scholarly journals Fire affects microhabitat selection, movement patterns, and body condition of an Australian rodent ( Rattus fuscipes )

2015 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Fordyce ◽  
Bronwyn A. Hradsky ◽  
Euan G. Ritchie ◽  
Julian Di Stefano
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Resource Requirements ◽  
Rattus Fuscipes ◽  
Tracking Devices ◽  
Complex Habitat

Abstract Resource selection by animals influences individual fitness, the abundance of local populations, and the distribution of species. Further, the degree to which individuals select particular resources can be altered by numerous factors including competition, predation, and both natural- and human-induced environmental change. Understanding the influence of such factors on the way animals use resources can guide species conservation and management in changing environments. In this study, we investigated the effects of a prescribed fire on small-scale (microhabitat) resource selection, abundance, body condition, and movement pathways of a native Australian rodent, the bush rat ( Rattus fuscipes ). Using a before-after, control-impact design, we gathered data from 60 individuals fitted with spool and line tracking devices. In unburnt forest, selection of resources by bush rats was positively related to rushes, logs and complex habitat, and negatively related to ferns and litter. Fire caused selection for spreading grass, rushes, and complex habitat to increase relative to an unburnt control location. At the burnt location after the fire, rats selected patches of unburnt vegetation, and no rats were caught at a trapping site where most of the understory had been burnt. The fire also reduced bush rat abundance and body condition and caused movement pathways to become more convoluted. After the fire, some individuals moved through burnt areas but the majority of movements occurred within unburnt patches. The effects of fire on bush rat resource selection, movement, body condition, and abundance were likely driven by several linked factors including limited access to shelter and food due to the loss of understory vegetation and heightened levels of perceived predation risk. Our findings suggest the influence of prescribed fire on small mammals will depend on the resulting mosaic of burnt and unburnt patches and how well this corresponds to the resource requirements of particular species.

scholarly journals Is a 10-sow unit economically sustainable? A profitability assessment of productivity amongst small-holder pig farmers, Mpumalanga, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla Munzhelele ◽  
James W. Oguttu ◽  
Folorunso O. Fasina
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Scale Reduction ◽  
Good Body Condition ◽  
Commercial Feeds ◽  
Small Holder ◽  
Profitability Assessment ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

The majority of small-holder pig farmers in Mpumalanga had between 1- and 10-sow herds. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the current government agricultural intervention (supply of 10 sows and a boar) in terms of technical and economic feasibilities and ascertain whether the small-scale pig value chain system alleviates poverty. Data were obtained from 220 randomly selected small-holder pig farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that 58% farrowed ≤ 10 piglets/born/sow/litter, 44.2% practiced no weaning method and many fed swill and leftovers alone (41.6%). Pair-wise association revealed that the feeding of commercial feeds had a relationship with pigs in relatively good to very good body condition. Pigs in poor body condition were positively correlated with the feeding of swill alone. The economic models for the 10-sow unit proved that pig farming is unprofitable if the current management and feeding systems that operate in the commercial industry are utilised. However, only through a combination of cooperative systems, benefits of economies of scale, reduction of preweaning mortalities and structured government inputs can pig production be profitable at this scale of production.Keywords: piglets; market; profit; economics; feeds

scholarly journals Blakiston’s Fish-owl Bubo blakistoni and logging: Applying resource selection information to endangered species conservation in Russia

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
JONATHAN C. SLAGHT ◽  
SERGEI G. SURMACH
Keyword(s):  
Protected Area ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Road Construction ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Area Network ◽  
Protected Area Network ◽  
North East

SummaryBlakiston's Fish-owl Bubo blakistoni is classified as ‘Endangered’ by IUCN; this species is associated with riparian old-growth forests in north-east Asia, a landscape threatened by a variety of impacts (e.g. logging, agricultural development, human settlement). We examined a 20,213 km2 study area in Primorye, Russia, and assessed the ability of the protected area network to conserve Blakiston's Fish-owls by analysing resource selection of radio-marked individuals. Based on resource selection functions, we predicted that 60–65 Blakiston's fish-owl home ranges could occur within the study area. We found that the protected area network within our study area contained only 19% of optimal Blakiston's fish-owl habitat and contained only eight potential home ranges (five of these within a single protected area—Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve). We also found that 43% of optimal Blakiston's Fish-owl habitat was within current logging leases; lands capable of supporting habitat equivalent to 24 home ranges. The remaining optimal habitat (38%) was on federal land and potentially contained 28–33 Blakiston's Fish-owl home ranges. The current protected area network, by itself, is not sufficient to conserve the species because relatively few home ranges are actually protected. Therefore, outside of protected areas, we recommend protecting specific locations within potential home ranges that likely contain suitable nest and foraging sites, maintaining integrity of riparian areas, modifying road construction methods, and closing old and unused logging roads to reduce anthropogenic disturbance to the owls and the landscape.

scholarly journals Body Condition Score and Milk Production on Conception Rate of Cows under a Small-Scale Dairy System

