scholarly journals Testing the Likeable, Therefore Abundant Hypothesis: Bird Species Likeability by Urban Residents Varies Significantly with Species Traits

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 487
Author(s):  
Lillian Collins ◽  
Grant D. Paton ◽  
Sara A. Gagné
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Habitat Availability ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Behavioral Traits

The urbanization of landscapes filters bird communities to favor particular species traits, driven in part by the changes that homeowners make to the amount and quality of habitat in yards. We suggest that an ultimate driver of these proximate mechanisms underlying bird community change with respect to urbanization is the likeability of species traits by urban residents. We hypothesize that bird species likeability, modulated by species traits, influences the degree to which homeowners alter the availability and quality of habitat on their properties and thereby affects species population sizes in urbanized landscapes. We refer to this new hypothesis as the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis. The Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis predicts that (1) bird species likeability varies with species morphological and behavioral traits, (2) homeowners use trait-based likeability as a motivator to modify habitat availability and quality on their properties, and (3) residential habitat availability and quality influences species populations at landscape scales. We tested the first prediction of the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis using a survey of 298 undergraduate students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who were asked to rank their preferences for 85 forest generalist and edge/open country songbird species grouped according to 10 morphological and behavioral traits. Survey respondents preferred very small, primarily blue or black species that are insectivorous, aerial or bark foragers, residents, and culturally unimportant. On the other hand, respondents disliked large or very large, primarily yellow or orange species that forage on the ground and/or forage by flycatching, are migratory, and are culturally important. If the Likeable, therefore Abundant Hypothesis is true, natural resource managers and planners could capitalize on the high likeability of species that are nevertheless negatively affected by urbanization to convince homeowners and residents to actively manage their properties for species conservation.

The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, ed. and trans. by Matthieu Boyd, with the modernization assistance of Stacie Lents. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press, 2017, 119 pp., 5 b/w ill, 1 map.

Mediaevistik ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 401-401
Author(s):  
Albrecht Classen
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Twelfth Century ◽  
English Translation ◽  
English Version ◽  
Personal Names ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Welsh Literature

Welsh medievalists have long recognized the canonical quality of The Four Branches of the Mabinogi (late eleventh or early twelfth century), resulting in a long series of editions and translations. William Owen Pughe was the first to offer a modern English translation in 1795. The <?page nr="402"?>recent translation by Will Parker (2005) is available now online at: <ext-link ext-link-type="uri" xlink:href="http://www.mabinogi.net/translations.htm">http://www.mabinogi.net/translations.htm</ext-link>, and I suspect that many university teachers happily rely on this one because of its easy accessibility and clarity of the English version. Now, Matthieu Boyd, who teaches at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Florham Campus, Madison, MD), offers a new rendering, which is specifically targeting undergraduate students. This explains his strategy to modernize the medieval Welsh as much as possible, and to turn this marvelous text into an enjoyable read even for contemporary students, without moving too far away from the original. This modernization was carried out with the assistance of his colleague, the playwright Stacie Lents. This entails, for instance, that even some of the medieval names are adapted. Many times the conservative reader might feel uncomfortable when words and phrases such as “to shit,” “to egg on,” “to nip at the heels,” or “Manawydan & Co” (60–61) appear. The adaptation of personal names is not carried out systematically, but the overall impression of this translation is certainly positive, making the study of this masterpiece of medieval Welsh literature to a real pleasure.

scholarly journals Application of lidar for critical endangered bird species conservation on the island of Kauai, Hawaii

Ecosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey A. Fricker ◽  
Lisa H. Crampton ◽  
Erica M. Gallerani ◽  
Justin M. Hite ◽  
Richard Inman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Conservation ◽  
Bird Species

scholarly journals Fire and Mechanical Forest Management Treatments Support Different Portions of the Bird Community in Fire-Suppressed Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Lance Jay Roberts ◽  
Ryan Burnett ◽  
Alissa Fogg
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Fire Disturbance ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Silvicultural Management ◽  
Total Community

