Habitat use and space preferences of Eurasian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) in northwestern Iberia throughout the year

Abstract Background For all vertebrates in general, a concerted effort to move beyond single season research is vital to improve our understanding of species ecology. Knowledge of habitat use and selection by Eurasian Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) is limited with regard to the non-breeding season. To date, research on the habitat of the Iberian subspecies iberiae consists of very general descriptions. In relation to space use, only broad features are available for the entire distribution range of Eurasian Bullfinches, including Iberia. Methods In this study, seasonal preferences regarding habitat and space in a population of Eurasian Bullfinches are examined for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula, through direct observation during a six-year period. The essential habitat components, substrate selection and perch height were assessed. Results Hedgerows were the key essential habitat component for bullfinches during all seasons. Nevertheless, small poplar plantations became increasingly important from winter to summer-autumn. Bullfinches perched mostly in shrubs/trees throughout the year, but there were significant seasonal changes in substrate use, ground and herbs being of considerable importance during spring-summer. Throughout the year, over half of the records corresponded to feeding, reaching almost 90% in winter. Generally, bullfinches perched noticeably lower while feeding. Male bullfinches perched markedly higher than females, notably singing males in spring-summer. Juveniles perched at a height not much lower than that of males. In all seasons, males tended to feed at greater heights than females. Bullfinches of different ages and sexes were seen bathing in all seasons except winter. Conclusions Hedgerow habitat in general appeared to be valuable for bullfinches throughout the year. In summer and autumn, they selected sites with an abundance of food and shade, as well as shelter, a much-needed requirement for fledglings and moulting individuals. There was usually a close link between the most used and most consumed plant species in each season. Males appeared to assume a more important role in vigilance, and often they accompanied dependent young in June and July. Bullfinch conservation strategies should consider seasonal demand for habitat and space.

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First mature fruit description of Pietrosia laevitomentosa (Asteraceae) and its implications to the taxonomic position of the genus Pietrosia

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.197.4.5 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 197 (4) ◽

pp. 282-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anca Manole

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Vascular Bundles ◽

Endemic Plant ◽

Mature Fruit ◽

Diagnostic Features ◽

Eastern Carpathians ◽

Endemic Plant Species ◽

First Time ◽

Species Ecology

For the first time we describe the morphology and anatomy of mature achenes bearing fertile seeds of Pietrosia laevitomentosa, an endemic plant species in the Eastern Carpathians. The new diagnostic features of the genus Pietrosia justify its taxonomic recognition as separate from Andryala; those are the achene size (between 2.5 and 4.3 mm long), the deciduous pappus, the single-rimmed achene apex, the elongate exocarpic cells, the complete ring of mesocarpic sclerenchyma (up to 11-layered), and the number and localization of the vascular bundles (5 bundles, in the small ribs). Furthermore, our data may also serve to reconsider the species ecology and conservation strategies.

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Biodiversity in the Andean Mountains: Two new rain frogs of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the northern Cordillera Central in Colombia

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.5040.3.2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5040 (3) ◽

pp. 334-364

Author(s):

MAURICIO RIVERA-CORREA ◽

GUSTAVO A. GONZÁLEZ-DURÁN ◽

ANA M. SALDARRIAGA-GÓMEZ ◽

SEBASTIÁN DUARTE-MARÍN

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Species Delimitation ◽

Intraspecific Diversity ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Phylogenetic Position ◽

The Andes ◽

Two New Species ◽

Diversity Studies ◽

First Time ◽

Central Cordillera

Frequent biodiversity sampling and monitoring programs often lead to relevant taxonomic findings. Here, as a product of different field expeditions to two places in the northern Andes, we discover and describe two new species of rain frogs of the genus Pristimantis from the cloud forests of the Central Cordillera of Colombia. Pristimantis chocolatebari sp. nov. is diagnosed by having the following character states: dentigerous process of vomer triangular, snout large and protruding, dorsum smooth, vocal slits and vocal sac present, groin and hidden part of the thighs yellow. Pristimantis carylae sp. nov. is diagnosed by having iris copper red, dentigerous process of vomer oval, snout short and rounded, dorsum finely shagreen with scattered tubercles, double nuptial pad in males, groin and hidden part of thighs pink. We also infer, for the first time, the phylogenetic position of P. permixtus, P. platychilus, and two candidate new species. In addition, we emphasize not to use genetic distance as the only source of evidence for species delimitation, considering the high intraspecific diversity found in one of the species described here. Finally, we highlight the relevance of different habitat and ecosystem conservation strategies to promote amphibian diversity studies in the Andes.

