Response of moorland vegetation to 20 years of conservation management in two Cairngorm glens

The response of vegetation to a large reduction in red deer numbers was assessed over a 20 year period in two contrasting glens in the Eastern Cairngorms. Monitoring was done in spring when the annual maximum herbivore impact accumulates on the heather. We estimated deer presence from pellet-group counts, and for heather we measured cover, height and shoot browsing. Deer numbers declined earlier in Glen Derry, and correspondingly heather height increased sooner. Trends in Glen Lui were related to plot wetness and distance from places where the deer were fed in winter; dry plots received much heavier usage from deer and rabbits initially, keeping the heather short and cover stable, whereas on wet plots usage was much lower and heather increased both in cover and height. Subsequently, as deer densities fell, the Lui heather thrived, and by 2013 heather height on dry plots had surpassed height on wet plots. Colonisation by pine saplings was very patchy, being virtually confined to plots within 50 m of mature trees and having heather swards less than 25 cm tall. Despite deer numbers falling, saplings still suffered browsing by black grouse, lagomorphs and voles. Annual increments were greatest on dry plots in Glen Lui. However, we estimate that another eight years of negligible deer numbers are needed for the present sapling crop to become safe from deer damage. A limited regime of burning near mature pines may assist regeneration.

DETEKSI PENYAKIT MOTILE AEROMONAS SEPTICEMIA PADA IKAN PATIN SIAM (PANGASIUS HYPOPHTHALMUS) MENGGUNAKAN METODE ELISA

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia of Siamese catfish farming at Cibeureum Subdistrict, Ciseeng Subdistrict, Kemang Subdistrict, and Parung Subdistrict (in Bogor Region) using antigen supernatant with concentration of RAC 1:200 and antigen pellet with concentration of RAC 1:5,000. Samples of serum obtained from 10 Siamese catfish per district have weight 300-400 g/fish. The collection of serum as much 1-4 mL obtained from 3-5 mL of blood per fish. Collection of serum which had been collected from each district then was tested using indirect ELISA method. The indirect ELISA method use the two types of dilution of serum RAC (Rabbit Anti-Catfish) and two types of antigens, i.e dilution of RAC 1:200 with antigen supernatant (group A) and dilution of RAC 1:5000 with antigen pellet (group B). Determination of the sample area exposed to positive or negative MAS disease was known of cut-off values that has been defined as a comparison, the results of the test sample with a value of OD (Optical Density) ≤ 0.011; 0,015; 0.006; 0.004; 0.000; 0.005 showed positive of MAS attacked and value of OD ≥ 0.017; 0.025; 0.018; 0.016; 0.016; 0.014 showed negative of MAS attacked. The results of research showed the prevalence 60-100% on RAC 1:5,000 dilution with antigen pellet, and the prevalence 20-60 % on RAC 1:200 dilution with antigen supernatant

Habitat-specific and season-specific faecal pellet decay rates for five mammalian herbivores in south-eastern Australia

The accuracy of population abundance estimates of mammalian herbivores from faecal pellet counts is potentially affected by pellet decay. We collected fresh pellet groups from hog deer (Axis porcinus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) and common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) (n = 300 per species) at Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia. We deposited five pellet groups per species per month within each of five vegetation types in the park, then monitored pellet group decay over 24 months. We demonstrate that age estimation of pellet groups was inaccurate and is unlikely to improve the efficiency of pellet counts. We present habitat- and species-specific estimates of pellet and pellet group decay using two measures: decay rate (the proportion of pellets surviving per unit of time); and mean time to decay. We explain how our data can be used to optimise faecal pellet count design, and to improve the accuracy of both indices and estimates of abundance from pellet counts. The variability observed in the decay of pellet groups among vegetation types, and for species among seasons, suggests that caution should be used if applying pellet decay rates over long time-frames or to locations with differing environmental conditions.

Testing the Ideal Free Distribution Hypothesis: Moose Response to Changes in Habitat Amount

According to the ideal free distribution hypothesis, the density of organisms is expected to remain constant across a range of habitat availability, provided that organisms are ideal, selecting habitat patches that maximize resource access, and free, implying no constraints associated with patch choice. The influence of the amount of habitat on moose (Alces alces) pellet group density as an index of moose occurrence was assessed within the Foothills Natural Region, Alberta, Canada, using a binary patch-matrix approach. Fecal pellet density was compared across 45 sites representing a gradient in habitat amount. Pellet density in moose habitat increased in a linear or quadratic relationship with mean moose habitat patch size. Moose pellet density decreased faster thanwhatwould be expected from a decrease in habitat amount alone. This change in pellet group density with habitat amount may be because one or both of the assumptions of the ideal free distribution hypothesis were violated.