Silvicultural treatments, fire, and insect outbreaks are the primary disturbance events currently affecting forests in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, a region where plants and wildlife are highly adapted to a frequent-fire disturbance regime that has been suppressed for decades. Although the effects of both fire and silviculture on wildlife have been studied by many, there are few studies that directly compare their long-term effects on wildlife communities. We conducted avian point counts from 2010 to 2019 at 1987 in situ field survey locations across eight national forests and collected fire and silvicultural treatment data from 1987 to 2016, resulting in a 20-year post-disturbance chronosequence. We evaluated two categories of fire severity in comparison to silvicultural management (largely pre-commercial and commercial thinning treatments) as well as undisturbed locations to model their influences on abundances of 71 breeding bird species. More species (48% of the community) reached peak abundance at moderate-high-severity-fire locations than at low-severity fire (8%), silvicultural management (16%), or undisturbed (13%) locations. Total community abundance was highest in undisturbed dense forests as well as in the first few years after silvicultural management and lowest in the first few years after moderate-high-severity fire, then abundance in all types of disturbed habitats was similar by 10 years after disturbance. Even though the total community abundance was relatively low in moderate-high-severity-fire habitats, species diversity was the highest. Moderate-high-severity fire supported a unique portion of the avian community, while low-severity fire and silvicultural management were relatively similar. We conclude that a significant portion of the bird community in the Sierra Nevada region is dependent on moderate-high-severity fire and thus recommend that a prescribed and managed wildfire program that incorporates a variety of fire effects will best maintain biodiversity in this region.

scholarly journals Nutritional Quality of Undergraduate Student Meals in an All-You-Care-to-Eat Campus Dining Facility (P04-156-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Olson ◽  
Katie Vieyra ◽  
Alexandra Polasky ◽  
Amy Best ◽  
Lois Durant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Saturated Fat ◽  
Whole Grains ◽  
Research Award ◽  
George Mason University ◽  
Reported Data

Abstract Objectives To assess the overall nutritional quality of meals chosen by undergraduate students during weekday lunches at campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls. Methods A previously validated exit survey was used to collect self-reported data from undergraduate students on foods and beverages they consumed during a single visit to two all-you-care-to-eat dining halls on the George Mason University Fairfax campus, during 4 weeks. (n = 468) Nutritional quality of each meal was evaluated on a 7-point rubric, according to the ‘Wellness Meal’ standards from the Partnership for a Healthier America: ≤700 kilocalories, ≤10% calories from saturated fat, ≤800 mg sodium, ≥2 ounces whole grains, ≥1 cup lowfat dairy, ≥ 1.75 cups fruits and vegetables, and ≥ 2 ounces lean protein. Results Of the maximum score of 7 on the meal nutritional quality rubric, 4 participants earned the highest score of 5, whereas 43, 150, 132, 88, and 51 participants had scores of 4, 3, 2, 1, and 0, respectively. The most commonly attained rubric standard was saturated fat, where 60% of participants consumed ≤ 10% calories from saturated fat and average consumption was 9.1% (± 5.4%) of calories. The least achieved rubric category was lowfat dairy, where only 2% of students consumed 1 cup equivalent, followed by only 9% of participants having consumed the 2 ounce equivalent of whole grains. Approximately one-third of students met calorie, lean protein, sodium, and fruit/vegetable standards. Conclusions Despite a wide variety of food options in the campus all-you-care-to-eat dining halls during the lunch hours, most undergraduate students consumed meals of subpar nutritional quality, with the vast majority meeting fewer than half the categories on the meal nutritional quality rubric. All-you-care-to-eat university dining halls may be a prime location for nutrition education and interventions. Funding Sources This research was funded by the George Mason University Provost's Multidisciplinary Research Award.

Bird community structure in natural and urbanized habitats along an altitudinal gradient in Pauri district (Garhwal Himalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India

Biologia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Naithani ◽  
Dinesh Bhatt
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Rarefaction Analysis

AbstractIn the Indian subcontinent there is hardly any study that compares the bird community structure of urban/suburban areas with those of forest habitat. The present survey identified diverse assemblages of birds in the Pauri district at different elevations. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 40 families including two least count species (Lophura leucomelanos and Pucrasia marcolopha) were recorded during this survey in the forest and urbanized habitats of Pauri District (Garhwal Hiamalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India. The high elevation (Pauri 1600–2100 m a.s.l.), mid elevation (Srikot-Khanda 900–1300 m a.s.l.) and low elevation (Srinagar 500–900 m a.s.l.) contributed 88.8%, 63.2% and 58.4% of the total species respectively. Rarefaction analysis and Shannon diversity index showed that the high elevation forest habitat had highest bird species richness (BSR) and bird species diversity (BSD) followed by the mid and then the low elevation forests. BSR and BSD fluctuated across seasons at all elevations but not across habitat types. Present study provides a base line data about avian community composition in urbanized and natural habitats along altitudinal gradient in the study area. This information may be useful to the conservation biologists for the better management and conservation of the avifauna in the Western Himalaya, a part of one of the hot biodiversity spots of the world.