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A Pilot Study on Home Range and Habitat Use of Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus Griseus): Exploring GPS Tracking Data in Cliff Landscape by Three Estimation Methods

10.21203/rs.3.rs-597882/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

yang teng ◽

Shupei TANG ◽

lai heda meng ◽

Liji Wu ◽

Zhiqing HAN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Tracking Data ◽

Size Estimation ◽

Range Estimation ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Effective Conservation

Abstract Home range size estimation is a crucial basis for developing effective conservation strategies and provides important insights into animal behavior and ecology. This study aimed at analyzing the home range variations, the influence of altitude in habitat selection, and comparing three methods in home range estimation of Chinese gorals (Naemorhedus griseus) living at a cliff landscape. The results indicated that there were significant differences between the annual home range sizes of individual animals but there was no difference in their seasonal home range sizes based on GPS tracking data of five female Chinese gorals from February 2015 to September 2018. The monthly home ranges decreased dramatically in May, June and July due to birth-giving. Notable seasonal variations were found in the micro-habitats of the Chinese gorals, as reflected by the altitude they inhabit, with higher altitude habitats used in spring and lower altitude habitats used in winter. Additionally, the altitude of monthly habitats was lowest in January, which may indicate an adaptation to low air temperature. We also found differences between estimation methods, namely minimum convex polygon (MCP), kernel density estimation (KDE) and α-local convex hull (α-LoCoH), with seasonal home range sizes derived from α-LoCoH being substantially smaller than those derived from MCP and KDE. In conclusion, our findings filled the gaps in home range study for this endangered species and contributed to effective conservation strategies. Considerations shall have to be given to the variations in home range estimation caused by different methods when dealing with rugged habitats, so as to make sure that any interpretation concerning the habitat use of the targeted species made on basis of such results would be meaningful and valid.

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Numerical Modelling of Moisture Loss during Controlled Drying of Marine Archaeological Wood

Forests ◽

10.3390/f12121662 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1662

Author(s):

Gabriel Lipkowitz ◽

Karoline Sofie Hennum ◽

Eleonora Piva ◽

Eleanor Schofield

Keyword(s):

Moisture Content ◽

Numerical Modelling ◽

Visual Observation ◽

Moisture Loss ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Residual Water ◽

Archaeological Wood ◽

Sample Depth ◽

Representative Model ◽

First Time

If left to dry uncontrollably following excavation, marine archaeological wood suffers significant and irreparable damage. Conservation treatments are required to consolidate degraded wood and to remove residual water. Drying must be controlled to eliminate erratic and heterogeneous water removal. Monitoring and understanding the drying process progression is invaluable information to garner real-time knowledge to correlate with chemical and physical material properties, and to develop future conservation strategies. Here, polyethylene glycol (PEG) consolidated marine archaeological wood was periodically sampled during drying to determine the moisture content as a function of location, time, and sample depth. The heterogeneous nature of the material leads to significant noise across spatial and temporal measurements, making it challenging to elucidate meaningful conclusions from visual observation of the raw data. Therefore, the spatiotemporal data was computationally analysed to produce a representative model of the ship’s drying, illustrated by a dynamic simulation. From this we can quantitatively predict the drying rate, determine the depth-dependence of drying, and estimate the resulting equilibrium moisture content. This is the first time such simulations have been carried out on this material and conservation process, demonstrating the power of applying numerical modelling to further our understanding of complex heritage data.

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A Pilot Study on Home Range and Habitat Use of Chinese Goral (Naemorhedus Griseus): Exploring GPS Tracking Data in Cliff Landscape by Three Estimation Methods

10.21203/rs.3.rs-597882/v2 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yang Teng ◽

Shupei TANG ◽

Dalai Menghe ◽

Liji Wu ◽

Zhiqing HAN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Range ◽

Habitat Use ◽

Estimation Methods ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Gps Tracking ◽

Tracking Data ◽

Size Estimation ◽

Range Estimation ◽

Lower Altitude ◽

Effective Conservation

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Sa’adyah the Philosopher

Sa'adyah Gaon ◽

10.3828/liverpool/9781904113881.003.0003 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 40-57

Author(s):

Robert Brody

Keyword(s):

Comprehensive System ◽

Greek Philosophy ◽

Concerted Effort ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Rabbinic Judaism ◽

Community Boundaries ◽

First Time

This chapter cites classical Rabbinic Judaism, which is grounded in a comprehensive system of halakhah that determines behavioural norms in every aspect of life and sets community boundaries. It outlines few basic principles of faith that were presumably shared by all the tana'im and amora'im, such as the belief in a God who revealed himself to the children of Israel and charged them to keep the Torah's commandments. It also discusses the impetus to theological speculation that came from a time when both Christians and Muslims were making a concerted effort to systematize their religious principles. The chapter recounts the proliferation of cults within Christianity and Islam and the controversies that raged among adherents about the tenets of their faith. It mentions how Muslims were exposed to Greek philosophy for the first time during the eighth and ninth centuries, when many Greek works were translated into Arabic.

