SEPARATING BROWN AND BLACK BEARS IN NORTHEAST CHINA USING TOOTH MEASUREMENTS

An expeditious method for ascertaining species between black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus G. cuiver) and brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) was developed using tooth measurements from previously identified specimens. The measurement and analysis on 18 tooth measurement indexes (i.e. T1. Length of Pm1-Pm4, T2. L. of M1-M3, T3. M1L., T4. M1 width, T5. M2L., T6. M2W., T7.M3L., T8. M3W., T9. L. of C1 alveolus, T10. W. of C1 alveolus, T11. L. of C1-M2, T12. L. of Pm4 M2,T13.M1L., T14. M1W., T15. M2L., T16. M2W., T17.L. of C1 alveolus, T18. W. of C1 alveolus) of 59 skulls (black bears 25, brown bears 34) indicates that there are significant or the most significant difference between two species in every indexes, however T1, T9, T10, T17 and T18 are not suitable for species discriminator because of their high percent of overlap. The efficient species discriminators and standards (mm) are as follows T2(63.0), T3(22.0), T4(10.2), T5(23.8), T6(13.6), T7(18.0), T8(13.5), T11(110.0),T12(66.0), T13(20. 1), T14(15.8), T15(33.0) and T16(17.3). Those who are less than or equal to standard are classified to black bear, the others are brown bear. The method is very convenient and useful with high reliability. Their lowest accuracy percent are 95.0%, most of them over 97%. Different indexes will be chosen refer to the degree of specimen destroyed.

Genetic analysis for geographic isolation comparison of brown bears living in the periphery of the Western Carpathians Mountains with bears living in other areas

Populations of the European brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) differ substantially in size, degree of geographic isolation and level of genetic diversity. Present patterns result from phylogeographic processes and profound human intervention. We assessed the genetic variability of a subpopulation of brown bears near the periphery of their range in the Western Carpathian Mountains and compared their genetic properties with those of bears in the core of the same population and elsewhere. Samples were collected non-invasively in 2007-2008 and2010 in Strázovské Vrchy Protected Landscape Area (PLA) in Slovakia (included in the NATURA 2000 networking programme). Seven polymorphic microsatellite loci (UaMU26, UaMU64, G10B, G1D, G10L, UaMU50 and UaMU51) were amplified using a nested PCR in order to assess the following parameters: variability, allelic combinations, heterozygosity, number of alleles and inbreeding coefficient. Sufficient brown bear DNA for analysis was obtained from 57 out of 140 samples (41%), among which 45 different genotypes were identified. Loci had a mean of 2.71 ± 0.76 alleles. Average observed heterozygosity was 0.59. The inbreeding coefficient was negative for all but one of the analysed loci (2007-2008). In the year 2010 was negative three of seven loci. These results imply that gene flow with other parts of the population has been maintained in the reduced level and the isolation level of bears in the study area was not so low. Nevertheless, the genetic variability of bears in Strázovské Vrchy PLA was lower than that reported from other localities in the Carpathian Mountains. The results are discussed in the context of behavioural ecology and conservation genetics.

人熊冲突缓解措施研究进展——以三江源国家公园为例

人与熊科动物之间的冲突已成为亚洲、欧洲和美洲地区的一个普遍问题,科学有效的人熊冲突管控措施有助于人熊共存机制的建立。目前,全球范围内肇事熊科动物涉及7种,分别为棕熊、亚洲黑熊、美洲黑熊、北极熊、马来熊、懒熊和眼镜熊。肇事类型主要包括伤人、捕食牲畜、入侵房屋、损害庄稼、袭击蜂箱以及翻食垃圾。引发人熊冲突的原因与人类活动范围扩大、熊科动物种群数量上升、熊科动物生境质量下降、熊科动物自然食源周期性短缺、人类食物来源易获得性以及公众对肇事熊的容忍度下降有关。国际上已有的人熊冲突缓解措施包括物理措施、生物措施、化学措施以及政策导向性措施,然而,多数措施的制定仅停留在措施本身的技术层面上,缺乏对地方实际情况和冲突驱动因素的分析。西藏棕熊属于棕熊的一种稀有亚种,生活在靠近人类的中亚高海拔地区。在中国三江源国家公园地区,人类与西藏棕熊的冲突引起了人们的关注,为协助制订有效的保育目标、解决区内人熊冲突问题,提出以下缓解建议:(1)缓解措施的制定需因地而异,综合考虑地方实际情况,如地理环境、法律法规、民俗文化以及宗教信仰等;(2)冲突类型多样,防熊措施需持续更新与完善;(3)加强人类社会发展与熊科动物生存之间的关系研究,探索人们生产生活方式的改变与熊科动物行为变化之间的关系;(4)加强棕熊生态学方面的研究,从棕熊生境质量、种群动态、自然食源以及生态系统完整性等方面去深入挖掘人熊冲突的驱动因素,进而从根本上制定缓解措施,促进三江源国家公园地区人熊共存。