Influence of cliffs on bird community diversity

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 278-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
J D Matheson ◽  
D W Larson
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Narrow Component ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Habitat Mosaic ◽  
The North ◽  
Talus Slope ◽  
Additive Influence

Cliffs along the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario, Canada, support a long, narrow presettlement forest that includes three distinct geomorphic and vegetation zones: cliff edge, cliff face, and talus slope. This unique landform provides an opportunity to evaluate differences in bird communities between the escarpment and adjacent forest relative to habitat features. We sampled forest birds 12 times during the summer of 1994 in plots located in plateau forests, on talus slope, at cliff edges, and on cliff faces. Eleven habitat variables considered important to birds were also sampled in the plots. We arranged plots along six randomly spaced transects at a south site and a north site. Both sites had the consistent habitat heterogeneity considered important to birds. Bird species richness and composition responded to this heterogeneity, but differently at each site: plateau deciduous forests always had the lowest richness and the simplest species composition, whereas both cliff edges and talus slopes had a higher diversity of birds. Cliff faces had large numbers of species in the south but smaller numbers in the north. Escarpment zones form a habitat mosaic that supports many species not found in the adjacent forest and is consistent with the effect of habitat edge. The results suggest that cliffs represent a significant additive influence on avian biodiversity, even when the cliff is a very narrow component of the landscape.

Determination of criteria for assessing the quality of training future specialists for higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Sokorutova ◽  
Natalia Prodanova ◽  
Inna Ponomareva ◽  
Oleg Volodin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Professional Employee ◽  
Professional Fields

PurposeThe most important problem for higher education in the post-COVID period is the production of highly qualified specialists for the labor market. The purpose of this study is to determine effective criteria for assessing the quality of training of future specialists and the adequacy of their readiness to solve real problems of the future specialty.Design/methodology/approachA study was carried out among students in order to determine some of the most important characteristics of them as future specialists. Based on the survey results, non-academic indicators were identified that participants perceive as significant for a highly professional employee. The empirical study included 300 undergraduate students from four universities (66% women and 34% men aged 20–21). All participants represent full-time training.FindingsThe survey showed that the participants identified the ability to learn and personal development as the most significant personal qualities.Originality/valueMany criteria for assessing the quality of training of specialists in different professional fields have not been precisely defined. Several ways of solving this problem can be proposed: developing criteria for assessing quality in hiring; revising the methods of work of universities; presenting to students the criteria for development in the profession or adopting international criteria for assessing pedagogical quality.

Impact of embodiment on attitude strength

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunaina Shrivastava ◽  
Gaurav Jain ◽  
JaeHwan Kwon ◽  
Dhananjay Nayakankuppam
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Cognitive Process ◽  
Target Object ◽  
Attitude Strength ◽  
Quality Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lab Experiments ◽  
Attitude Accessibility ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Traditionally, it has been held that strong attitudes are a result of the conscious cognitive process of elaboration where one engages in effortful issue-relevant thinking. The purpose of this study is to show that attitude strength can follow from processes not just limited to elaboration – as a function of certain embodied states. This study examines bodily manipulations that could alter perceptions about the quality of the information describing a target (e.g. notion of “hard/soft” evidence), and, find that such an embodiment leads one to have strong attitudes toward the target object. This study proposes an attitude-rehearsal-based mechanism to explain the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This study have relied on lab experiments as a methodology – undergraduate students and American residents served as participants. This study have conducted a pre-registered study as well. Findings In the work, the study shows that strong attitudes can result from processes not just limited to elaboration, as a function of certain embodied states. This paper examines bodily manipulations that could alter perceptions about the quality of information describing the target (e.g. notion of “hard vs soft”; “converging vs diverging” information), and, find that such an embodiment leads one to have strong attitudes toward the target. This study consistently observed that the bodily manipulations influence attitude accessibility, a direct and operational indicator of attitude strength. This study further validates an attitude-rehearsal-based mechanism to explain the observed phenomenon. Originality/value While much work has investigated the impact of embodiment on attitudes, little attention has been paid to whether, and, how embodied states can impact the “strength” of the attitude without impacting the attitude itself – to the knowledge, this paper is the first to document this. Moreover, traditionally, it has been held that strong attitudes are a result of the conscious cognitive process of elaboration where one engages in effortful issue-relevant thinking. This study however shows that attitude strength can follow from processes not just limited to elaboration – as a function of certain embodied states.

Species traits are associated with the quality of bioclimatic models

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha Pöyry ◽  
Miska Luoto ◽  
Risto K. Heikkinen ◽  
Kimmo Saarinen
Keyword(s):  
Species Traits
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