstract The eastern grey squirrel is listed among the worst invasive species throughout the world. This species of American origin is currently replacing the native Eurasian red squirrel in most of the Great Britain, as well as in parts of Ireland and Italy. It may debark trees and exert damages to woodlands and tree plantations. Therefore, its spread may be deleterious for biodiversity and environment, emphasising the need for a rapid detection in new areas of occurrence. In this work, we reported for the first time, the presence of new populations of this invasive species in Tuscany (Central Italy) and some updates and analyses regarding the status of this species in Veneto (North-Eastern Italy). Occurrences were collected through citizen-science contributory approach supported by photos, road-kills, and/or hair-tube sampling. Field investigations ad hoc were carried out in Veneto and Tuscany to confirm the repeated reports in the surroundings of Arezzo and in the province of Siena. Although records can be possibly related to erratic or single individuals escaped from captivity, reproductive nuclei have also been detected in both regions, with the observations of juveniles and/or lactating females. The occurrence of the species in these regions is still scarce and localised, but considering the surrounding favourable wooded habitats, a rapid removal of the animals would be required to prevent their spread.

Effects of forest degradation on abundance and microhabitat selection by ground dwelling Chaco lizards

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolás Pelegrin ◽  
Enrique Hugo Bucher ◽  
Ada Lilian Echevarría ◽  
José María Chani
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Microhabitat Use ◽  
Microhabitat Selection ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Thermal Requirements ◽  
Plastic Process ◽  
Disturbed Forest ◽  
Forest Conditions

AbstractHuman-induced degradation of Chaco forests has led to a mosaic of habitats with different forest conditions, offering different habitat suitability characteristics to the native fauna. Abundance and microhabitat use of Teius teyou, Liolaemus chacoensis, Cnemidophorus ocellifer, and Tropidurus etheridgei were analyzed in the western Chaco forest of Argentina. A mature forest that has remained undisturbed for the last 30 years (Los Colorados Biological Station, LC) and a highly disturbed forest (Campo Grande, CG) were compared through diurnal visual encounter surveys along 74 1-km transects. Lizards were assigned to the microhabitat category according to the site where they were first observed (bare ground, litter/grass/herbs, shrubs or trees). T. teyou preferred bare ground in LC, avoiding litter/grass/herbs and using shrubs according to availability, whereas in CG the species preferred shrubs, avoiding bare ground. C. ocellifer used microhabitats according to their availability in LC, whereas in CG, this species preferred shrubs and avoided the remaining microhabitats. L. chacoensis preferred bare ground in LC, using litter/grass/herbs and shrubs according to availability. In CG, the species used bare ground according to availability, preferred shrubs, and avoided litter/grass/herbs. T. etheridgei preferred bare ground in LC, avoiding litter/grass/herbs, and using shrubs according to availability, whereas in CG both bare ground and shrubs were preferred, and litter/grass/herbs was avoided. Our results suggest that microhabitat selection by lizards in the Chaco is a plastic process influenced by vegetation structure, and probably regulated by lizards' thermal requirements.

scholarly journals Morphological classification of conspecific birds from closely situated breeding areas – A case study of the Common Nightingale

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dávid Kováts ◽  
Andrea Harnos
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Parameters ◽  
Classification Methods ◽  
Morphological Comparison ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
The North ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Bill Length

Abstract In this paper, a complex morphological comparison of four Common Nightingale groups (Luscinia megarhynchos) is demonstrated. In total, 121 territorial nightingales were mist-netted and measured individually on four study areas called ‘Bódva’, ‘Felső-Tisza’, ‘Szatmár-Bereg’ and ‘Bátorliget’ in the North-Eastern part of Hungary in 2006–2013. To distinguish groups by morphology, Classification and Regression Trees (CART), Random Forest (RF) and Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) methods were used. Comparison of the four studied Common Nightingale groups shows substantial morphological differences in the length of the second, the third and the fourth primaries (P2, P3, P4), in bill length (BL) and bill width (BW), while other characteristics showed greater similarities. Based on the results of all the applied classification methods, birds originated from Szatmár-Bereg were clearly distinguishable from the others. The differences in morphology can be explained by interspecific competition or phenotypic plasticity resulting from the change of ecological, environmental parameters. Our case study highlights the advantageous differences of the classification methods to distinguish groups with similar morphology and to choose important variables for classification. In conclusion, broad application of the classification methods RF and CART is highly recommended in comparative ecological studies.