三江源国家公园长江源园区人熊冲突现状与牧民态度认知研究

大型哺乳动物肇事导致人类与野生动物之间的关系恶化,报复性猎杀严重威胁到野生动物的生存。三江源国家公园内人熊冲突问题严重,棕熊肇事不断突破了当地牧民的容忍度,严重影响其保护的积极性,了解人熊冲突现状和牧民态度认知对于制定和实施有效的防熊措施至关重要。通过分析2014年1月—2017年12月三江源国家公园长江源园区内上报的296起棕熊肇事案件,同时结合半结构式访谈法对71户牧民进行访谈,以期了解该地区人熊冲突现状和牧民对棕熊的态度认知。研究结果表明:(1)棕熊主要肇事类型为入侵房屋,同时也捕食少量牲畜,以绵羊和山羊为主;(2)每年6—8月为人熊冲突高发期,8—10月为案件上报高峰期;(3)年纪较小和经历过棕熊肇事的受访者对棕熊的态度更为消极;(4)多数受访者认为过去10年里棕熊种群数量有所增加,其主要原因是新枪支政策的执行;(5)大部分受访者在防熊措施选择偏好上较为保守,认为修筑水泥墙和找人看守是保护财产最有效的两种途径。建议地方政府完善当前野生动物肇事补偿制度,促进利益相关者参与人熊冲突管理过程;提升电围栏防控技术,选择合适地点建立棕熊补饲站;为了保护人身安全,允许牧民在一定范围内合法使用防熊喷雾;未来应加强牧民生产生活方式的改变与棕熊行为之间关系的研究。

棕熊分子鉴定方法的建立与应用

棕熊(Ursus arctos)是我国二级重点保护野生动物,棕熊鉴定是生物资源调查和多样性保护的一项重要内容,更是解决人兽冲突和打击珍稀动物非法盗猎的重要技术手段之一。研究设计棕熊物种鉴定特异性PCR引物,建立基于粪便材料的棕熊特异性PCR鉴定方法,并对粪便材料进行物种鉴定。结果表明:研究设计的棕熊特异性引物可以鉴别藏棕熊(U.a.pruinosus)、东北棕熊(U.a.lasiotus)和喜马拉雅棕熊(U.a.isabellinus)等亚种且具有较高的特异性,能从粪便材料中高效特异性地鉴定藏棕熊,为棕熊野外调查鉴定提供了技术方法,也为棕熊保护提供了技术支持。

棕熊亚种一新纪录

本文对分布在新疆三大山系的棕熊进行了观察研究,发现分布在阿勒泰的棕熊与分布在阿尔金山的青藏亚种(Ursus arctos pruinosus Blyth)和分布在天山的天山亚种(Ursus arctos issabellinus Horsfield)有显著差异,而与文献中记述的分布在苏联西伯利亚向东至山脉的普通棕熊亚种相同,故阿勒泰棕熊是中国棕熊亚种一新纪录(Ursus a. arctos).

长白山自然保护区黑熊和棕熊种群数量动态分析

1986～2010年冬季采用路线调查方法,对吉林省长白山国家级自然保护区阔叶红松林和针叶林中的黑熊(Ursus thibetanus)及棕熊(U.arctos)的相对种群数量和幼年个体比例进行了长期调查。调查面积分别为4万和3万hm2。调查期间累计遇到黑熊65头次(2.6头/年)、棕熊46头次(1.8头/年)。各年度黑熊和棕熊的数量变动很大,总体呈下降趋势。黑熊的数量较20世纪80年代下降了93.4%,幼体所占比率从17.2%下降为0%;棕熊种群数量下降了38.8%,幼体所占比率仅为7.1%。黑熊和棕熊的种群幼体所占比例极低,说明长白山自然保护区黑熊和棕熊自然繁殖力很低,2种熊种群均处于极度濒危状态。栖息地减少和盗猎可能是导致熊类数量急剧下降的主要因素。

ICP-OES测定熊肉中金属元素的含量

采用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法(ICP-OES)测定棕熊肉中有益金属元素与重金属元素的含量。熊肉中含有Ca、K、Na、Mg、Zn、Fe、Ti等7种有益金属元素,Cu、Al、Tl、Cr等4种有害金属元素。该方法对各元素的检出限为0.0002—0.006mg/L,各元素相对标准偏差在1.12%—6.19%之间,加标回收率为96.8%—104.9%。11种金属元素中Na、Mg、Fe、K、Ca的含量较高。