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 800
Author(s):  
Luis Javier Montiel-Olguín ◽  
Felipe J. Ruiz-López ◽  
Miguel Mellado ◽  
Eliab Estrada-Cortés ◽  
Sergio Gómez-Rosales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Metabolic Stress ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Conception Rate ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Small Scale Dairy

Management and production characteristics impact conception rate to first service (CR1S) in small-scale dairy farms, but the impact of body condition score (BCS) and milk production levels on cows’ fertility is unknown. Our objective is to determine the effect of BCS and milk production on CR1S in small-scale dairy farms of western Mexico. Logistic regression models are used to determine the effect of BCS (at calving and first service), 60-d and 305-d milk production, protein and fat production, lactation number, and days at first service on CR1S. BCS at calving does not affect CR1S in cows with three or more lactations (39.5%; p > 0.1). However, first-lactation cows with BCS < 3.0 at calving and second lactation cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving have higher CR1S (63.2 and 67.9%, respectively; p < 0.1). This result is perhaps due to reduced milk production, which leads to lower metabolic stress. BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving is associated (p < 0.05) with a reduced milk yield, explaining partially the observed higher CR1S in these groups. Cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at first service in the higher quartile of 60-d milk production (≥ 28kg/day) show lower CR1S (23.9 and 51.1%, respectively; p < 0.01). In conclusion, BCS at calving and at first service, 60-d milk production, and lactation number are factors associated with CR1S.

scholarly journals Feather corticosterone reveals effect of moulting conditions in the autumn on subsequent reproductive output and survival in an Arctic migratory bird

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1800) ◽  
pp. 20142085 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Jane Harms ◽  
Pierre Legagneux ◽  
H. Grant Gilchrist ◽  
Joël Bêty ◽  
Oliver P. Love ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Cholera Outbreak ◽  
Fitness Effects ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Path Analyses ◽  
Avian Cholera ◽  
Carry Over ◽  
Non Destructive

For birds, unpredictable environments during the energetically stressful times of moulting and breeding are expected to have negative fitness effects. Detecting those effects however, might be difficult if individuals modulate their physiology and/or behaviours in ways to minimize short-term fitness costs. Corticosterone in feathers (CORTf) is thought to provide information on total baseline and stress-induced CORT levels at moulting and is an integrated measure of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal activity during the time feathers are grown. We predicted that CORTf levels in northern common eider females would relate to subsequent body condition, reproductive success and survival, in a population of eiders nesting in the eastern Canadian Arctic during a capricious period marked by annual avian cholera outbreaks. We collected CORTf data from feathers grown during previous moult in autumn and data on phenology of subsequent reproduction and survival for 242 eider females over 5 years. Using path analyses, we detected a direct relationship between CORTf and arrival date and body condition the following year. CORTf also had negative indirect relationships with both eider reproductive success and survival of eiders during an avian cholera outbreak. This indirect effect was dramatic with a reduction of approximately 30% in subsequent survival of eiders during an avian cholera outbreak when mean CORTf increased by 1 standard deviation. This study highlights the importance of events or processes occurring during moult on subsequent expression of life-history traits and relation to individual fitness, and shows that information from non-destructive sampling of individuals can track carry-over effects across seasons.

Wild Turkey Prenesting-Resource Selection in a Landscape Managed with Frequent Prescribed Fire

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric L. Kilburg ◽  
Christopher E. Moorman ◽  
Christopher S. DePerno ◽  
David Cobb ◽  
Craig A. Harper
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Wild Turkey

scholarly journals Great Gray Owl home range and habitat selection during the breeding-season

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
pp. 90-96
Author(s):  
Katherine Gura ◽  
Bryan Bedrosian ◽  
Anna D. Chalfoun ◽  
Susan Patla
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Home Range ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Resource Selection ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Breeding Habitat ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Effective Management ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Resource Requirements

Identifying resource requirements of under-studied species during key stages such as breeding is critical for effective management. We quantified breeding-season home-range attributes and habitat selection of adult Great Gray Owls across multiple spatial (home-range and within-home-range level) and temporal (nesting and post-fledging; day versus night) scales in western Wyoming, USA. In 2018 and 2019 we outfitted adult male owls (n = 18) with GPS remote-download transmitters and collected hourly location data throughout the breeding season (1 May – 15 September). Using 50% and 95% kernel density estimates (KDE), mean core area was 1.2 km2 and mean home-range size was 6.2 km2 (n = 16). Resource selection analyses incorporated both remotely-sensed and microsite data. We conducted microsite surveys at used and available points within 95% KDE home ranges using a stratified random sample design (n = 661). Determining home-range and breeding habitat requirements will improve density estimates and facilitate the effective management of Great Gray Owls and their habitat. We found differing patterns between habitat selection at the home-range and within-home-range scales.   Featured photo by YNP on Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/SA17KT

Conserving Mackinder's eagle owls in farmlands of Kenya: assessing the influence of pesticide use, tourism and local knowledge of owl habits in protecting a culturally loathed species