scholarly journals Unusual presentation and inconlusive biopsy render fibroadenoma in two young females a diagnostic dilemma

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Meerkotter ◽  
S Andronikou
Keyword(s):  
Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Core Biopsy ◽  
Surgical Excision ◽  
Diagnostic Dilemma ◽  
Breast Masses ◽  
Young Females ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Important Differential Diagnosis ◽  
Imaging Characteristics ◽  
Lactating Females

Two young non-lactating females presented with acutely painful breast masses. Sonographic features showed mixed echogenic masses. Core biopsy was non-diagnostic in both and surgical excision revealed infarcted fibroadenomas. Although fibroadenomas are common, they do not commonly infarct and only rarely in non-lactating and non-pregnant females. These two cases highlight the clinical and imaging characteristics of this important differential diagnosis.

Feeding strategy and activity budget of the frugivorous bat Carollia perspicillata (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in French Guiana

1991 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Charles-Dominique
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Activity Budget ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Carollia Perspicillata ◽  
Pregnant Females ◽  
Lactating Females ◽  
Reproductive Females

ABSTRACTThe frugivorous phyllostomid bat Carollia perspicillata is closely associated with specific fruits which are found and picked in flight, then eaten at a feeding roost. Each fruit eaten corresponds to a single flight. An apparatus designed for this study permits the simultancous tracking of 10 bats equipped with double rhythm transmitters (slow rate corresponding to resting position and rapid rate to flying bouts). (1) The number of flights, (2) the percentage time spent flying and (3) the range of activity were recorded for different categories of animals during two periods of fruit production. Heavier males displayed high activity, while other males, non-breeding females and females in early pregnancy displayed a similar pattern of flying behaviour. Full-term pregnant females and lactating females performed almost as many flying bouts as non-reproductive females, but these flights were much shorter. This unexpected feeding strategy can be interpreted as a means of shifting energy to reproductive effort from exploratory behaviour (non-breeding females performed longer flights which combine the survey of environment and the fruit collection). This strategy, based upon the optimization of flying bouts, is in contrast to those of non-flying mammals and probably is only compatible with periods of high food production.

Fire-stimulated rainforest seedling recruitment and vegetative regeneration in a densely grassed wet sclerophyll forest of north-eastern Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Vegetative Regeneration ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Sclerophyll Forest ◽  
Soil Seedbank

Details of plant regeneration, combined with soil seedbank data, are documented for a densely grassed wet sclerophyll forest in north-eastern Australia. The following two hypotheses were tested: (1) that established individuals of rainforest pioneer species are killed by low to moderate intensity fires and (2) that seedling recruitment of these species is evenly distributed throughout the intervals between fires. Both the sclerophyll and rainforest pioneer species displayed strong regenerative abilities as a response to low or moderate intensity fires. Most of the rainforest pioneer species were not killed by two recent fires but vegetatively regenerated. Alstonia muelleriana showed fire-enhanced vegetative expansion via root suckering. Both the sclerophyll and rainforest pioneer species were found to recruit seedlings primarily as a pulse in the first year or two after a fire, with limited recruitment after longer intervals between fires. This is consistent with suggestions that grass competition may limit tree recruitment. The germinable soil seedbank was dominated by rainforest pioneers, herbs and grasses, with heat treatment of the seedbank enhancing seed germination of two rainforest pioneer species. These results demonstrate the ability of rainforest pioneers to exploit the post-fire environment and indicate the complex nature of rainforest boundary dynamics. Further research into tropical rainforest expansion is required to examine the effects of fire regimes on vegetative and seedling regeneration across a range of sites.

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