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Synoptic Ice Maps of the Meteorological Office

Journal of Navigation ◽

10.1017/s0373463300032331 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 439-447 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

G. A. Tunnell

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Ocean ◽

Sea Ice ◽

Long Range ◽

Considerable Time ◽

Sea Temperature ◽

Weather Forecasts ◽

Antarctic Sea Ice ◽

Fishing Vessels ◽

First Time ◽

Entire Distribution

For a considerable time fishing vessels, merchant ships, long-range forecasters and oceanographers have needed up-to-date sea ice information. This paper describes how the heterogeneous mass of ice information combined with the very thorough climatic analysis now available has been used to produce for the first time an up-to-date picture of the entire distribution of ice in the Polar Basin and areas adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.For over a century a function of the Marine Division of the Meteorological Office has been the recording of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice, particularly since the Titanic disaster. However, the comprehensive hemispherical ice maps produced internationally have been several years in arrears. Ice information supplied to ships was therefore usually based on average conditions which suffice for planning well ahead or on long-range weather forecasts where it is necessary to follow ice development closely. It was decided in 1959 to organize a synoptic ice map with up-to-date ice and sea temperature information. Ice being more conservative than the weather, a map produced every ten days has proved to be sufficient.

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Soil biodiversity and environmental change in European forests

Central European Forestry Journal ◽

10.1515/forj-2017-0010 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 63 (2-3) ◽

pp. 59-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Martin Lukac

Keyword(s):

Environmental Change ◽

Forest Ecosystem ◽

Global Environmental Change ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Soil Biodiversity ◽

Close Link ◽

European Forests ◽

Biological Communities ◽

Global Environmental ◽

Forest Ecosystem Management

AbstractBiodiversity not only responds to environmental change, but has been shown to be one of the key drivers of ecosystem function and service delivery. Forest soil biodiversity is also governed by these principles, the structure of soil biological communities is clearly determined by spatial, temporal and hierarchical factors. Global environmental change, together with land-use change and forest ecosystem management, impacts the aboveground structure and composition of European forests. Due to the close link between the above- and belowground parts of forest ecosystems, we know that soil biodiversity is also impacted. However, very little is known about the nature of these impacts; effects they have on the overall level of biodiversity, the functions it fulfills, and on the future stability of forests and forest soils. Even though much remains to be learned about the relationships between soil biodiversity and forest ecosystem functionality, it is clear that better effort needs to be made to preserve existing soil biodiversity and forest conservation strategies taking soils into account must be considered.

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Ethnomedical Knowledge of Plants Used for the Treatment of Tuberculosis in Johor, Malaysia

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2016/2850845 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Siti Fatimah Sabran ◽

Maryati Mohamed ◽

Mohd Fadzelly Abu Bakar

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Herbarium Specimens ◽

Transfer Of Knowledge ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Biomedical Terminology ◽

Emic Perspective ◽

First Time

This study documented ethnomedical knowledge of plants used for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and its related symptoms as practiced by the Jakun community of Kampung Peta, situated in Endau Rompin Johor National Park, Johor, Malaysia. Eight key informants were selected by snowball sampling technique and data about medicinal plants were collected by semistructured interviews, participatory observations, and focus group. Qualitative analysis was undertaken using thematic analysis. There were 23 species of plants (22 genera, 20 families) documented and herbarium specimens were deposited at the UTHM Herbarium.Dipterocarpus sublamellatuswas recorded for the first time with ethnomedical uses while other species were previously reported. The qualitative approach employed in this study demonstrates the emic perspective in terms of perceptions on traditional herbal medicine, transfer of knowledge, significant taboos related with medicinal plants, and their conservation efforts. Local and biomedical terminology in treatment of TB showed substantial correspondence. The outcomes obtained in the study are worth being further investigated for conservation strategies and are worthy of verifying their ethnomedical claims scientifically.

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Periphytic diatoms from an oligotrophic lentic system, Piraquara I reservoir, Paraná state, Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2018-0568 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Angela Maria da Silva-Lehmkuhl ◽

Priscila Izabel Tremarin ◽

Ilka Schincariol Vercellino ◽

Thelma A. Veiga Ludwig

Keyword(s):

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Metropolitan Region ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

The Public ◽

Abstract Knowledge ◽

Glass Slides ◽

Lentic System ◽

Environmental Protection Area ◽

Protection Area ◽

First Time

Abstract: Knowledge of biodiversity in oligotrophic aquatic ecosystems is fundamental to plan conservation strategies for protected areas. This study assessed the diatom diversity from an urban reservoir with oligotrophic conditions. The Piraquara I reservoir is located in an Environmental Protection Area and is responsible for the public supply of Curitiba city and the metropolitan region. Samples were collected seasonally between October 2007 and August 2008. Periphytic samples were obtained by removing the biofilm attached to Polygonum hydropiperoides stems and to glass slides. The taxonomic study resulted in the identification of 87 diatom taxa. The most representative genera regarding the species richness were Pinnularia (15 species) and Eunotia (14 species). Five species were registered for the first time in Brazil and seven in the State of Paraná. Taxonomic and ecological comments of the species registered are provided.

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