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
DARCY L. OGADA ◽  
PAUL MURIITHI KIBUTHU
Keyword(s):  
Species Conservation ◽  
Ecological Literacy ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pesticide Use ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Negative Beliefs ◽  
Common Control ◽  
Vertebrate Pests

SUMMARYFarmlands can be good habitat for owls and owls can benefit farmers, but pesticide use can negatively affect owls and within many regions of Africa owls are loathed owing to beliefs that they bring misfortune or death. Since 1997, a small-scale owl tourism initiative that educates farmers about owls and benefits them financially has been operating in central Kenya. Pesticide use, farmers' beliefs and knowledge about owls, and the impacts that tourism can have on farmers' attitudes and behaviour towards owls in rural Kenya were surveyed. Agricultural pests were the most serious problem facing farmers, though only 28 % of farmers said they controlled vertebrate pests using pesticides. The insecticide carbofuran was often misused to kill vertebrate pests. Common control measures were either to ‘do nothing’ or to chase pests from farms. Farmers knew of Mackinder's eagle owls living adjacent to their farms, but 68 % said they didn't adhere to the culturally negative beliefs about owls. Knowledge of owl diet amongst farmers was high (75 %). Farmers who benefited from owl tourism were more likely to know more about owl diet and habits. Where farmers gained financial benefits from tourism or knew more about owls, they were more likely to categorize owls as ‘good’, but farmers who knew about owl diet were more likely to use pesticides or kill owl prey on their farms. Though knowledge of owls did not have a positive effect on farmers' behaviour toward owls, this was probably the result of a lack of ecological literacy rather than any deliberate antagonism toward owls. Financial rewards are very important to poor farmers, but may not result in actions that enhance species conservation unless farmers have a basic understanding of ecological processes.

Feasibility of Igniting Prescribed Fires in Bottomland Hardwood Forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 555-560
Author(s):  
James S Cash ◽  
Christopher J Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Hardwood Forests ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Bottomland Hardwoods ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Bottomland Hardwood ◽  
Bottomland Hardwood Forests ◽  
Invasive Species Control ◽  
Litter Flammability

Abstract There is emerging interest in using prescribed fire to manage bottomlands for wildlife habitat, invasive species control, and overall forest function. We evaluated the feasibility of conducting prescribed fires in bottomland hardwood forests in west-central Alabama as part of a broader strategy to control the invasive shrub Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense). We used 22 small-scale plots (0.04 hectares) in areas with residual slash from privet cutting operations and initiated prescribed fires on each to assess the overall feasibility and the relation of in-stand weather (i.e., microclimate), stand composition, and litter measurements to fire behavior. Overall, prescribed fire ignition was difficult, and only half the trials successfully burned &gt;10 percent of the plot. We found that stand composition was most correlated with percent plot burned, and plots with higher proportions of tree species with flammable leaf traits (e.g., Quercus spp.) tended to burn best. Although further investigation is warranted, managers interested in using prescribed fire for bottomland hardwoods likely face short time windows and limited forest conditions in which fires can be reliably set. Study Implications There is increasing interest in using prescribed fires in bottomland hardwood forests. This exploratory study evaluated whether prescribed fires could be reliably set in bottomlands. Prescribed fires were difficult to establish and tended to be very patchy with fire spread related to tree canopy composition (because of differences in leaf litter flammability) and litter loads. Results suggest that it would be difficult to apply fire on a large scale in bottomland hardwood forests and that small-scale fires could only be set under certain conditions.

Small-scale variation within a Modiolus modiolus (Mollusca: Bivalvia) reef in the Irish Sea. III. Crevice, sediment infauna and epifauna from targeted cores

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.I.S. Rees ◽  
W.G. Sanderson ◽  
A.S.Y. Mackie ◽  
R.H.F. Holt
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Irish Sea ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
North West ◽  
Modiolus Modiolus ◽  
Suction Sampler ◽  
The Irish Sea ◽  
Complex Habitat

Beds of Modiolus modiolus, in areas of moderate to strong tidal currents, develop into reefs with a relief of wave like undulations 0.09–0.45 m in amplitude and length scales of 6–18 m. Cores taken by diver operated suction sampler were targeted at positions on the ridges and troughs of a reef, in the Irish Sea off north-west Wales, allowing the fauna to be compared between adjoining ridges and troughs. Sessile epifauna was mostly attached to the larger mussels clumped together on the ridges. The crevice fauna and infauna were also nearly three times more abundant on the ridges, but the lists of species were similar from the two sub-habitats. Species richness was higher on the ridges, however, diversity and evenness measures were similar for ridges and trough samples. The Modiolus sub-habitats were found to be distinct from other macrofaunal assemblages in the wider southern Irish Sea. Deposition of faecal pellets in the spatially complex habitat amongst the mussels provided conditions suitable for an infauna more typical of inshore muddy sands enriched by organic matter. The scale of the ridge and trough morphology may increase variability between replicates when grabs are used remotely to sample this type of biogenic feature.

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